The image below is a great example of slut shaming by another girl. Why does this girl feel obligated to tell other women how they should wear their clothes? Why do women have to constantly think about what other girls are thinking and saying about them, based on their appearance?
This picture does a great job depicting the double standard we see in today's society. While men are seen as "cool", "macho", or a "ladies man", women are seen as "dirty", "easy", or "promiscuous".
With a rise in the use of social media, especially among younger girls and teenagers, slut shaming has been easier than ever before. All it takes is one picture or post about another girl for hundreds of people to see within seconds. We all know about the Steubenville High School rape that took place in 2012. A high school girl was repeatedly and publicly sexually assaulted by her peers when she was drunk, and it was documented on social media. Take a look at some of the responses to the trial.
It goes without saying that slut shaming has led to sexual abuse and rape, and more so than that, victim blaming. Once a woman is regarded as a slut, she becomes a target for sexual assault. After the assault has taken place, rather than blame the person responsible, the victim is blamed because she's a "slut" or "whore". Women who dress or act a certain way are accused of "asking for it", thus taking away any blame from the perpetrator himself.
So what do we do? Well, for starters, girls need to stop calling themselves and each other sluts. Teenagers and young women will use this term to describe themselves in an effort to show their comfort with their sexuality. But this has only backfired and led to an increased risk of sexual assault. It all begins with the individual. Avoiding any type of participation in shaming, through media or otherwise; taking shaming words out of your vocabulary; speaking up and saying something when you hear slut shaming. These are all things people can do to help the problem. Many women have spoken out and rallied against slut shaming, including celebrities. Amy Schumer, Ariana Grande, and Beyonce are just a few examples of celebrities who have spoken out in books, songs, or talk shows. The SlutWalk movement was created in response to a Toronto police officer stating that "women should avoid dressing like sluts in order to not be victimized". The purpose of the walk is to raise awareness and put an end to a culture in which it is considered acceptable to blame the victim. Take Back the Night is another movement aimed to create safe communities, seeking to end sexual assault and abuse.
So, my questions for you: Why do you think a double standard still exists for men and women when it comes to having sex and expressing sexuality? Why has society become so accepting of slut shaming, and what can we do to help put an end to it?
Meghan, I love your post! I think you did a great job exposing the topic of slut-shaming and the double-standard that exists. The image you selected with choice words written over the female and male was powerful, and I also really liked the first quote you posted by Jessica Valenti.
ReplyDeleteThe double-standard for men and women is an important one to point out. While men also share in the responsibility of slut-shaming, I am glad that you pointed out how women also shame each other for being sexual. I wonder if part of the reason the double-standard is perpetuated is because some women deny themselves and others the right to be sexual without labeling such sexuality as sluttiness. Therefore, I agree that one of the plans of action should include teaching women to refrain from using this type of language against each other. There is a quote I really like that touches on the power of women empowering women with their words, written by Ann Voskamp, which says,
Girls rival each other. Women revive each other.
Girls empale each other. Women empower each other.
Girls compare each other. Women champion each other.
Hi Meghan,
ReplyDeleteI really like your post. I think that is a very serious and real topic we should all be aware of. I could not help but to feel upset and sad at the same time knowing that to this day and age, people are still being insensitive and disrespectful toward others. I am lucky to say that I have not being slut shamed, at least not to my face, but I do have seen how girls and boys slut shame other girls via social media and even in person. The double-standard is one of the most important reasons why some girls have to go through this mean behavior.
It is not a surprise to see how men and women have been treated differently throughout the years. I do believe that both women and men are responsible for this, however, I am starting to think that usually women are the ones who reinforce this types of disrespectful behavior. If all women agree that slut-shaming is wrong in so many ways, men would at least know we all women are against it, but for some reason women tend to slut shame other girls more often.
I think some of the things we can do to help is by starting with a simple thing such as calling out on someone who slut shame another girl. We should also teach women how to stop offending other girls and to be more respectful. We should also teach girls how to empower each other rather than destroy each other.
