Recently I saw a video of Andy Murray where he corrects a journalist who totally ignores the female tennis players of USA. When the journalist says that Sam Querrey is the first American player to reach a Grand Slam semi final since 2009, Andy made it a point to inform him that Sam was a male player, implying that there have been women American players who have won the titles earlier. As the journalist laughed and commented yes of course I could hear an undertone which said do females even count? (http://indianexpress.
The constant undermining of women on social media rattles me.
When I get forwards about wives being the bane of husbands lives and Botox Queens being better than naturally aging ones I get angry.
When there are jokes on how classmates looked like chillies when in college and look like capsicums now I fume!
And what irritates me more is that when I react to such instances I am told by my male friends that I need to chill and learn how to take a joke.
I can take a joke and of course crack so many of them on myself. But when the so called jokes reinforce stereotypes of negative imaging of women I cannot.
If the woman who is a wife is the most painful thing in a husband’s life, do not get married. Do not disregard a person who is sharing her life with you. Living with you is not an easy task. Many of the wives never even bargained into this deal! When you forward jokes on wives, do you realize you are teaching your sons that it's OK to laugh at your wives and deride her role in your life. That's what she deserves.
When a female college mate of the same age looks older than a male one isn't it obvious she has gone through a lot in life which may include giving birth to babies?
If she doesn't care to maintain her body like a film star that's because she doesn't have the luxury or the necessity to do so. If she hasn't cared for herself may be she cared for others.
But what message do you pass on to your son? That a woman is valued only when she looks good.
And when you tell the women to relax and take a joke do you realize you are teaching your sons it's OK to ignore the presence of real women in their lives. It's OK to joke on them and deride their roles. It's OK to call a woman someone's property. It's OK to mention a woman only in relation to a man! It's OK to negate her individuality and her existence! You are also passing a strong message to your daughters that tomorrow this is the treatment they will get form men in their lives and they need to take it with a chill pill too!
And No, I will not take a chill pill.
