Hoe, Slut, Whore: Living in the Double Standard

When considering biological makeup, treatment by others, and societal expectations of the two sexes, women have always had it harder. One of the many challenges we face is that of the double standard andthe flack we get for defying it. In appearance, the media, the workplace, and quantity of sex partners, women still somehow have yet to be judged by the same standards as their male counterparts. Although we may have yet to realize it, these double standards are prevalent in several areas of our lives.

Five-Star Chick

Anyone reading this knows how much attention you have dedicated to your appearance upon waking up. While you may not have gone through the tedious process of decorating your face, you undoubtedly judged
your appearance when you first took a look in the mirror this morning. When discussing double standards, freshman, Thomas DiAgostino imparted that women are held to different beauty standards than those of males. As a female, I emphatically agree. We feel pressure from our peers, both the males and the ridiculously beautiful females we encounter each day. Not to mention the media, which is becoming to blame for all things negative. No matter how attractive we are, we never seem to be satisfied and want more from ourselves. Why should females continuously have to remind ourselves that we are good enough? This knowledge should be inherent. Guys don’t let the opinions of females bring them down or lower their self-esteem, so girls shouldn’t allow guys to have that effect. There seem to be more terms originated specifically for an unattractive female, than a male, For instance, the term “butterface” which means “everything but her face” implying that a girl has a nice body and may be groomed well but not have attractive facial features, can only be applied to a female. When a girl is walking down the street, she has a higher chance of being the subject of verbal commentary on her attractiveness, whether it be positive or negative, than a guy does being evaluated by females. I rarely encounter a girl yelling to a male her attraction to his anatomical parts.

Every Girl in the World
Were rumors of rapper turned pop artist, Nicki Minaj hooking up with Lil Wayne ignited because she hadsuccess with Young Money, is an attractive female, or simply because Lil Wayne has revealed his diverse taste in expressing his desire to have intercourse with females worldwide? Wayne’s universal lust was expressed in a song, in which he advises a female to “gon throw it back and bust it open like you sposed to.” Hmm, not only is this rather presumptuous statement grammatically incorrect, but I don’t recall being born with this innate knowledge that my duty is to please a man. Ironically, I was actually advised to keep my legs closed. Not to mention, I was always led to believe I had greater purpose such working hard, treating others as I would want to be treated, being a good person, those ol’ cliché tidbits of advice from the older folks in my life. Rarely will you hear a female music artist conveying that a guy is nothing greater than his penis, and if you do it’s likely to come from Nicki Minaj or rapper Trina quite renowned for their provocative lyrics. Sadly, the majority of female artists are often reminiscing over heartbreak from deception by former partners or their quest for love. Male artists often have a more superficial focus that’s so helpfully been summed up by some artists in their music: money, cars, clothes, and let’s not forget the inevitable, hoes.

Nicki, Nicki, Nicki

With the music mogul now in mind, when Nicki Minaj first entered the rap industry with her release of mixtapes, more attention was directed to her body and highly suggestive lyrics. I assume the last name initiated a decent amount of attention as well. Minaj flaunted an attraction to females and made numerous references to sexual acts and all her lady parts. Was this an expression of Minaj’s true self or was this what she felt was needed in order to succeed in a male dominated industry? While Minaj may be a sexual person, she likely felt the need to greatly exaggerate this quality in order to get the level of press she wanted. In an interview with radio disc jockey, Charlemagne, Minaj said she was indeed “A rapping butt” in the early phases of her career. While it isn’t necessary for women in all work fields to boast their sexuality to become prosperous, women definitely aren’t on the same playing field as men in the workforce. In addition to discussing the beauty standards women are held to, DiAgostino accurately relayed that a woman in the workplace makes 70 cents to a man’s dollar. Not to mention, the judgment a woman receives when in authoritative positions from her subordinates. A woman in power is likely to be perceived as a b***h when mimicking the same actions of a man in that position who would be believed to simply be getting the job done.