I think you did a great with this blog post. I have several comments about this topic. I don't agree with the double standards that exist. Boys and men shouldn't be glorified for the same things that girls and women are shamed for. There are a lot influences that fuel this situation. Men want to prove they can have many females to make them feel powerful. Some females make this worse because they only go after men that seem popular and who is liked by everyone. The females end up competing to see who can win his heart or whatever the case. On the other hand, if a female was to try to have many relationships with different males, she would be looked at negatively. I personally feel like I wouldn't want to deal with a guy that has relations with multiple people. You have to be choosy in world with so many diseases going around. My second comment would be on rape and the statement "she was asking for it." No matter how a female dress or how drunk she gets, that should never be a reason for her to be taken advantage of. There are some women who voluntarily part-take in sexual activity with different partners. I am in no position to judge anyone, so how they carry themselves is up to them. Even still, she shouldn't be targeted to be raped because she seems "easy." Rape can happen to anyone. I don't think we could completely stop slut shaming because there will always be those who must go against the grain. However, we could inform teens and adults of the harm this can do and encourage them to prevent and/or intervene in slut shaming situations.
ReplyDeleteYour post raises what is among the most common stereotypes and double-standards about gender; men are meant to enjoy and benefit from sex and expressions of sexuality where women aren't except as it affords men a sense of accomplishment and pride in their masculinity. When women do cross this line, the term "slut" and synonyms are touted out in order to reaffirm the idea that sex and sexuality are for men only. *This crops up also in male-male and female-female sexual relationships as well, however. This makes me think that gender is merely a code for power dynamics in relationships between two individuals and, by extension, whole groups or communities. Hence the need (and usefulness) of a slut walk as it confronts this belief by countering a group mentality with that of another collective advocating that one's nudity, clothing choices, and the like do not engender the right to violate or take advantage in any way of the female body. What I applaud most about the slut walk, though, is that it addresses another double-standard; that the female body is alternately more taboo and sexualized than is the male's. This could likely have as much an impact on the use of "slut" and similar terms as that power dynamics of any given relationship or scenario. Why is it that the female form, and its parts, are more sexualized than that of a male's? Ex. Women's legs are considerably more sexual than a man's are perceived as being, if at all. What ties does 'slut' shaming have to body shaming, in other words?
ReplyDeleteI think this blog raises very good points that continue to support the claim that women are unfairly considered at fault for sexual assaults and rape. It is clear that the slut shaming concept is one that perpetuates the power that men have over women in order to get whatever it is they want, and to maintain their position in society. A woman who dresses how she thinks accentuates her figure is called a slut because she likes to be confident in how she looks. A girl who wants a relationship with a guy before she is comfortable engaging in sexual activity with him is ignored by the guy because all he really wanted was sex. It's clear the double standard is bad and can be harmful to women and girls as they grow up and continues as they are adults.
ReplyDeleteI think in order to effectively change the culture that supports slut shaming we must make an effort to simply see one another as equals, rather than men as superior to women. This shift in view, however, will be challenging for many because it would mean that men would no longer get to control everything they want. It may mean they are no longer in command of the entire society. However, that is not how society should exist. It should be a priority of all to ensure that all people are treated with dignity and respect as equals.
Meghan, I'm glad you chose to address this topic. I think girls and women today definitely experience anxiety over this issue whether they consciously realize it or not. We tend to feel like we have to walk a fine line between expressing ourselves freely and also being socially acceptable, with everything we do (how we dress, act, talk, etc.). I think that the word "slut" has been thrown around too loosely over the past decade or too. It's just adding to a list of standards we either have to live up to or avoid. Some women are more open about their sexuality than others yet they are belittled when they do this. Some women are more comfortable with dressing in what some people may view as "promiscuous", and that is okay if that is how they want to express themselves.
