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Friday 17 May 2013

Lads vs Sluts: Where is the Equality?...

So it's that time again where I'm going to have a bit of a rant whilst questioning life and letting the feminist side of me come out. It's one of those situations that you hear about time and time again and quite frankly I've had absolutely enough of it now. I apologise to my Nan/family members who may be reading this right now - I advise you not to continue and go settle on the sofa and watch some good old Friday night soaps.

But tonight's rant is in the form of men and women being treated differently in the same circumstances. It's been this way for many years now, centuries even, in all different walks of life. It's a man's world so they say. Men get paid more for the same job that women do, throughout history there has only been one female Prime Minister and she was judged and hated upon more than words can even describe, and a ridiculous amount of work place sexual harassment cases get dismissed every year. 

The case in question though is about sex. Everyone does it, well most people do it, it's a natural thing, it happens every minute of the day all over the world. But why is it that men can go out and have one night stands and be called absolute 'lads' and be praised for their conquests, though a woman goes out and does the same and gets called a slut and easy. Where is the logic in that? Where is the equality in that? And it's one of those things that really really frustrates me. What gives anyone else the right to judge someone on something that they do in their private life and decide what kind of person they are because of that? And no that is not rhetorical. If you feel you have the answer to that please do comment and let me know your thoughts. I'm always up for a good debate. 

When I've asked this question to men they pretty much all tell me the same thing - that women have the power when it comes to sex. According to these men it is extremely easy for women to go out and have sex on a night out, they simply have to choose their man; yet men have to actively go out and win over the 'affections' of a woman, to phrase it slightly nicer than my interviewees exact words. I'm not entirely sure I agree with that. I feel women get this stereotype put on them because they can, because it's easier to do and because male friendships and female friendships are very different.





Generally if men have arguments with each other, they have a fight, throw a few punches/exchange of harsh words and have forgotten about it in minutes. Women on the other hand bitch behind each others backs (and don't go all crazy that I've said this, we all know we've done it), and hold a grudge for months. And whilst I'm writing this there is one quote that keeps popping into my head. Mean Girls - the standard chick flick that everyone under the age of 25 has seen.

"You all have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it ok for guys to call you sluts and whores"

And it's so true. If women go around calling each other sluts and whores and whatever word you want to go for, then it only makes men think it is ok to call us that as well. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying go out and sleep with hundreds of people and don't think of the consequences, but I don't think that anyone else has the right to judge someone on the decisions they choose to make in their life. At the end of the day, sex is a natural thing, and as long as you are sensible and safe then who is anyone else to judge. 

All of this being said, I don't see things changing any time soon. Men will always be praised for number of notches they've racked up on their bedposts, and women will be scrutinized for one drunken night that they had. Like I said, it's a mans world.

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