Discrimination Against Women in Advertisement

Advertisements are seen everywhere you go. They can be seen on the internet, billboards, televisions, public buses, etc. Each person in America sees an average of 1,500 advertisements per day, these advertisements that we see everyday have a huge influence on our thoughts, attitudes, perceptions and actions. Young girls grow up think they have to be exactly like the models they see on Americas Top Model or the celebrities in the magazines/reality shows. This causes girls to follow the footsteps of someone famous which can result to them growing up to fast. Girls now days feel that in order to be called pretty they need to put on tons of makeup, wear clothes that show off their body, and talk with a flirtatious tone. Women's advertisements are making these girls think that if they grow up faster they will be liked more by society. I believe that their is a time for everything, when girls are ready to grow up they will but they shouldn't rush to be women at such young ages, they have a whole life time to become the woman that they desire to be. I hope this post makes some sense, my point is, is that we shouldn't allow advertisement to ruin the youth.

Is it a big deal??

So, as many of you know, I'm Filipino. For those of you who didn't know that...well now you do. But I was born and raised right here in California. If you couldn't see me, if you didn't know what I looked like, where my family was from, or how my home was run, you definitely wouldn't think I was Asian. For as long as I can remember, I've been referred to as a "white girl." My friends and family would tease me for being "white" and I still don't understand what that fully means or what it was supposed to be seen as.

I didn't know if it was supposed to be seen as an insult, classification, or just a joke. Nonetheless, I wasn't sure if I should be offended or if "white" people should be offended. I, along with them, have been stereotyped. I have been classified as a "white girl in an Asian body" because I held attributes that may or may not correspond to a certain culture. I am a cheerleader who enjoys listening to country music, drinking Starbucks, and wearing Uggs. Sometimes I say "like" too often or speak in a certain way...but I didn't know that these certain habits could be used in a way to identify who I was.

Anyways, so what I was trying to get at was the question of is this okay? Is this okay to take certain habits and activities and pin them to a race or culture? Also...is this supposed to be offensive or just trends and jokes?

Ernestine Johnson

The video we watched last week of Ernestine Johnson, talking about "The Average Black Girl" was very inspiring. I was touched because many people have the perception of a black girl acting or looking a certain way but she says that the average black girls were the women who changed the nation and fought for their freedom. Johnson brought up a good topic when she said how when women speak proper they are told they sound like a white girl and I never really understood that because by saying that, does that mean all the other races don't speak properly? I think everyone has a certain way of speaking depending on who the conversation is with and where you are at because of course you're not going to talk to your boss the same way you talk to your friends. It's just different when you are talking to a higher authority or someone you don't really know. So to me it isn't that you "sound white" it just simply means that their is a way of talking in different situations.

Gender Culture

Men are different from women and are the same as women, but we are all human beings and males and females should be on the same level in society. This makes me questions why there is such a division. If you look at it in a different perspective, and view the world as a division of males and females you can see that not only is it humans that create such divisions, but even animals. Animals such as apes and fish and lions, have a division of males and females that is relatively similar to humans in our society. Even though this may be off topic I feel as if it proves a point almost that in nature it seems that the males are most often seen as hard working and powerful while women stay with the offspring and do female things. Although this is true and could bring up an argument in favor of male supremacists, there are also factors in nature where women are dominant, but do not express it in a showy manner as males do; for example, female lions tend to do all the work in a pride, but the males are the symbol of the pride and get all credit. Women do have a place in human society and nature, and can stray from the norm of what is expected because humans are evolving so quickly that even women are starting to gain on men.

Why there is division in everything?

I ask this question of why there is division in everything because that is the world we are basically living in. That they made this division to show us the difference between men and women. But since we are so diverse and very democratic in this country the gap is still there but many things are being proved wrong and changed. I like how they describe the use of different speaking towards us because it got me to better understand why these languages exist. I don't like it because this country is exist to be equal and in the bible it says that too. So why can't we just accept each other and why do we have to be separate with each other instead of being together? Sometimes I wish none of this exist because it shows that one will always win while the other loses and that there will never be agreements towards each other because of this difference we have. That is why there is so much trouble because these debates in this world about who is better. Therefore it will be better if this idea doesn't exist.

Gender roles contribute  to not only sexism, but even rape culture. Gender norms set up a standard which is indirectly imposed throughout school by not only adults but even children themselves. Children grow up with the gender binary system and are taught at an early how they are expected to carry themselves. For example girls are supposed to like pink and boys like blue. Girls like dolls and boys like trucks.  Our social system is set up for gender binary and heterosexuality. This definitely leaves kids who do not fit under those strict categories to feel cast out.  The truth of the matter is that gender roles cause more harm than good. This can lead to depression and causes a lot of unnecessary confusion. Going through puberty is hard enough it doesn’t help when society imposes these rigid guidelines for boys and girls to fall under. Gender roles limit how we think and essentially need to be eliminated in order for us to move forward as a society. Rape culture is enforced through gender norms especially for women. Women are sexualized by men, but are demonized by men if they act sexual. Girls from a young age are taught to cover up and to be modest. School dress codes enforce no shorts or bra straps for girls because it is “too distracting” for boys in the classroom. Ultimately girls are shamed and taught to be submissive whereas boys are getting a pass. Girls are also taught at a young age that if a boy is mean to them it means they like them. This encourages rape culture and again gives boys another pass. In order to end rape culture and a lot of problems within our society forced rigid gender roles should be eliminated this way our society can improve and growing up will be less confusing.

Gender Expectations

     As much as I rant about the sexist world that women still live in, I do recognize that men are faced with gender challenges as well. I'm not a guys so I can't really speak for guys, but because I am a girl I know and hear what girls talk about when they are with their friends. I know that girls also have unrealistic expectations when they are looking for guys to date or the "one". It seems apparently unfair that when girls talk about their perfect guy, people always encourage them to "not settle" which in turn only promotes that type of thinking. I feel that if guys aren't "allowed" to have unrealistic expectations for their significant others, then neither should girls. I believe everyone should have standards and not just settle for anyone, but I also believe that no one is perfect. You shouldn't base your judgment of someone solely on their looks. Looks are a factor because I mean, hello, it's the packaging that draws you in; but once you start nit picking little things like how much body a hair a guy should or shouldn't have or the type of hair that a girl should or shouldn't have in order to fit your standards, that's when things get out of control. People are people and no one is perfect, you just take whoever makes you happy and live a happy life with them. So, guys, girls, have standards but don't be as picky as Stanford, because sometimes, you miss out on really cool people if you do that.

**I hope this post made sense, I realize that I gave advice towards the end, but what the heck, this is a blog for thoughts and what not so there you go.