Unveiling Misogyny: The Misconceptions of Modern Gender Equality

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Modern Gender Equality Isn’t so Equal

It’s become a rather mainstream idea that, at some point in the last 30 years or so, sexism and misogyny have been entirely eradicated, rendering modern gender equality movements completely unnecessary. In my experience, this is far from the truth. Misogyny is deeply rooted in American culture and society even today. Although steps toward gender equality have been taken on a legislative level: women’s suffrage, Roe v. Wade, Title IX, etc., the majority of the problem still lies within our culture and attitudes toward gender.

Most people who claim that our society as it is today is completely egalitarian cite individual stories of successful women as evidence that women have the same opportunities …show more content…

Where men are valued for their intelligence, strength, and moral character, women are generally valued only for their appearance, particularly in media and advertising. An example of this is actress and comedian Margaret Cho, who starred in the 1994 sitcom, All-American Girl. In an interview for the documentary Miss Representation, Cho recalled that producers constantly scrutinized her appearance, particularly her weight. This drove her to starve herself for weeks, and she struggled with substance abuse after the show was canceled. She also remarked on the irony of her spot on ABC being replaced by Drew Carey, sarcastically stating, “because he’s so …show more content…

Women are not people with their own thoughts, feelings, and ambitions completely independent of men; they are nothing but objects to be acted upon. This leads to women viewing themselves as objects for male pleasure, which can be a catalyst for extremely low self-worth. It also instills in men the idea that they are entitled to women, particularly women’s bodies. This is why rape culture and violence against women are such common problems in

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