ReplyDeleteI am disgusted by the comments from the Steubenville trial. Why is it that a man gets justified to rape someone for the way they were dressed or the state of their consciousness? I think a double standard exists between men and women in regards to expressing sexuality and is continuously reinforced. Girls are constantly judged on how they look and there seems to never be a middle ground that is good enough. In order to challenge this double standard, it needs to be addressed and pointed out more. I think about the power of immediacy responses when I think about this issue. If boys and men are challenged in their biases, they will hopefully start to realize the extreme of the double standard that exists between genders. I think women have work to do too and they should not take advantage of the situation to only benefit them. This needs to be a team effort between both genders and the bottom line is learning respect. We need to practice empathy in understanding where each side is coming from and work to dissolve stereotypes that are so ingrained in our minds from socialization.
As I was reading your blog I started thinking about how much I heard that word thrown around when I was in middle and high school. But interestingly it wasn’t always in a bad way.. I remember in middle school how some of the popular girls would refer to each other as sluts or whores because they thought it was cute and funny. You did a great job addressing the serious consequences that have come from people just throwing those words around and the harmful culture it has created.
ReplyDeleteI attended an Advocacy Workshop a couple of weeks ago and Dr. Curry told a personal experience about how she petitioned at the state level for an anti-bullying law. If the law had passed, protective measures would have been placed in schools by implementing consequences for students who used racial slurs, homophobic words, and derogatory names to label other students.
I wanted to share that story because it inspired me to think outside the box of ways to combat problems like this. It’s so hard to change people’s perceptions when they are desensitized to certain issues and words- that’s why I agree that implementing programs in schools is a good start!
Repeatedly, girls and young women across North America are encouraged, even expected, to present themselves as sexually knowing and sophisticated, both online and offline. Being “hot” or sexy is part of the recipe of heterosexual femininity. It’s easy to cross the invisible and ever-shifting boundary between “sexy” and “slutty.” If she is perceived as “too” sexy; if she calls too much attention to her sexiness; if she lacks the carelessness that is compulsory to pull off the sexy-but-not-slutty performance; she faces a real risk of becoming labeled. I personally don't think thats very fair. The moment someone lays eyes on another person they start forming opinions. If a women wears tight clothing and shows skin is she really a slut? It goes back to the age old setting of you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Labeling and shaming people due to their environment can also be very detrimental. I bring up this issue because it closely relates to being called something you may not be. For example are all softball players "dykes"? Is a gymnast a slut because she wears little to no clothing in her issued leotard. Its just simple things like those questions that make you wonder why someone showing skin is a slut.
ReplyDeleteI think as far as changing society its going to be very hard to do unless people stop using the words so freely. If we all judged a little less the world to come would be a much better place.
I think we should consider the lexicon that we use when we discuss these topics. Some would say that by writing a blog using the word 'slut' and painting the word in a negative light you are actually perpetuating the problem. These negative associations are harder to break than positive ones in the human psyche.
ReplyDeleteTake for example the word 'Muslim'. In the past fifteen years people have not used the word to mean a certain religion but instead use the word as 'Terrorist'. For better or for worse this shows just how easily our words can change depending on current events.
I read this book a while back called "The Ethical Slut" written by two females, one a sex therapist and one an English professor (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54944.The_Ethical_Slut). They suggest that instead of falling into this trap and attempting to purge the word from our lives (which doesn't work as you end up with the same critique of using the word to educate those thus perpetuating the use) we should instead reclaim the word. Taking it back from the brink of destructiveness and making it a word which celebrates sex. This argument is kind of better to think of as saying "don't think about your nose" which forces the person to then think about their nose. Its a farce and simply does not work.
This is another example of how we can very easily fall into the trap of not being okay with peoples sexualities.
Women in our society are not allowed to be sexual beings. Lets stop using the word negatively. Lets not use this word to purge our lexicon but instead use it to empower people.
There is not really many dangers when thinking about sex outside of STDs and unwanted pregnancy, other than the societal stigmas. While it is important to be wary of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy as they have far reaching impacts, they are really not as significant as we many consider.
