15 Reasons Sexist Jokes Need to Stop. Now.

#HeForShe

1. A simple 5-second sexist joke has long lasting negative effects on women and men.

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Why do women exist? Because sandwiches aren’t going to make themselves.

Sexist jokes like this might seem like harmless fun but the after effects of a simple 5 second sexist joke has long lasting effects on women, and men. The fair treatment and equal rights for women is a constant, on-going debate being hashed out in the media. The issue is very complex and multi-faceted, but what if I knew one easy solution that could reverse the downward spiral of sexism? The answer is simple; stop sexist jokes.

2. Behind the comical exterior of sexist jokes, lays hurt, plummeted self confidence, anger and pain.

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If you type in sexist jokes in to a search engine the first things you will see are websites advertising the “the sickest, most outrageous, funniest, most offensive sexist jokes you’ve ever heard!” What a sad world we live in when it pays off to advertise something as being “sick” and “offensive.” These joke websites advertise sexist jokes like they are a spectacle to be enjoyed and laughed at, but behind the ‘comical’ exterior lays hurt, plummeted self confidence, anger and pain.

3. Men are just as negatively manipulated by sexist jokes as woman are.

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It is easy to conclude that sexist jokes only have an effect on women, but the truth is, men are just as negatively manipulated by sexist jokes as woman are. Specifically, studies show that men are more likely to be sexist in their own life when they are exposed to sexist jokes against women. Hearing one simple sexist joke affects how men think, feel and even how they personally express themselves.

The head researcher of a study conducted by Western Carolina University regarding sexist jokes and the impacts on men, Thomas E. Ford, blatantly states, “Sexist humor is not simply benign amusement; it can have deleterious effects on men’s perception of the immediate social context and thereby promote the behavioral release of prejudice against women." It is human nature to be very controlling, so the thought of a few simple humorous words having so much power over men, without them even realizing it, is quite astounding.

4. Saying something terrible in the form of a joke does not make it any less terrible.

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Research has found that sexist jokes, or jokes in general, are a means for people to express their thoughts and feelings without feeling the remorse of the harsh criticisms that follow because they are in the form of a joke. Newsflash, saying something terrible in the form of a joke does not make it any less terrible. With sexist jokes, men hide their true sexist feelings behind the context of it being a ‘joke.’

5. Within every sexist joke there is a slight bit of seriousness in the intentions and true feelings of the person that stated the joke.

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Sexist humor in the context of a joke aims to justify the negative and unacceptable feelings that sexist individuals have towards women without feeling any negative repercussions for these thoughts. I encourage everyone to stop and think for a second before making a sexist joke, if I said this joke with a strait face in a non-joking manner, would it still be funny? Or would it be highly offensive? There is a common phrase that there is a slight bit of truth behind every statement that ends with “just kidding,” and with sexist jokes this is no different. People might say them as a means to make others laugh, but they are really identifying their true thoughts and feelings on an issue that is no laughing matter.

6. Sexist Jokes have a major effect on women and how they view their self worth and image.

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A sexist joke commonly used involves the notion that women can’t drive. A joint study performed by the University of Warwick and the University of Georgia, found that sexist jokes about female drivers actually have an impact on women’s driving. The study found that, “after receiving boosts to their self-esteem, women invariably drive better, while confidence-knocking jibes have the opposite affect." Men were not affected either way.

The point of this is not that sexist jokes cause woman to drive more poorly; it is a prime demonstration of how sexist jokes really do have an effect on women and how they see themselves. If a small remark about a woman driving causes the woman to perform significantly worse on a spatial driving task, then think of how harmful it is to a female’s self-worth and image telling her that she is useless unless she is in the kitchen cooking or cleaning for a “superior” man.

7. Sexist, degrading jokes are so omnipresent that they are now just considered to be a normal, natural part of our society.

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There is a blatant and deliberate blindness to this ever-present issue. It is as if people do not want to see the truth behind sexist jokes and the harm that they cause. I personally think that this blindness stems from the fear of insecure men that are scared that a woman could possibly take their job, be their boss, or be 'superior' to them in the workplace. Out of fear, sexist humor is used in order to keep the suppression of women ongoing.

8. The enjoyment of sexist humor is positively correlated with rape related attitudes and beliefs.

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A research study primarily focusing on college students and their reactions to sexist humor by Lycoming College found that “the enjoyment of sexist humor was positively correlated with rape-related attitudes and beliefs, the self-reported likelihood of forcing sex, and psychological, physical and sexual aggression in men." Today in our culture, society is so against domestic abuse and rape, as it should be, but why is our culture not against sexist jokes even when it has been proven to be one of the main roots of these evils in our society.

