Men and Women, or Women and Men?

The theme of our readings for this week pertained mostly to the differences between women and men. For the most part, I concurred with the opinions shared in class over the topic. Men and women are very different and it seems that men could possible be classified in a different phylum. Besides the obvious part, men and women differ physically in many ways. Because of their often more minute and slender build, women seem diminutive compared to big, broad-shouldered, husky male figures. Due to this size difference, men may come to the conclusion that they are greater and more powerful than women. However, the previous is not true as many of us have realized. Some of the most powerful people in the world are women. Men need to understand that just because we dress better than you and smell better, usually, doesn’t mean us women can’t hold more power in the world or even, on a smaller scale, a family. As I recently learned in US history, more than half the work force today is comprised of women. Meeting a Mr. Mom has become a more common occurrence over the last decade, even. Women have learned, over centuries of struggle that it is time to embrace their power and time to get out in the world and create their own prosperity. As the daughter in a family with a working mom and a stay at home dad, I’ve always known that I have the power to do great things. I know that even through the prejudices, I will be able to create my own wealth and be just as, or more powerful, than men.

In Susan Sontag’s writing about the differences between men and women, she notes that women are known to take more time to get ready for something than men. However, while reading my “Seventeen” magazine recently, I stumbled upon something I had never taken the time, or brain power, to notice previously. On the front cover, the neon orange title reads, “10 beauty tips that take only 5 minutes”. As more women join the work force and become active providers for their families, society has come to realization that if we are going to try to sell our products to these “new and improved” women, we are going to have to understand them.

Also, from personal experience I know that not all women take longer to get ready than men. With the “Ken” image described in Prager’s writing and the pressure from women for their male partners to look like Robert Pattinson, or whoever else they may desire, men are beginning to feel the pressure that women have been under for centuries. While getting ready to go out with my boyfriend one day, I got ready and questioned my outfit half as many times as he did. Although it may be hard to believe, I’ve heard stories like these from my other friends with boyfriends, as well. In today’s society, men and women, as much as the men may object, have begun to switch roles.