Hello Hello all you lovely things
Today I am here to write to you all about the wonderful art of
talking. I, myself, quite enjoy talking. I like vocalizing my thoughts, and I
will tell someone what I'm thinking or feeling without hesitation. But just
because I happen to conform to the stereotype that says all girls/women/female
things talk more than men DOES NOT mean that it is true.
Take a gander at this article published in a health and science
magazine:
http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/HomePage/Faculty/Pennebaker/Reprints/MehletalScience2007.pdf
If you're too lazy to click the link and
read it, I'll just tell you what it says. I have
been scientifically proven that women do not talk more than men. In
most cases, the amount of words spoken per day is basically same for men and
women, and when there is one group speaking more, it's the men (shocker). So
HAH! Take that, Society.
Of course, even with the proof and the
research that these kind people have given, it's not like
the stereotype is going to disappear. Firstly, the people that
need the most correction aren't seeking the information. Secondly, the media
portrayal of your "run-of-the-mill" woman is absolutely
horrible, and not helping in any way. On every TV show, or in any book
series there is that one character that is the moody, loquacious female that
just goes on and on and on and on and on about stupid, girly things that
no one gives a hootin’ damn about. And so all the watches are just like “UGHHHHH
shut uppp” and that is how the stereotype that all women are airheaded and
emotional and talkative is immortalized.
What really makes me even the more angrier is that this whole
thing about us women talking too much is miraculously linked back to the other,
equally stupid sterotype that women have uncontrollable emotions. We’ve
discussed this before, have we not? But let’s go again because, well, rants are
my thing ; )
Women are portrayed by the
media to be these hyperbolic versions of characters like Jackie from THAT 70s
SHOW (who we all love nevertheless).
Air-headed, bubbly and emotional, and
self-centered. According to society, we do everything too much. We talk too
much, we cry too much, we complain too much. Yes, we are all Jackie Burkharts. And it all ties back to that one, stupid stereotype about how we just talk too much.
And so what if women did talk more than men? Why should an entire population of people of people be judged by something so arbitrary as the number of words they say in a day? It's not like what we are saying is less intelligent, or any less valid then what men are saying. Are words aren't just repetitions of nonsense that we babble just to hear our own, beautiful voices. Women are stereotyped as talking more because society expects men to be much quieter.
But talking more.... Why does it matter? Such a broad stereotype as "Women Talk more than men" is just so blatantly ridiculous that I don't know how people still believe it. There are 150 million women in the U.S. alone, 3.6 billion in the whole world. That is a lot of ladies. So a generalization, so groundless, so stupid, of the 3.6 BILLION women on this earth is probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of (besides cheese in a can... because duh cheese in a cannnnn). There are talkative women, sure. I am one. But there are quiet women. One's who are shy. Who don't constantly share their thoughts to others. And there are talkative men. I know, it's shocker but there are people who don't actually conform to the stereotypes (gasps and dramatic fainting from the audience)
And it's just... accepted. This completely false statement is, like, a generally accepted thing- that women talk more than men. People don't think twice when they see the characters that falsely represent women on TV. People just kinda say "whatever. Makes sense" because of this endless cycle of stereotypes surrounding women that are just forever branded into our image.
Women are very emotional- so they talk about their feelings a lot- they talk about their feelings a lot so they must talk about other, equally airheaded things as well. This flow-chart of flawed logic is just circulating through society like the endless orbits of Jupiter's moons.
Ugh I know, my analogies are kinda lame sometimes. But Whatever, the point remains! It's not just this one, stupid stereotype. It's a whole freakin' chain of them, wrapped around women, impossible to break free from.
No, we're not more emotional, Society just doesn't let men show theirs. We don't talk more, and it's been proven by the magic of Science. It's just these assumptions people make, that one stereotype is true, using only the other stereotypes as basis of judgement. Do you guys get what I'm saying?
Yes? Yes. Ok? Ok. So can we just... stop making stereotypes? No. We can't do that. ok. So can we at least stop perpetuating them? When you see a lame, hyperbolized remake of our beloved Jackie on some ABC family show, don't just accept her character. Stand up off your couch and say
"Uh-Uh. That is not a correct representation of the true demeanors and actions of women in this society!"
...Or... something along those lines. We just need to stop accepting the stereotypes that society puts so nicely in our laps, wrapped in believability and topped with sugar-coated gender-roles. So let's do it kids. I believe in us.
Goodnight, and fight those stereotypes
-Panteha