This society we have places the fear of god into anyone who dares to think that sleeping with multiple partners is wrong. Has anyone thought to think of why this is? Why is it that we shame those seen as sexually promiscuous? Why are we afraid of STIs and really use this as an excuse as to why being a slut is a bad thing?
Thank you Meghan for sharing something that you are passionate about. This was an interesting read for me personally as I rarely (maybe never) have used that word to describe another woman. I think we can counteract “slut shaming” by teaching young girls how to have respect for themselves, their bodies, and how they dress. I also think we need to teach boys how to have respect for girls, their bodies, and how they dress. At the root of “slut shaming” there is more going on than just calling names, there is a lack of respect.
ReplyDeleteI think that both men and women were created as sexual beings and there is nothing wrong with that! There are probably many reasons why there is a double standard for how women are viewed when it comes to sex and sexuality versus men including societal expectations, media, and cultural expectations just to list a few. Society is very into name calling and opinion sharing these days and that’s another reason why I think people feel like they can say whatever they want including if they want to call someone a “slut”. So until we learn that there are consequences to our words and actions we will continue to see women hurt by such comments.
Hey Meghan! I love your blog topic. This is an issue that resonates with me, because it is something that so many girls and women, including myself have dealt with. There were multiple points that you brought up that reveal that this isn't just an issue about people being mean to each other. What you said about women being a target for sexual abuse and other forms of abuse after they have been labeled a slut is a huge consequence of slut shamming. I agree that there is a double standard that exists about sexuality and it is something that needs to change. This topic reminds me of the virgin whore concept that we have talked about in class. Why is it that women are labeled like this rather than being seen as human beings with natural sexual instincts just like men? I have witnessed and heard and even experienced the different ways men will treat you based on your willingness to sleep with them. It is true that some men will treat women with less respect simply because they have labeled them a slut, just because they were sexually active with that man. Likewise, men who glorify women for "not giving it up" on the first date equally disgust me.
ReplyDeleteIt saddens me that it is not only men that perpetuate this, but women as well. I like how you showed the image of the girl slut shaming, because that is just so hurtful to other women and also needs to stop. I think the reason that some girls and women do this to each other is because they themselves are afraid of being labeled a slut, and therefore project that label on to others to deflect attention away from their own sexuality. Maybe some girls have learned growing up to be ashamed about their sexuality and were told it was bad and not taught the healthy ways to have sexual relationships, and due to their own insecurity about it take it out on other women. Just a thought. I think what could help is changing how girls grow up learning about sexual relationships. The taboo needs to be taken down and real life and SEX need to addressed in a non-shameful manner. Hopefully, by teaching girls about sexual relationships this way, they will feel empowered sexually and be able to protect themselves better.
This blog highlights the problem of slut shaming that affects women of various ages, young and old alike. Women are deemed sluts for an ungodly amount of reasons and it is not fair to them. There is an unfair double standard when it comes to behavior. I think the reason why the double standard still exists is because we still live in a male-dominated society. Unfortunately for females, males dominate society and make the rules on what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. Protests and rallies like the ones you have included pictures of have helped expand people's minds and make them realize how unfair it is to be labeled a slut when the girl has not done anything wrong or sexually promiscuous in any way.
ReplyDeleteSomething I have noticed a lot of lately is slut shaming between females. I hear a lot of girls talking and saying "oh you slut" kind of joking around with each other. But this is the type of behavior that perpetuates the problem. If males and females alike are engaging in slut shaming, the problem will never end because both genders are engaging in the activity. Until everyone stops this behavior in ways that you have mentioned above, slut shaming will continue to be a large problem facing females of all ages.
