That's Not Ladylike | The Odyssey Online
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That's Not Ladylike

Boys may be boys, but girls can play that game as well.

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That's Not Ladylike
thoughtcatalog

Hello ladies AND gentlemen....

How often do we hear people saying things like, "That's not ladylike! Stop that!"? I'll vouch for us all when I say, "Pretty often." But why? Boys can spit and nobody even gives it a second thought. Boys burp in public, and more so than not, it's accepted.

"Boys will be boys."

"That's a boy thing."

Why are things that are just plain unattractive (unless you have some strange fetish... then disregard yourself from my assumption-clumping I guess) accepted when boys do them, versus when a girl does? WHO THE HELL DECIDED THAT ONE?

I'm not going to sit here and be a crazy feminist... although I could–so don't tempt me. Why are boys free to let their freak-flag fly and it's accepted, but girls can't because it's not "ladylike." Don't you dare tell me something isn't acceptable because of my gender. Tell me that it's unacceptable because it's not freaking polite. End of story.


A person is a person. We feel things, say things, have endless capabilities, but we choose when it's appropriate to take action with things. That doesn't change from one gender to another. Girls are looked at as "less than," like these dainty, fragile items. While our society is beginning to change these ideas, and women have gained much more equality over the years, there are still areas where women are held to different standards than men. I understand back in the early 1900's and prior when women didn't have nearly as many rights as men, but this is 2016, people! Why do we still resort back to these sayings and so easily dismiss male behavior, but when a female does the SAME EXACT THING they're looked down on as disgusting and rude.

"Spitting is gross! Burping is gross! Picking a wedgie is freaking gross!" Don't get me wrong, there's a time and place—behind closed doors, or in the comfort of your own home. You do your own thing. When it comes to public areas, though, I cannot comprehend why it's okay for a man to do something taboo like cat-call at a girl or hack up a loogie–yet you would never see a girl doing such things. And if you did, we would all dart our eyes, stare, and question–"What the hell?"

Don't tell me that "boys will be boys" and that there is specific behavior that is acceptable for one gender and not the other. If a female wants to spit in public, go ahead and be taken aback. That kind of stuff isn't the most polite thing you could do, so don't get me wrong, I totally get it. BUT BE TAKEN ABACK BECAUSE IT'S JUST UNATTRACTIVE, NOT BECAUSE YOU THINK IT'S NOT "LADYLIKE."

There is no way to be a lady. There shouldn't be assumptions on how a lady is supposed to act. There should not be limitations on what kind of actions a person can take in any kind of situation strictly based off their gender. If you don't like something that somebody is doing, that is totally fine, and I will most likely agree with you, but don't make excuses for it because they're not a man, so it's "not okay."


Women don't need to be looked at as these fragile, "do-no-wrong" trophies that you take home to Mommy and Daddy. We are changing the world, and if we want to act with "male behavior," that's fine; but don't disagree with it because of our gender! Women are freaking superheroes.

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