The patriarchy's claws have really dug themselves DEEP into every aspect of our lives with no relief in sight. So, when I saw Reddit user u/Sera0Sparrow pose the question, "What is clearly a myth that is deep-rooted in society?" over on the Ask Women subreddit, I just had to see what people were saying regarding women.
And the people did not disappoint. The comments were full of asinine myths about women's bodies, behaviors, decisions, and basic roles in society. Here are some of the most annoying ones:
1. "That women are inherently better at house chores than men due to genetic predisposition. I’ve had to address this with multiple male friends lately who I wouldn’t have expected this worldview from. It’s so deeply engrained!"
2. "That having 'daddy issues' automatically means you're very sexually active or freaky."
"Plus, the whole concept of 'daddy issues' immediately puts the blame on the woman instead of the actual man who caused the issues in the first place."
"I also feel like every woman gets labeled as having daddy issues. My friend, who was a total daddy’s girl, gets this from her boyfriends all the time. They say she expects too much from them because she has 'daddy issues.' My dad left when I was a baby, and when I tell my boyfriends, they say, 'Oh, so you’ve got daddy issues, huh?' Like, why do men always use this cop-out on us??"
3. "That without children, a woman’s life lacks meaning."
4. "Women are bad drivers or worse drivers than men. In reality, men are more likely to die in motor vehicle crashes than women because they are more likely to engage in risky driving behaviors."
5. "That the reason a woman’s upset is because of her period."
6. "The 'women are too emotional to be effective leaders' thing always kills me. Misogynistic men think women should dress and act 'appropriately,' so as to not tempt men or 'ask for it,' yet women are the emotional ones?"
7. "That women don’t want or desire sex as much as men supposedly do. And that there is something 'wrong' with them if they do (the myth goes the other way for men, too)."
8. "That girls and women no longer need to fight for equal rights since society has improved. There continues to be an issue with how women are treated, i.e., in the workforce. Not to mention all the other countries besides the US where women have fewer rights than men. I wish this was addressed more."
9. "Women’s virginity."
"The whole purpose of a hymen is for keeping feces out of the vagina in infancy, and they come in all sorts of shapes! Once toilet trained, the hymen is completely useless and can break due to any (often mild and not necessarily penetrative) trauma. It can also stretch, thin out, or never even actually 'break,' even after long periods of sexual activity."
10. "That women are bad at math, science, or any skill that results in a high-paying career. I wrote a research paper on this myth. Women used to be associated with math and science. But as the Industrial Revolution gained momentum, and men began to see the value of math, science, and engineering, women 'suddenly' became incapable of understanding these concepts, and men began to dominate the fields."
11. "How 'tight' a vagina is is based on the number of sex partners someone has. Like, by this logic, wouldn’t sex with one person over and over have the same results?"
12. "That if you’re not in a relationship, you must be lonely and unfulfilled."
13. "That women regret choosing to be childfree."
"I’m here at 56 to confirm the regret is nonexistent. I’m grateful every day that I made that choice."
14. "That women not shaving is dirty."
15. "That all women suffer from PMS."
16. "'No one will buy the cow if they can get the milk for free.' Who the fuck came up with this god-awful, insulting analogy anyway?"
17. "That all women are catty. Professionally and personally, most of the women I meet are so awesome and supportive of each other. I’ve also met, and managed, some men who were 'catty' and gossipy. It’s just a stereotype. I am of the opinion that it’s a conspiracy to turn women against each other, and we can’t let it work."
18. And finally, "This is a myth in my country: If a woman has big boobs, it is because a lot of men have touched them, and they grew. It’s very sad for the large-breasted ladies because they are sexualized in every possible way."
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.