Hi Meghan! I love this blog so much! Like the first image in your blog, I was deemed a slut in middle school before I ever even kissed a guy. I was very friendly and outgoing and had guy friends, so I had to have been a slut, right!? One thing that has always bothered me is how some guys will sleep with a girl and then be disgusted by her and call her a slut afterwards to other people. I've heard guys talk like this and it's just appalling. When I spoke up, then they said that I must be a slut too. It doesn't make any sense. Another form of slut-shaming that goes along with this is the myth that if a woman has too much sex, then her body is ruined and she is now "loose" because her vagina is permanently stretched out. This myth is pervasive and ridiculous. Many guys just accept it as truth, but they don't understand human anatomy. The muscles of the vagina are meant to stretch out temporarily for sex and to birth a human being then the muscles contract and tighten again. The vagina is elastic and does not permanently stretch out from having sex. I always correct guys when I hear them perpetuating this garbage and they generally don't believe me or insinuate that I must be a slut for trying to correct this stupid myth. Here is a psychology today article to educate people who don't believe it: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/201109/the-rare-truth-about-tight-and-loose-women
ReplyDeleteSlut shaming comes in so many different forms. I think the double standard still exists because it gives men power, so many men don't want to give that power up. It also gives some girls power when they call other girls sluts. It's a way to tell guys that she's "not like other girls" and better because she's more pure. Society is so accepting of it because they aren't educated. Many girls are afraid to speak up against slut shaming because trust me, when you speak out against it, you are labeled a slut. "Why are you defending female sexual activity, you must be a whore!" The only way to put an end to it is to always speak out against it. Correct misconceptions. Educate people.
yessss! Love this comment. Sums it up perfectly :)
ReplyDeleteI believe the double standard regarding sex still exists because society still adheres to the idea that a woman’s purpose in life is to be a mother. Men lust after the “bad girl” but desire the “good girl” for marriage...enter the double bind. Women are seen as potential mothers and incidentally mothers are not supposed to be sexual. On the other hand, women also are aggressors when it comes to shaming other women based on their sexual experience. Earlier in the course we learned that many women’s identities are tied to winning the attention and affection for males. This serves to drive “slut shaming” in order for women to present themselves as superior or as an ideal candidate for marriage/motherhood. I feel that society has become desensitized to slut shaming because media has portrayed it as normal behavior for women. Watch any reality TV show and the theme of slut shaming takes center stage. Real Wives, Bad Girls, Bachelor, etc. I believe we can make a change by refusing to watch TV shows which seek to shame other women period...not necessarily just slut shaming. Slut shaming, I believe is just an extension of the aggression women have toward one another. For this reason, I believe that we need to educate our young women and men. We need to help them realize that women have sexual needs and desires, just as men do, and the role of women in society does not revolve around procreation.
ReplyDeleteThe double standard between men and women exists still today because it is actively reinforced by society and popular media. Many popular television shows depict slut shaming in a way that is intended either to be humorous or derogatory to a female nemesis. Slut shaming has become another form of bullying but it is one that exists on a societal level, rather than simply within smaller cliques found in school settings. The horrific comments left by people in the wake of the Steubenville scandal are not uncommon. Despite their definition, the meaning of the word "slut" is often subjective and dependent on the beliefs and values of the sayer. The spectrum of sluttiness encompasses many standard ideals like disapproval of premarital sex or having more than a handful of sexual partners in your lifetime. I have heard women call themselves sluts, not in an attempt to insult themselves, but as a genuine categorization based on subjective values. The term itself has been used so loosely that it has all but lost its meaning, although the impact of it lasts for a long time. Once labeled as a slut, the woman is seen as a potential target for those looking to build themselves up by tearing others down. Women who slut shame others do so in an attempt to differentiate themselves and increase their status and stock as desirable mates. Putting an end to slut shaming is not impossible but does require a systematic change and a shift in societal values.
