Do you want to know what also gives me anxiety?
The fact that so many people are pro-rape, pro-sex trafficking, anti-woman and don't even know it.
I definitely don't think a majority of people set out to be supportive of such heinous things such as rape or sex trafficking. I definitely do think, however, that TOO many people are TOO content in their lives to examine their actions and the repercussions of those actions.
There is a quote that I absolutely love by Elie Wiesel that says "We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."
I'm just going to call it what it is. To quote my least favorite hashtag... #sorrynotsorry.
You CANNOT be pro-woman and listen to music by male artists who sing about using women for their pleasure. Women are not toys that men can do WHATEVER they want with WHENEVER they want. Furthermore, and what may be even more bothersome than that, you CANNOT be anti-rape and listen to music by female artists who sing about being sex toys for men. I would never, ever condone rape or blame the victim EVER but come on, people. As influential as music is, how can we expect men to respect women when these celebrities we idolize are flooding our heads with the idea that women are objects that all want to be used shamelessly by men? I think people think I'm kidding when I say I listen to almost nothing but the Frozen Soundtrack. Well, I'm not. I'd much rather jam out to Love is an Open Door than Anaconda. It is repulsive to me the amount of people who allow their children to listen to stations with such songs. We are raising the next generation! If we want men to respect women, we need to not be filling their heads with filth that teaches them that women are their toys! If we want women to gain the respect of men, how can we justify letting them listen to music TEACHING THEM THAT THEY ARE TO APPEASE MEN AT ANY AND ALL COST?!
You CANNOT be pro-woman if you dress to impress. I'm not talking about dressing nice or in a flattering way. Don't be silly-you know what I'm talking about. Whenever I hear women talking about how they dress a certain way for THEMSELVES, I fight an eye roll hardcore. You may have some people fooled, but not me. I have never put on a revealing outfit for myself. If I was dressing for myself, I'd throw my hair in a messy bun and rock the sweats and over-sized tee shirt. So why put on those bikinis or might-as-well-be-wearing-nothing shorts? Because we want to be noticed. Noticed by who? Definitely not our grandma. Definitely not our brothers. Please for the love of all things, if you have convinced yourself that you wear bikinis for YOU, realize you may be a part of the problem. I'm not a prude. I'm not against wearing things that make me look nice. I don't have low self confidence and that is why I feel this way. Crazy thing-I can look and feel good without bearing it all. We DEMAND respect from men and say it isn't our fault they look at us like meat, but I thought women were better than that? Take some responsibility. Have some self respect. If you are looking for one night stands and looking for men to dictate how you feel about yourself, then please disregard this section. If you are looking to be respected my the opposite sex, however, please re-evaluate you intentions the next time you look thru your closet.
You CANNOT be pro-woman and support porn, prostitution, strip clubs, erotica, etc. I personally feel like this is the most obvious one out there but I am constantly in AWE at how most people don't get it.
Pornography? You cannot get upset at the horror that is rape or sex trafficking if you are pro-pornography. Please see more of my thoughts on the harm of pornography in my last blog post. Porn does absolutely nothing but de-humanize women. If you have ANY respect for women at all, even just the idea of exploiting women in this way should make you want to be sick. Do your research, my friends. There are an unsettling amount of studies that show the link between rape and pornography. Men watch pornography and WANT that kind of physical experience. In pornography, women are depicted as willing individuals that are ready to please a man-no matter what. In real life, you hear "I'm too tired tonight" or "Yeah I'm not comfortable with that". So what's a man to do? He CRAVES that physical interaction like the one he views in pornography. If you are supportive of pornography, you may be a part of the problem.
Prostitution? Basically, it's my opinion that men who buy women for their bodies are the lowest of low human beings on the planet. If you are currently supportive of the sex selling industry, you are definitely a part of the problem. How can we expect men to respect women when there is an industry that allows and promotes the using of women's bodies for the pleasure of anyone who is willing to pay?
Same with supporting strip clubs and strippers. No, I have personally never been to a strip club and I really don't feel the need to-I get depressed enough at Hooters and Hotshots. Have you not seen the way men stare at these women? Yet, we think men should respect women.
