In a post few months back, I discussed the idea of benevolent sexism and whether it's a real thing. I didn't really understand the concept very well. However, this video explains it all.
As a woman, when I first started listening to his defence of women, I felt empowered and even thankful. He is defending women of their vanity and vulnerability among other things.
Then I started thinking deeper and thought, 'Wait, why do I need another man to feel sympathetic for me and protect me in order to reassure myself of my worth?' This is not what equality is about. Feminism or gender equality isn't about asking the other gender to make excuses for us.
Why do women need five bottles of shampoo and blame it on the media and men? It has nothing to do with equality. Why do women need men to fight our battles? We don't need men to defend us; that is just admitting that men have the power to achieve things women can't.
Of course, a lot of the things the man said in the video are true; for example, rape being used as a weapon of war, a judge saying it wasn't rape because she was drunk. But that's just asking for commonsense.
We don't need, and shouldn't ask, to be idolised. We are the same; some of us are weak and some of us are strong. Some of us are ugly and some more beautiful. Some of us are rude and some polite. Some of us are happy in our own skin and some not.
I think that's what benevolent sexism is; raising one gender above the other and making excuses for them for the things you wouldn't normally excuse.
As a woman, when I first started listening to his defence of women, I felt empowered and even thankful. He is defending women of their vanity and vulnerability among other things.
Then I started thinking deeper and thought, 'Wait, why do I need another man to feel sympathetic for me and protect me in order to reassure myself of my worth?' This is not what equality is about. Feminism or gender equality isn't about asking the other gender to make excuses for us.
Why do women need five bottles of shampoo and blame it on the media and men? It has nothing to do with equality. Why do women need men to fight our battles? We don't need men to defend us; that is just admitting that men have the power to achieve things women can't.
Of course, a lot of the things the man said in the video are true; for example, rape being used as a weapon of war, a judge saying it wasn't rape because she was drunk. But that's just asking for commonsense.
We don't need, and shouldn't ask, to be idolised. We are the same; some of us are weak and some of us are strong. Some of us are ugly and some more beautiful. Some of us are rude and some polite. Some of us are happy in our own skin and some not.
I think that's what benevolent sexism is; raising one gender above the other and making excuses for them for the things you wouldn't normally excuse.
Good post
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