Pink and Blue is Fine by Me

The issue of gender roles has come up multiple times in class. Since last week when we talked about it I can't help but notice these subtle stereotypes everywhere in my life. When my parents ask my brother and I to help out around the house it always goes like this: my mom will ask me to do the dishes and my brother always takes out the trash or mows the lawn. My mom always says that I have to learn how to do certain things like how to clean the kitchen, how to make banana bread or hem up a dress. My dad always takes trips with my brother to go camping and fishing and I never get the invite. I assume that it is the same way in most homes but I wonder if this is so appalling.

I believe that women should be given the same opportunities as men but lets be honest: girls and boys are different. Women should be viewed as equal to men, yes, but when it comes to preferences and appealing to different genders, I think that it is reasonable to assume that boys and girls have different opinions. When I go to the store I am drawn to the things that are "girly" and I probably still would be without the pressures of having to look a certain way. I don't think that I would want to buy a lotion that promised anything other than "soft" or "gentle" skin; however, this the opposite for my brother and dad. When I asked them if they had ever seen a men's skincare product that used those adjectives they laughed and said no. I asked them if they were offended by this and they told me that if they wanted to buy something that was geared towards women then they would, but they just don't care about that stuff. I think that the way advertisers promote their product towards one gender is honestly the best way for them to sell products and if they tried to make it any more gender- neutral it would just be confusing.

 My adviser once talked to us about how she was appalled by the majority of the little girl's costume options compared to the boys in halloween magazines. She claimed that the frilly dresses made girls feel like they had to dress a certain way. I know when I was a little girl I would choose to wear a blue dress with the cookie monsters face on it rather than a full on cookie monster suit, but maybe I was just a "girly-girl." Either way, parents have the option to buy their kid any kind of costume they want. I just think that judging by the amount of girls costumes they are making in that style, they must be selling. I know that women have worked hard to get the same rights as men and I am not saying that that is of major importance, i'm just saying that sometimes it's okay to acknowledge that boys and girls have different taste. It's okay if they have the same tastes but not always the case.