ReplyDeleteI think we are so fixated on how times were for men/women, and relationships in the past that we forget to consider how times have changed In those areas. Instead of incorporating modern day thoughts and freedoms into how we view and perceive women’s opinions and actions we objectify, bash, and label them. We have to remember as times changed women’s independence and right of freedom of speech changed as well. When comparing earlier times in history to the present day, we like to say women did not act or speak a certain way during these times, but do we ever consider that maybe they wanted to speak out and go against how they were expected to act, maybe they wanted to express their sexuality and be seen as a man’s equal in that aspect however, those rights were not afforded to them so they chose keep quiet and conform. Society has become accustomed to the “ideal woman”. And as evolving as we are, we almost refuse to revise our thoughts on what the “ideal woman” may be. With that being said , one thing we can do to help put an end to “slut shaming” is openly discussing the potential effects of being a victim of constant bashing. By raising this awareness, people may began to think twice before taunting or shaming young girls and women.
ReplyDeleteThis blog does a very good job of bringing about what slut shaming is and how massive of an issue this has become. Women and girls are repeatedly told that they are either a slut or a prude and there is rarely ever in between. They are told each day by society what is acceptable and what is not. For example, what length of dress is too short or long and if that means a female is asking for it or not. Recently, I saw a post of a girl who had done some lovely make up on herself and a boy that had tweeted to her that he did not want a girl that looked like a doll and that natural beauty was better. Her response was that she did not wear make up for men. In less than a sentence she showed that girls do not do everything for men and that what he thought of her did not matter. I know that is slight off the topic of slut shaming but most of the time girls do not go around calling themselves and other females sluts. The majority of the time is coming out of a man's mouth (not all!! I know there are some really great men out there!!).
ReplyDeleteI don't know why this has become such a big deal and why people allow slut shaming. I think that we as females are very fortunate for people like Amber Rose who stand up to people putting down other women and I hope that it continues.
As long as men are deemed the dominant gender and socialized to "conquer" or "hunt" for women, and we continue to use phrases such as the "thrill of the chase" we will be seen as prey. Not sure if the 'Scarlet Letter' was an actual practice or simply an acclaimed novel, but if women who were deemed adulterers were truly branded with their transgressions it is obvious that it was a patriarchal approach to shame girls and women into submission. The fear of being outed in a public arena in itself limited the potential of future marital prospects, keeping women in their "place". Yet another problematic way of speaking. Our place is not in the kitchen, it is boardrooms, in the Senate, in the White House.
ReplyDeleteI love the phrase seen above "rape existed before mini skirts", it illustrates perfectly the circular logic that ignorant people use to blame the victim. I will add another that I read just this week on Instagram "NO is a complete sentence'. Just because a woman decides to drink, it does not mean she wants to act out sexually. While the two may be conducive to the other, they are not in a causational factors. No should not have to be justified as to why the women chooses to have sex or not. Rape cases bring light to the subject and I am not sure if we will ever have a fair assessment of the perpetrator vs. Victim. I feel everyone needs someone to blame in those cases and they themselves project their fears and insecurities onto what men and women represent because it is more painful to accept that rape is very much a reality.
Ways we can improve the dialogue and change the climate on the subject of slut shaming is by changing our own manner of speaking, keeping in check moments in which we are tempted to criticize or ridicule women for being comfortable in their own skin, and lastly we need to challenge how our loved ones speak about and around women.
Slut- shaming is no different than any other form of bullying or manipulation, it is a tactic of dominance and control and even though it is not as present, it exist outside of just male to female, especially as you spread into the LGBT community. I do unfortunatly think that it happens most often between girls, that group aggression we have talked about and I honestly think it comes from a place of jealousy and fear. I think women slut- shame eachother because they see in another woman a person who is free of those social standards and because that female fears or feels unable to break free of those rules she slut-shames to keep that person under the thumb of society. Honestly that is probably true in general of when anyone does it. I will say though for guys, they are slut shamed in a way, promiscuous women her are comfortable in their sexuality are slut-shamed and vice versa guys get labeled as players or 'fuck boys'. I think James has an interesting idea of reclaiming the word and just unveiling sexuality, releasing the taboo. If being sexual was no longer so taboo, what effect would the word hold any more?
