Don’t. Just don’t.
Running this blog opens my eyes up to lots of social phenomenons that I usually wouldn’t even notice,which is great, I’ve found out about Kaitlyn Jenner and Tess Holliday and when that I happens I think ‘woo Internet you done good’. But one thing that really really realllly grinds my gears is this whole ‘real woman thing’, according to google , when you type in ‘a real woman is’, you find these pictures:
Did you notice in all those pictures the word ‘man’ was used? So basically a real woman is the perfect wife or partner and doesn’t dare try achieve anything for herself. Oh and don’t forget to ‘respect his hustle’ (what the bloody hell does that even mean?!).
Please no, tell me these are not examples from the 21st century. Please.
But it’s not just that,I chose these examples because deep down I do believe a man made them in order to find someone to make his egg and cress sandwiches or iron his shirt. What really gets me is when people decide to summarise what their real woman is…and that’s all well and good till they start shoving it down people’s throat
Sigh,sigh,sigh the Internet I expected better from you.
Well actually no I didn’t. What people should realise is that it’s not okay to shame ANYBODY for ANY PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTE. Just because you appreciate a curvier lady doesn’t give you the right to call slim women ‘bones’ or ‘sticks’ and in the same vein it’s not okay to liken to curvier women to ‘steaks’
oh and another thing the examples in the above photo all reference having a curvier body shape for some one else. Not for themselves because they like it. Because ‘nobody wants to snuggle a stick’.
Its a sad world when we’re still constantly shoving our opinions down people’s throat and not even thinking about the consequences.
A real woman is anything she wants to be, a real woman wears make up,or doesn’t, a real woman is tall, a real woman is curvy, a real woman is slim, a real woman is anybody who identifies with being a woman.
So no don’t talk to me about a ‘real woman’ because I already know all about them.
Love Robyn.
These words hit home
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In what way? Im always interested to hear from you guys x
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What you said was al very correct and society is very stereotypical to even get this….:/
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Yeah it’s just wrong to treat people this way!
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It is about time we stopped stereotyping everyone, it’s a form of judgement based on nothing other that someone’s point of view – I understand your frustrations. People should be just left to be who they are or want to be.
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Agreed. Are you sure you didn’t end up on one of those creepy “men’s rights” group websites? (If you don’t know what the men’s rights nonsense is, please do NOT look it up because they are objectively creeps and morons.) Anything like those horrifying memes you referenced above are simply a means to reduce a woman’s humanity. This is why stereotypes of any type, even so-called “positive” stereotypes are harmful because they’re reductive. Your point is well made. Women, people, everyone should be judged simply as an individual.
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See pickelope you contribute way more than weird comments! I reallyy think you hit the nail on the head, It’s so harmful the effects that stereotypes have one people. Thanks for being a loyal commenter!’
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You need to check out the movie 9 to 5 with Dolly Parton its a real women empowerment film. I love the women in my life and I want them to be who they want and do as they please. It will never be up to me as a man to tell any woman what to do.
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Very well said Tony! They are lucky to have you!
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My 17 year old niece was just talking about this on her Facebook. Skinny shaming is as bad as fat shaming but somehow more socially acceptable.
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It’s not at all!
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Get her to read this and she’ll realise she’s not alone!
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Robyn,I stand by you! What could be done is throw an email to Google and show them the fallacy of their algorithm (unless its purposely developed by some philanderer). Let they also realize that all is not well at their end and their work needs to be more sensitive
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These pictures need to be down right removed from the Internet and from people’s minds!
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This is awful, women should not be used to express men deficiency
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Definitely not, we must address these issues.
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Great blog! Unfortunately Women are still looking to men for some of the answers! 🙂
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I know!! Xx
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I totally agree with you! It´s really sad. I mean, “real” women are everywhere, because every woman is a real woman, there is no such thing as an unreal woman, that would be an alien then, maybe…;-)
Also as you said, we´re in the 21st century and still having these clichés, it´s time to get away from that! It´s great you addressed that! I didn´t know that these still existed in that way (I mean photos on the internet?!?What?!).. So sad.
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I know people really do need to learn about the harm of people negative messages like these on the Internet! I just try and do my bit against it. Thankyou for the support x
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Reblogged this on acancersworld and commented:
Spectacular!
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Thankyou so much xx
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I love every thing you’ve written in this post. On point. Thank You!
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People take whatever scenario fits their agenda and simply apply it. It happens with everything.
I’m a scientist so I would say a “real woman” would have two “X” chromosomes. The rest is left to the imagination.
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I like your take on things! Thanks for stopping by!
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Welcome. Thank you for hosting me.
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Here’s a site that talks about “what a real woman is” just a bit more:
http://qz.com/423568/feminists-are-now-fighting-each-other-over-what-defines-a-real-woman/
… and another one:
http://www.iamthatgirl.com/getting_real_about_being_a_real_woman
That’s such a bizarre question though really, “What is a real woman?” Seriously. Aren’t all women real? Maybe the word real is code for something else.
The “real man” stuff is just about equally as nauseating.
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Exactly! I really hate the use of the word ‘real’ to shame people into specific boxes. We’re all real, just as we are. No one person is more real than any other, just as no one person is any less real.
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It just sounds stupid! How can any human living woman be not real?!
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If any of this crap were real, they wouldn’t have to proselytize for it, we’d all just really be that way.
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Yeah exactly! It’s a stupid notion
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How utterly, pathetically insecure people must be to try to make everyone else feel as crap and lacking confidence as they themselves do. People’s bodies aren’t nauseating at all, not in the least. It’s the sense of entitlement of the people who make these cartoons that is nauseating.
As a man, I have sometimes tried to picture in my mind what a world would look like where the gender roles in the visual media would be reversed, and women being dominant; but it is actually quite difficult.
In short: if they don’t find someone attractive, they don’t need to make a big deal about it. Maybe the misogynists who make these cartoons are aware of how unattractive they themselves are (certainly in terms of personality, at least), and so they want to sneer at people who have done them no harm.
At least nowadays, it is possible to criticise such images and about how insulting they are, on the best possible grounds (the feelings of people) rather than because of abstract notions from religion or economic development (for example); notions which whether or not valid to some degree, are not the most important reasons. The fundamental thing is the welfare of people, and not abstract notions.
So I’m glad that in the 21st century, in many contexts, it is possible to talk about these insulting graphics and ideas from the perspective of what is fundamental. And I’m also glad you discussed these things. People need to know that women (and indeed people of any gender) will not be silent about this hateful trash.
Wallace
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It would be nice, as well, if we all acknowledged that what’s attractive to one person isn’t necessarily attractive to another and, basically, who cares? We don’t all look alike and we don’t need to. Our value to ourselves and the world isn’t measured on some Attract-o-meter.
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Hmm a world without people being nasty to each seems too far fetched but at least we manage to behave decently towards people and respect peoples point of view
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Yeah, i guess thats one benefit of having peoples opinions rammed down your throat is that, you, also in turn get to your fair share of throat ramming for whats really right and that its not fair to criticise or insult anybody just because the ideas are different to yours. Thanks for the brilliant comment!
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Reblogged this on wallacerunnymede and commented:
Body shaming is vile.
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You’re welcome. Maybe in 10 or 20 years, people will look and think… “Did people really behave like that?” Rather like people today look back in bewilderment.
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