"Like a Girl"
Saying
men are stronger than women is a stereotype. The phrase “like a girl” only
encourages this stereotype because it suggests that women are unable to perform
in the same manner as men. When in fact, a woman can do anything a man can do
if she tries, just like a man can do anything a woman can do if he tries. It is
up to the man or woman to determine what he or she can or cannot do. If a girl
decides to become a body builder, who is to say she “punches like a girl”? Her
punch is guaranteed to be better than plenty of men’s punches as well as other
girls’. If a boy is terrible at playing baseball and someone says “he throws
like a girl”, not only is he insulted, but so are girls. The saying “like a
girl” suggests that girls are not on the same skill level as a boy. In reality,
practice and hard work determine the skill level for any boy or girl, so
placing girls into a lower skill level is inaccurate.
Claiming
a girl does something “like a girl” should be nothing out of the ordinary
because she simply is a girl. For a majority of the time, boys and girls are on
an equal playing field, those who enhance their abilities through practicing will
have the upper hand, but there is not one gender completely above the other. Everyday
girls prove that they can do anything a male can do. Even here at Milton High,
boys and girls are on the same swim team because they are at the same skill
level. Danica Patrick, a female NASCAR racer, has become very successful despite
the fact that she races among a majority male racers.
The
phrase “like a girl” has become an insult; performing a task “like a girl” now
means to perform in a weak or wimpy manner. This phrase however, should not be
taken as offense. Females are not dumber, weaker, or any less qualified than men. The definition of a girl or a female is a person who has two X chromosomes.
So how did “like a girl” become an insult today? Performing “like a girl”
should evoke pride and confidence into all females, but instead it reminds them
of how they are perceived as the weaker gender.
sources:
Hey Maddy!
ReplyDeleteI think that your argument, that the phrase "like a girl" reinforces the stereotype of male dominance in activities performed by both genders, is very valid when it comes to our intellects, or our determination to improve ourselves, like the female body builder you give as an example in your post. The phrase is really an insult, despite the fact that men and women so often operate on an equal playing field in academics and other psychological challenges. (In these areas, the favor might even be tipped towards women.)
But the examples that you use make it appear as if you are more concerned with establishing that men and women are equal on the physical level more than the psychological one, to better demonstrate the falseness of the male-dominance stereotype that "like a girl" reinforces. This isn't true. Milton High's swim team may be co-ed, but its track team, its basketball team, its crew team, and even its tennis team are separated into boys and girls teams. Olympians rarely compete in co-ed events. Males have an undeniable biological advantage when it comes to physical activity. So just as girls may have an academic advantage over boys, the opposite is on average true for men on the physical playing field.
I do agree that "'like a girl' should evoke pride and confidence into all females," not because girls can match guys on the sports field, but because the scope for comparison is much broader than physical ability (willpower, emotional strength, intelligence), and it is from their successes there that females should draw "pride and confidence."
Maddy, I like the topic of your post, but I struggle with some of your reasoning. First, who uses the expression "like a girl"? You need to establish this. Perhaps kids or adolescents use this odd term, but has it become common in mainstream media? Unless you first demonstrate the scope of the problem, you won't really convince anyone that the problem needs fixing. You don't tackle the most obvious counterargument to your claim, that men and women compete separately in the overwhelming majority of physical activities. Why is this? Finally, the only evidence you offer is anecdotal. You don't demonstrate any abundance of evidence in your favor. I wish you would have offered more specific examples. Otherwise, I agree that the expression "like a girl" is insulting, but I'm not convinced that it is completely illogical. I'm not even really sure what you're arguing. Are you challenging the expression "like a girl," or are you making the case that men and women are equal? There is a difference?
ReplyDelete