Except when you are in a strip club. No, in those cases you don't have to respect women.
Moving on...
The statement "Sex sells" is a false one. I know the intentions behind the statement, but if we want to be correct, PORNIFIED sex sells. REAL sex doesn't sell. Love, commitment, passion, and selflessness doesn't sell. We blame society on the sexualized culture we live in. NEWSFLASH! We ARE society!!!!
Everywhere we look there is sex. Music, movies, tv, ads...I get it. Everywhere. Why is that, though? We already went over this...because it SELLS. Why does it sell? Oh yes. Because society loves it. Eats it up. Can't get enough. Again, we ARE society. Do I honestly believe that we can fix this problem? No. I don't. Not to be a pessimist, but people love sex and pornified sex at that. That is never going to change. Even if we COULD fix the problem, people would have to stop being hypocrites and that is just too darn inconvenient.
Be one or the other. If you claim to be anti-rape or pro-women, be it all the time. Not just when it works best for you or when it is cool.
I am a lot more critical of women than I am men- not because I think men don't need to take on some responsibility but because I AM a woman and I think we are better than just pushing it off as a man's problem.
Really, though, it is a people problem.
As women, respect yourselves more. If listening to music or watching scenes that are basically instructing men to use your body doesn't TICK YOU OFF, my heart hurts for you. We are more than that. Because really, that is exactly what it is. An instruction manual.
As men, Man up. The vulgar jokes, the lingering stares, surrounding yourself with entertainment that de-humanizes women...none of that is respectful. It's not okay. You can't claim to have respect for some women but not all.
As a parent, teach your children from a young age to respect the opposite sex. They will watch and listen to what YOU allow them to. There is no way to protect them completely from our pornified society, but you have the ability to shape and mold them into decent adults who *gasp* have respect for themselves and each other.
As a husband, respect your wives. What is the point of marriage if you just go around lusting after women? Whether that be on the streets or on a screen, wrong is wrong. That woman you are day-dreaming about? That is someone else's wife or future wife.
As a wife, respect the boundaries of marriage. Do we really want other men seeing parts of ourselves that are for our husbands? Do we really want another woman's husband lusting after us? "Well it isn't my fault-he needs to watch his eyes". I call BS.
Pretty much, stop gasping and getting angry whenever there is a news article of a man raping a women. Stop shaking your head in disgust when you read about a sex-trafficking ring getting busted. If you can't walk the walk of a respectable man or woman, just stop.
Be one or the other. If you claim to be anti-rape or pro-women, be it all the time. Not just when it works best for you or when it is cool.
I am a lot more critical of women than I am men- not because I think men don't need to take on some responsibility but because I AM a woman and I think we are better than just pushing it off as a man's problem.
Really, though, it is a people problem.
As women, respect yourselves more. If listening to music or watching scenes that are basically instructing men to use your body doesn't TICK YOU OFF, my heart hurts for you. We are more than that. Because really, that is exactly what it is. An instruction manual.
As men, Man up. The vulgar jokes, the lingering stares, surrounding yourself with entertainment that de-humanizes women...none of that is respectful. It's not okay. You can't claim to have respect for some women but not all.
As a parent, teach your children from a young age to respect the opposite sex. They will watch and listen to what YOU allow them to. There is no way to protect them completely from our pornified society, but you have the ability to shape and mold them into decent adults who *gasp* have respect for themselves and each other.
As a husband, respect your wives. What is the point of marriage if you just go around lusting after women? Whether that be on the streets or on a screen, wrong is wrong. That woman you are day-dreaming about? That is someone else's wife or future wife.
As a wife, respect the boundaries of marriage. Do we really want other men seeing parts of ourselves that are for our husbands? Do we really want another woman's husband lusting after us? "Well it isn't my fault-he needs to watch his eyes". I call BS.
Pretty much, stop gasping and getting angry whenever there is a news article of a man raping a women. Stop shaking your head in disgust when you read about a sex-trafficking ring getting busted. If you can't walk the walk of a respectable man or woman, just stop.
