Living in the Stereotype
Many girls are now having problems in society and social scenes. The amount of girl on girl violence has risen an astounding amount and are experiencing many problems boys are having. “According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, the number of girls 10 to 17 arrested for aggravated assault has doubled over the last 20 years.” Women are now starting to express a side of anger they never had before. They are fighting more and more, but for very insignificant things as well. “Principals talk about not only the increased number of girl fights but also the savagery. One of them told me, ‘We never had to call an ambulance until girls started fighting.’” However, these girls are much more destructive than boys. They intend to hurt the other until they have nothing left to fear from their enemy. Girls do not want to deal with others and will do anything in their power to make sure they are on top of food chain. These girls are fighting for the survival of the fittest, but they are fighting over what seems to be little issues blown out of proportion. Girls are fighting over anything from a pink rubber ball to boyfriends. Girls are experiencing a change in their general stereotype that girls are sugar, spice, and everything nice to cold and ruthless.
However, women are not the only ones afflicted by gender roles. Men feel that they are venial to other men if they show a sign of weakness, no matter their race or age. “It would be less than honest to say that only black men find it difficult to show their deepest feelings; indeed men, of all races must wade through stereotypes of masculinity in order to fins the true and varied nature of manhood. But far too many black men are left out on their own, with only one-dimensional characters they find in movies and hip-hop music role models.” Black males have it difficulty in life because of the racial stereotype they must follow that is set by others. Also, many of these boys do not have a male role model to guide them throughout life. However, when these boys choose role models they choose the wrong person to look up to. These role models are giving these boys the wrong impression on what they should do in life such as, partying and doing badly in school. Black men fear that they will be ridiculed for having a sensitive side because black men are perceived to be the “manly” men that are not emotional. However, the problem extends to other age groups and races as well. Middle school boys are now doing much worse than girls regarding grades. “[M]idle-school boys will do almost anything to avoid admitting that they’re overwhelmed. ‘Boys measure everything that they do and say by a single yardstick: does this make me look weak?’ “’ Middle school boys do not want to look weak in front of their friends because they want to look popular in front of their friends and they feel that if they seek help they will be ridiculed for being a “dummy”. Both Sanders and Thompson imply that males are now in a need for help. Many males fear looking or acting weak because of others causing them to become overwhelmed and their ruin relationships.