Who said women can’t be friends? Ladies and gentlemen, sexism isn’t a thing of the past, it has evolved with us. Pinning women against each other has become the social norm of the internet.
Headline such as; “Ariana Grande vs. Mariah Carey: Can you tell the difference?” and “Know Your Beef: Nicki Minaj vs. Iggy Azalea” have flooded web pages by the dozens.
Articles of this nature instill the idea into society that multiple women cannot be successful at the same time. It’s an attempt to cripple women from joining forces and climbing up the ladder of success, and it drains the power women have as individuals.
Let’s not forget about the “Who wore it best” articles, where women would be photographed wearing the same exact outfits as each other and are polled by others discussing who it looks the most flattering on, as if women have to compete with each other while wearing the same outfit.
The cattiness these ideologies enforce into the minds of individuals is a bad example for the eyes of the younger generation of females who are watching all of this unfold. They are taught insecurity and that they should always feel threatened by another woman in their presence. They are also told they can’t have their own sense of identity because of the constant comparisons between other females.
Local Kent State students Josie Pillar who is majoring in nursing and Cassidy Lombardy majoring in entrepreneurship are both 18 year-old freshmen that were asked about their feelings on the comparisons of women and sexism in general.
When asked about their feelings on the media pinning women against each other, particularly when women who wear the same outfits are up for vote, Josie quickly responded, “I think it’s kind of gross…you know?” Cassidy added, “They both should be able to feel confident and look good. I’d feel like crap about myself if someone took a picture of me wearing something and my friend was wearing the same, and saying that she looked better.”
When asked about if they had ever experienced sexism on college campuses, Josie said, “I think the biggest thing would be going to parties. You can get in because you’re a girl, but your guy friends can’t get in? Are you kidding me? There has to be a constant five girls to one guy ratio, it’s disgusting.”
Cassidy said ,“A thing that I’ve seen a lot is the fraternity houses, that’s a huge double standard. If a girl sleeps with more than one guy in a fraternity, then she’s known, she’s a fraternity whore. I’ve watched guys in fraternity’s take three girls to their room in one night, and like it’s fine. It disgusts me.”
Overall, stop the comparisons; it’s sexist. Discrimination against women in our society is a disease that needs to be put under quarantine. Women have a voice and power that is inevitable and should be used to fight against this form of ignorance.
Sexism hasn’t disappeared it has only upgraded.
Photos By Benjamin Bartling