9. Sexist jokes are the source of many evils in our society.

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If the effects of a sexist joke just stopped at the end of the punch line then I would not be making a big fuss about this, but they cause deep damage that is hard to reverse. Not only do sexist jokes kidnap the minds of men and women personally, it is also the source of many other evils in our society today. For example, I believe sexist jokes are the root of cat calling, sexual harassment, and the pay gap between men and women.

10. Sexist jokes promote the agenda that women are sexual, slave-like objects.

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I know it might seem dramatic that one simple ‘joke’ can cause a national pay crisis, but it does. Through the normalization of sexist humor, men and women start to believe that catcalling and sexual harassment are okay because sexist jokes promote the agenda that women are sexual, slave-like individuals and that that is all that they are good for. This acceptance of an unjust pay gap stems from woman believing that they belong at home and men believing that they are dominant and more worthy. Sexist humor is the seed, and sexual harassment, cat calling and the pay gap are the abundant forests that grow from this one seed.

11. Sexist jokes have created false implications on the word “feminism” as being too in-your-face or aggressive.

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Whenever I proclaim my views on this topic I am usually rebuked with the remarks “it’s just a joke stop being so serious,” or “lighten up,” or my personal favorite, “can’t you take a joke?” As if somehow it is my fault that I don’t find their sexist, derogatory remarks funny. Standing up against sexism comes with a lot of criticism and name-calling. As stated by Kristen Stewart, “I feel like some girls around my age are less inclined to say, ‘Of course I’m a feminist, and of course I believe in equal rights for men and women,’ because there are implications that go along with the word feminist” Feminism is all about advocating equal rights for men and women. Keyword: equal. As more sexist jokes are told and the more they manipulate people, the more a false definition of feminism is portrayed. Feminism isn’t about one gender being superior to the other; it is about them being equal.

12. Sexist jokes solely focus on the gender of a woman rather than her talents, skill, and dignity.

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Being a female in the professional world is challenging because it is so common for male employers to focus more on looks and physical features rather than solely on the talents and abilities of female employees. As stated in this buzzfeed article that reports on real life women’s experiences with everyday sexism in the workplace, one woman remembers her specific experience. Gabbie Hanna a viral online vine star reminisces, “I was talking with a few male Vine users the other day about our numbers of followers, likes, and views. Mine were substantially higher, and almost simultaneously all three guys said, “Yeah but that’s because you’re a girl,” “God it must be so easy being a girl,” and “I wish I had tits.” No one accredited it to the fact that I post new content daily, collaborate as much as possible with other content creators, or work hard at what I do…. I’ll never complain about people telling me I’m attractive. But I am very tired of people telling me that’s the only reason I have what I worked very hard for.”

13. Sexist jokes turn a woman’s confidence and sass into a negative thing.

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Every woman has an inner confidence that naturally exudes out of her, but sexist jokes work against this confidence and demean it. Not only do sexist jokes cause women's confidence to retreat inside, not being able to shine. But, it also causes men to believe that a woman being confident is negative.

In a recent social experiment documented by buzzfeed, a young girl named Gweneth Bateman decided to see what would happen if she agreed with compliments that she received online. For example, if someone told her she was beautiful she would reply, "thanks, I know." This response did not go over well with the compliment giving men; the men would follow up by calling her vain or would say nasty comments to her regarding her looks. These reactions perfectly exemplify the lies that sexist jokes feed to men that women are only beautiful and worthy if they are told that they are by men. Don't get me wrong; it is nice when a man compliments a woman (especially when it's a compliment on something other than looks). But confidence in women should be celebrated, not demeaned.

14. Sexist humor is not just a women’s issue, it is men’s issue as well.

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Even though sexist jokes are usually associated with the negative impacts that they have on women, men are also being manipulated without realization of what is happening. Sexist humor, whether they say the joke or just hear the joke passively, molds their mind and their opinion of the value and worth of women.

15. Sexist jokes block any chance of equality between men and women.

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I foresee a bright future where sexist jokes no longer exist and men and women are equal. If men want to be doctors’ then that is fine and if women want to be doctors, that is fine. If men want to stay at home with the kids that is fine, and if women want to stay at home then that is fine as well. There will be no judgments for what makes people happy, and there will be overflowing mutual respect by both sexes.

Ladies and Gents, the battle against sexist humor is just beginning. Arm yourselves with these or these ridiculously hilarious comebacks for sexist jokes, and take a stand against the war that sexist humor has waged on us all.

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