Recently, Reddit user u/Lazereyes1996 asked women to share some societal norms they feel extremely uncomfortable with, and they had a lot to share. Here are some of the most eye-opening responses:
1. "Thinking a woman without makeup on looks unprofessional. Eyeshadow doesn't make you a better accountant or lawyer or whatever it is you do."
2. "Historical TV shows and movies constantly portraying women through a sexual lens. There are other ways to portray a medieval setting besides treating women like shit. Women had their own lives and experiences that could be portrayed instead."
3. "Men I work with calling me a 'good girl.'”
4. "Thinking that it's gross to have body hair — especially considering how hairy men are."
5. "Using sexualized and gratuitous female nudity in movies to sell tickets or to keep men interested, with absolutely no regard for the women in the audience."
6. "Believing that men who drink and party are a good time, while women who drink and party are 'hot messes.'"
7. "Media teaching men that it's okay to keep 'chasing' a woman even when she tells them to stop."
8. "Not prescribing painkillers for painful gynecological procedures. Women are expected to tolerate significant pain."
9. "The fact that most voice assistants (e.g., Siri, Alexa) have female names and voices. And most AI robots are created to look like women."
10. "Men wanting women to look younger and younger. There is huge pressure on women to have no signs of puberty — no stretch marks/cellulite, petite figure, hairless body, doe eyes, and a girlish voice."
11. "Calling women 'females.' It makes us sound like some sort of animal. They always call women 'females' before explaining how all women share some trait that they dislike."
12. "The portrayal of women in Hollywood blockbusters. James Bond? He's the hero and fucking some girl. Indiana Jones? He's the hero and there’s a woman he’s got to save. In almost EVERY movie, the genius, the hero, and the legend is a MAN. A woman is used only as a supporting character in his orbit, and a sexual one at that."
13. "The 'average human male' being used as the standard (and sometimes the only) type of human they use for medical testing and safety equipment."
14. And finally, "All of the shows, movies, and miniseries about women getting followed, abused, and murdered by men."
Which social norms do you feel uncomfortable with? Let us know in the comments below.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.