ReplyDeleteIn order to change this we have to turn to our future generations. We need to look past just male and female standards, because as we have seen those boxes are breaking down slowly. I believe we need to take advantage of the ability we have to implement programs in school that revolve around look past differences in order to find similarities. Teach kids to see others as people and help teach them how to respect not just theirselves but also others. These kinds of programs do exist somewhat but not to the extent they should and as Reagan mentioned, the idea of punishment for bullying but not just punishment, work shopping with that child and truly encouraging reflection, that is the recipe for time outs why should it not be for punishment in school as well.
Slut shaming has proliferated. Slut shaming is an experience of being labeled a sexually out of control girl or woman (a slut or ho) an then being punished socially for possessing its identity. Slut-shaming is sexist because only girls an women are called to task for their sexuality, whether real or imagined; boys and men are congratulated for the exact same behavior. This is the essence of sexual double standard: Boys will be boys, an girls will be sluts. Girls and young women are somewhat encouraged, even expected, to present themselves as sexually knowing an sophisticated, both online and offline. Being "hot" and sexy is part of the recipe of heterosexual femininity. But in one false step, its easy to cross the invisible and ever-shifting boundary between "sexy" and "slutty." IN other words, if you are a heterosexual girl or young woman, you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. If you refrain from any expression of sexiness, you may be written off as irrelevant and unfeminine. But if you follow the guidelines, you run the risk of being judged, shamed, and policed. Slut shaming is far more harmful than simple name-calling- although being denigrated publicly in itself can be traumatic. Once a girl is labeled, she become a target fro sexual assault. As we've seen, slut shaming is not really about women's sexuality. It is grounded in the belief that men get to assert themselves, and women do not. It may be getting a lot of attention these days, but slut-shaming is really just a catchy way to signify old-fashioned sexism.
ReplyDeleteSlut shaming has proliferated. Slut shaming is an experience of being labeled a sexually out of control girl or woman (a slut or ho) an then being punished socially for possessing its identity. Slut-shaming is sexist because only girls an women are called to task for their sexuality, whether real or imagined; boys and men are congratulated for the exact same behavior. This is the essence of sexual double standard: Boys will be boys, an girls will be sluts. Girls and young women are somewhat encouraged, even expected, to present themselves as sexually knowing an sophisticated, both online and offline. Being "hot" and sexy is part of the recipe of heterosexual femininity. But in one false step, its easy to cross the invisible and ever-shifting boundary between "sexy" and "slutty." IN other words, if you are a heterosexual girl or young woman, you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. If you refrain from any expression of sexiness, you may be written off as irrelevant and unfeminine. But if you follow the guidelines, you run the risk of being judged, shamed, and policed. Slut shaming is far more harmful than simple name-calling- although being denigrated publicly in itself can be traumatic. Once a girl is labeled, she become a target fro sexual assault. As we've seen, slut shaming is not really about women's sexuality. It is grounded in the belief that men get to assert themselves, and women do not. It may be getting a lot of attention these days, but slut-shaming is really just a catchy way to signify old-fashioned sexism.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this topic is very relevant, especially in this college atmosphere that we live in. As for the double standard, I feel like in general no matter who is being extra promiscuous they are going to be judged the same way. And as for the societal standard, there is definitely a greater population that uses the word “slut” directed at females in a negative manor than if it was to be used towards a male. If you ask me, if someone calls you derogative names such as that, it is learned to take those words personally. If you lined up 5 girls and 5 guys and called them each that word, I believe the males would not be as devastated or take the slang word as personal. Because most of the time the word is overused and just tossed around to say something in a negative manor.
ReplyDeleteI think going along with what I said above, in order for society to stop using terms like this directed at other women they have to first learn to appreciate all genders the same, not more than the other. I think for those who throw that word around toward every other female, they have other issues that need to be dealt with, such as the bullying. And just as the article showed, I think the various awareness programs and blogs such as this will help to gear individuals in the right direction.