Their doors are always unlocked, swinging open and slamming shut at all hours of the day and night, greeting you into a pig sty of a house. Their decorations include empty beer cans, the stench of dirty socks, and week-old pizza boxes — but we all know these decorations are year-round, amiright ladies? The above character we speak of is a rare type of being, a monster: the male gender.
God only knows if the reverse was applied and girls were acting like savages 24/7, we would be ridiculed. For us, the judgement would be unreal and unrecoverable, while men are praised for their neanderthal tendencies. So I took it upon myself to ask 7 girls what they think about our society and its lenience towards men. The answers weren't pretty (like your boyfriend's room).
With no input given by me, 7 college females responded to the following: What is one thing guys can get away with that girls can't?
1. The Alpha Male
Even the name sounds great. Guys can easily get away with being assertive without being discredited. When a guy is loud or talkative and holds the floor in a meeting, he's considered a leader. Some may venture to call him an idol. When a girl is loud, though, she is automatically considered annoying and self-centered. Whoever coined the phrase "attention whore" clearly gave into this rigged double standard.
2. Drink, drank, drunk
Are Saturdays really just for the boys? No, but for some reason that seems to be everyone's idea. It's almost expected that all guys can shotgun a beer in 3 seconds, but when girls fail to make the cut-off we face 2 contradicting responses: 1) we're viewed as failures and incompetent, 2) we're judged because apparently we shouldn't be attempting such a thing in the first place.
Meanwhile, we're just out here trying to have a fun time as much as the dudes are. Saturdays, or any day for that matter, are for boys and girls. 'Nuff said.
3. Burping
Call it burping or belching — whatever you want, but belching is one annoying thing that guys can get away with that girls can't. When you're out to dinner and the table of obnoxious frat boys erupts in laughter because of a gross burp, it's a little concerning that you're not free to do the same. If a group of girls witnessed the same event with one of their female friends, all bets are off. We're expected to be prim and proper, but we burp, too. We're all humans, right?
4. Hookup culture
Let's really dive into the pinnacle of eff'd up double standards: guys hooking up — randomly and quickly — is considered normal; while girls who jump the gun are labeled sluts. There you are, a bralette beauty at some trashy college party, and yet casually hooking up is impossible.
You're either easy or desperate or a total tease, not to mention if you deny a self-entitled asshole you earn the label of being too prude. It's ridiculous how boys can get away with doing something for the pleasure of it with no consequences, but girls (who are just as sexually driven) are reprimanded.
5. Post-hookup
Guys can get away with "being direct" over social media after a hookup (i.e. texting her the day after, adding her on snapchat, etc.). However, when girls grab the reigns and dictate the hookup outcome, they're seen as dominant bitches. There's nothing wrong with going for what you want, male or female — society just hasn't caught up yet.
6. Being hella hungry
My fourth slice into that Hawaiian pizza from Domino's and everyone in the room starts to get concerned. They inquire if I'm feeling okay, how I can eat that much, if I'm ON MY PERIOD. Maybe, just maybe, I'm really hungry.
Of course when a guy eats a bunch, it's because he's a "growing boy." They're growing at 17, growing at 25, growing at 40; the sun swallows the Earth, oblivion occurs, and there are men in the distance... still growing.
Stop thinking you're unlike other girls for ordering a burger when we know damn well everyone enjoys a good quarter-pounder now and then. Yes, we know VS models are beautiful and misogyny is inevitable, but I'm fine with all of that (one battle at a time) as long as I can grab another slice of pizza without judgment. Girls, too, can be hella hungry.
7. Too many to count
Call it a social experiment if you want, but I just wanted to hear the voice of women who are just like me — questioning the man's world that we still seem to endure. Grateful for our rights but still concerned about why we had to fight so hard to earn them.
At the end of the day, it's all silly. The rivalry between men and women may never vanish, but we've gotten closer everyday to a place where the rivalry is just fun and games. Each step of the way, we're this much closer to being equals. Now, if only I could start peeing in public.