Masculinity & Femininty

It starts at the age of eight or nine, maybe even younger when both boys and girls are told to be "tough" or "feminine". We're suppose to wear certain clothes or act a certain way in order for people to like us. A "tough guy" or a "girly girl"? And if we don't act that way, we're considered stupid, gay, or any other type of nasty name that comes to mind. But is that how we genuinely are? More than likely, most people aren't as tough or as feminine as they seem. It's just how the world sees us. Some people want to act a certain way to keep their reputation. Like in high school, there's a variety of groups that each person is in. When we see those people, we think of them as glamorous or someone we highly look up to. In reality, they're nothing different. People are people. They just tend to hang with a group(s) that have the same interests as them. In Disney movies like the little mermaid, Ariel finds a prince who she thinks is the guy of her dreams. The only major difference between the two is how one is on water and the other is on land. Even if they're forbidden to be together, they end up doing so anyway. Although I think this movie is an all time classic, it sets an example which boys tend to follow - that they're supposed to be some big masculine tough guy who's so good looking and all the girls look up to him.

There are no guys in this world (that I know of) who are actually like that. It's only portrayed in movies or books. I find it rather disturbing how Disney or any other movies portrays the "ideal guy". No guy is ever so masculine that their shirts rip off, and girls as young as seven or eight expect in their future that a guy will do that. I'm sure it will happen, but I believe every girl will find their prince charming sooner or later.

Another topic that was discussed was femininity. In class we watched a video on how the "ideal woman" is supposed to be portrayed: Skinny. Every model is seen as a beautiful figure or someone every girl dreams of being. I know when I was about 12-13 years old, I thought I was the ugliest person on Earth. In middle school there were a few people who teased me because of how I looked. There was one person in particular who said I looked horrible in my 5th grade school picture and even though I was young at the time, I remember it destroying my self esteem. I tried everything to get rid of my acne and find the cutest clothes. There were times where I'd look in magazines and I would dream of being that flawless celebrity on the cover. It wasn't until later that I discovered those girls we see on the covers of magazines are nothing but fake. It was then I decided I didn't want to be like them because in life, people will tell us to look a certain way or act a certain way. Girls to be skinny and beautiful, guys to be masculine and violent. I've learned we don't have to be that way -everyone is human and if they don't like how people are, then they shouldn't associate themselves with those kinds of people. Because you are you and you shouldn't change for anybody - regardless of what they think.