GeNdEr StErEoTyPeS!

Stereotypes: a standardized conception about something. Stereotypes do not just appear, but they are not imaginary or even false. They have roots, deep roots that are born from something and grow into something much larger. The generalization can be positive or negative, offensive or not. Take Telluride, a small town in southwestern Colorado where everyone is assumed to be rich. When a citizen in Telluride hears this statement, it sounds absurd. Yet Telluride is undeniably an expensive place to live, and therefore people who live here must be “rich.”
Gender stereotypes are the worst: Women cannot drive for shit; Men are slobs; Women are weak; Men are more athletic; Women talk too much; Men lack emotions; Women are always moody; Men are “players;” this list is endless.
Dating is almost impossible these days. When I think of dating and gender stereotypes, the movie “Clueless” comes to mind. It exaggerates the roles of boys and girls in a high school atmosphere, yet nothing about Cher’s opinion is wrong. Guys stereotypically are “druggies, slackers, and slobs.” They wear their jeans sagged below their thighs with their boxers exposed for all to see. Their hair is greasy and it’s actually cool to smell. They are not held to the same standards as women, and therefore they do not strive to achieve straight A’s in school, for example. Girls, in contradiction, care about their schoolwork and appearance to a much higher extent. They wake up in the morning at least an hour before they need to leave their house, mainly because women stereotypically take hours to get ready. It’s not a bad thing; women just take more pride in their appearance. They put on makeup and a take time to pick out an ensemble that matches. And then they arrive at school, or work, and their male counterparts look as if they rolled out of bed five minutes ago. With women becoming more independent and smart, and looking much more polished, you can see why dating is out of the question.
According to these stereotypes, women are expected to become a stay home mother and bear perfect children to her hard working husband. Each day when he comes home from a long day at the office, she will have a perfectly crafted meal waiting for him. The house will be spotless and she will be expected to wait on him, hand and foot, because he had been working hard all day. The woman will be polished from head to toe; her hair is styled and her clothes are ironed, she smells fresh from the shower and a genuine smile is glued to her face. The mother always puts others before her self, acting on virtues such as love, compassion, care, nurturing, and sympathy. On the other hand, the man’s stereotypical role is the financial provider. He focuses hard on his career so that his wife will have all she desires. It is always his job to initiate the dates and anything semi romantic. However, this stereotypical family rarely exists in modern society. The women are actually equal companions to their partners, if not superior. Women hold equal jobs and many earn higher incomes than their husbands. More women graduate from college than men and women generally have higher GPAs.

That’s enough for now…
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