Gender stereotypes. What came to your mind when you read this word? Women? I’m guessing that was it. And why wouldn’t it be as well? Women have had to fight their way against countless gender stereotypes to reach the 21st century and yet, haven’t broken past them all.
Let’s think about men for some time. Men. The privileged gender, the one that never had to fight for their basic rights. Their life must be perfect, right? Wrong. This is society we’re talking about. It doesn’t consider gender, not leaving men out of its toxic web of gender stereotypes as well.
Today, I’d like to share with everyone reading this the 5 most common stereotypes and/or perceptions men have to face.
1. Men don’t cry — While women have always been described as the more emotional, vulnerable type, men have been generalized as the cold, detached gender. There has always been the stigma around them showing their emotions, even more in front of anyone. In fact, crying has now become so stigmatized that crying makes one less of a man as well.
2. All men are players — Did that boy break your heart? It’s ok, it happens to everyone. Boys are players anyways. Did your ex-husband cheat on you? It’s alright, men can’t stay with one person, being the players that they are. All men are players, that’s all they do; play with women and their emotions, right?
3. If a man isn’t aggressive or dominant, he’s gay — Men have always been the more strong, aggressive gender, right? So if a man doesn’t follow the perceptions of being a real man set by society, he’s gay. Because somehow, being gay is such a wrong and weak thing to be.
4. Boy’s only wear manly or boyish clothes — Women have fought hard to normalize wearing typical ‘men’s’ clothing but men haven’t reached that stage yet. Just recently, actor and singer Harry Styles was criticized heavily because he wore a dress for a Vogue photoshoot. Because real men don’t wear dresses and frocks, right?
5. Boys will be boys — There might be quite a few of you out there who haven’t come across this phrase so let me make it simple for you. The phrase ‘boys will be boys’ signifies that no matter what happens, boys will always be boys. They did something horribly wrong that damaged someone’s entire life? It’s ok, what can you even do about it? Because boys will be boys.
It doesn’t matter to the society that many young boys and men are trying to change. They are trying to change because they don’t want to live their lives according to the norms of society. They want to live life on their own will and a little support from us is all they need. Men don’t have to be ‘real men’, they can be whoever they want and live however they want. Let’s stop stereotyping not only men but every gender out there.
“I can’t count the number of times I have seen a man on the verge of an emotional breakdown and instead of crying, masculinity beats his heart into a coma whilst the child inside watches, traumatised by the toxic expectation”
-Natasha Sirenn
