The all too visual side of sexism

Ram the daughter, Dodge the father.

Lift trucks, fat chicks can’t jump.

These are just two examples of how disgustingly sexist our society is and how disturbingly accepted it is by men throughout North America.

Living in Drayton Valley Alberta, a small town located right in the middle of oil country, it’s not unusual for me to see disgusting views such as this broadcasted on the back of trucks.

As a strong proud independent woman often I drive past these vehicles and all I can think is 'douche bag', other times it’s met with disappointment when I see a fellow female, or girl I would think, sitting in the passenger’s seat seemingly accepting of this obviously disregard and insult to being a woman.

Personally, now and even if I was single, the presence of this type of decal on a vehicle would mean the guy owning the vehicle would not be worth dating, nor would he even be worth talking to.

I really have no time for men who don’t hold women to the same level of respect they might other men, and although the boys plastering their vehicles with such sentiments might not see it that way I can’t help but assume that any proud woman would.

When it comes to the objectification of women in this manner, I can’t help but wonder if the individuals who hold these views, would also look this judgmentally in other areas, such as race, religion, disabilities, or even animals.

After all, it is said a measure of a civilization is how it treats its weakest members, so if it treats its strong proud and intelligent women like nothing more than meat, what hope does the rest of civilization have?

Honestly? Not much, especially when you take into account how many women are contributing to these sexist views by portraying themselves as nothing more than meat.

From Nicky Minaj and her pathetic song “Anaconda”, as well as Jennifer Lopez’s “Booty” (featuring Iggy Azalea), these songs, and even more so music videos, are hurting the great strives equality has made in the past.

Now don’t get me wrong, women have the right to do whatever they want with their bodies, but when you portray yourself as a role model and something pop cultural should idolize, do we want it to be for your big ass and lack of talent?

The hypocrisy of it all is that these women, and others who do the same thing, hold themselves up high and declare themselves strong women, and sometimes society agrees, all while looking down on other women (strippers) who essentially do the exact same thing just for a lot less money and a lot fewer people.

Please don’t take this the wrong way as I have the utmost respect for women who decide to take this route out of the mind frame that they have no other options, but how can we as women ask men to take us serious, to not look at us as objects, and to not portray such low views of us to the world when we will not do the same thing?

It’s one thing to be a sexy strong woman, it’s another thing to objectify yourself and I feel women today are beginning to lose grasp on what these differences are.

If we want men, boys, and girls growing up to see the strength that is the female mind and body, we must show them those strengths, and not just our skin.

The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females

begins when the doctor says: “It’s a girl.”

― Shirley Chisholm