There's no denying that our society is full of seriously infuriating gender double standards. So redditor u/empire-state1776 asked, "What are some things that are socially acceptable for a man to do but frowned upon when a woman does it?" Here's some of what people said.
1. "The idea of 'babysitting' your own kids. Fortunately, this seems to be falling out of favor, but the number of times my dad got asked if he was 'babysitting' us while my mother was busy was wild. No, he's not babysitting us, he's just being a parent. My mom was never asked if she was 'babysitting' us while my dad was busy."
2. "Being dedicated to your work and, as a result, missing time with your kids."
3. "Letting your hair go naturally gray before you’re very old."
4. "Bragging about how many people you’ve slept with."
5. "Having body hair. It took me a long time to be comfortable with not shaving my legs. While I love it now, I still get self-conscious about wearing shorts or skirts outside the house because I know people will judge me for having hairy legs."
6. "Frowning in public or even failing to smile all the time. My husband was shocked when I told him how often men tell me to smile when I'm just going about my business."
7. "Excelling in your career. If you're succeeding at your job, sadly, people will ask if you got support from your dad, if your boyfriend or husband helped you, or, even worse, if you're sleeping with your boss."
8. "Not wanting to have children. If you’re a woman who has decided she doesn't want children, people will likely call you lonely and selfish. They'll assume you’re wasting your life because apparently all women are here for is breeding. Once you’re 40 to 50 with no kids, society will insist you're lonely, have a bunch of cats, and regret your decision not to have kids."
9. "Eating that next slice of pizza and other 'food-shaming' things. The number of times I've sat in a meeting debating with myself over how I'll be judged for having another slice or a second serving of lunch is just sad."
10. "Speaking up at the workplace. If I do it, I'm being a bitch, but some guy doing the very same thing is demonstrating management techniques."
11. "Being the primary or sole breadwinner. I was making more money than my ex and childcare was so expensive, so we decided that my ex could stay home while I worked. People were blown away by our decision. Women thought it was great, but most men judged both of us a ton. They thought that he was less of a man for not working and that I should let him lead the family the way men are meant to do. It was really disheartening and just ridiculously closed-minded."
12. "Negotiating pay. Numerous research studies have shown that even when male and female actors negotiate the same exact way (using the same verbiage, same voice inflections, etc.), study participants view the female negotiators more negatively."
13. "Not wanting to get married or choosing to be single in general. I can't tell you how many times I've heard women be asked, 'When are you going to find a nice man?'"
14. "Having a job that requires physical strength or has traditionally been considered 'manly,' such as being a mechanic or a firefighter."
15. "Promiscuity — in fact, I've never in my life heard that word applied to a man. Only women are considered to be or labeled 'promiscuous.'"
16. "Aging in general. I'm not saying there aren't men who are self-conscious about the appearance of getting older, but women are judged much more for looking 'older.' If a woman has gray hair and wrinkles, she's over the hill and ignored unless she's partnered. Women are completely invisible the older we get, but men remain attractive and desirable despite aging."
17. "Being a fan of sci-fi, fantasy, or geeky stuff in general. As a woman, you usually have to defend or justify yourself for it, and you'd better be prepared for follow-up questions to prove that you're not just saying that you like something."
18. "'Dad bods.' It gets me so worked me up that people celebrate the whole idea of a dad bod. Meanwhile, women — the ones who actually go through the body trauma of pregnancy and childbearing — are shamed for having a 'mum tum.'"
19. "Anger. Men decided anger isn't an emotion when they feel it. But when a woman is angry, she's being a bitch. You can't tell a man he's being emotional, though, because anger isn't an emotion when it's him showing it. 🙄"
20. "Not knowing how to properly care for your child. When a dad doesn’t know how to change a diaper, people think it’s funny or understandable, but if a mom didn’t know how to change a diaper? People would lose their minds."
21. "Missing family events like birthdays, sports games, graduations, etc. If a father is working, it’s acceptable for him to miss one of these events, but if a mother doesn't attend, it’s considered by many to be neglect."
22. "Drinking, to an extent. Men can drink beer all day long and no one comments on it, but if a woman has a glass of wine every night before bed or a couple of beers when out with friends, she’s an 'alcoholic' and a bad influence."
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.