Gender role and orientation has been alive really since the start of history and exists in every fabric of our life. Men are supposed to be the “macho” guys and bring home the bread while women are known as the nurturers in many circles that take care of the household. While this stigma has been prevalent for centuries, it is starting to erode and knowledge of gender roles is starting to come out with more education. However, gender role and orientation still exists and is still alive and well. One case that I have seen this is in the judgment of the Chris Brown/Rihanna saga.
As you all of you may know if you haven’t been hiding under a rock for the past year, there was a physical altercation between Rihanna and her boyfriend Chris Brown. Apparently there were arguing while Chris was driving and she began to scratch and slap him. Then, according to the mainstream, he began to hit back and choke her and even made her get out of the vehicle while in semi-motion. While this does constitute an assault in the eyes of the law and society and it is, is it right for Chris Brown to be signaled out as the main villain in this scenario because he is a man?
Now I understand that most men can have superior physical strength contrasts to some women, but does that mean that when a woman assaults a man, she shouldn’t be held to the same standard in a court of law and public opinion? Just recently there was a case where a woman stabbed a man but got off scot-free. If the tables were turned however, the man would have probably been jailed for decades. Does the equality of sexes only exist in certain cases?
Me personally I would never lay a hand on a woman but that isn’t because I feel superior to women. It is because I don’t prefer violence in any situation. It seems public opinion is still chauvinistic in many ways from the handling of men/woman violence cases to even religion where even God has to be a man and can’t be classified as a woman. The issue of equality can’t just exist when it fits the purposes and perspective of certain parties involve, but it must exist in all circumstances and must be treated like so in public opinion.
I believe the media and mainstream public opinion is treating Rihanna with kid care gloves as if women never does anything to provoke men. Let me repeat this again…NEVER HIT WOMEN AND I WILL NEVER HIT A WOMAN…..but shouldn’t that same standard be applied to women as well? Shouldn’t women be told to never hit men, too? Treating the situation differently only strengthens the complex that men are superior to women, which I don’t believe is the true.
For years, gender orientation has given men and women certain roles through the disguise of being “normal”. Men should be the strong one while women should be the support system, which is a very chauvinistic way of thinking. Such stereotypes still exists in huge numbers and I am sure you can name many. That way of thinking only weakens the equality that the women’s suffrage movement fought for. Both men and women should be treated equal in all cases or you succumb to the dishonest gender roles that have plagued society in the past. No exceptions!!!!
