Sexism and Men

The definition of sexism according to Webster’s dictionary is discrimination based on gender especially against women. But doesn’t the first clause contradict the second. By signaling out women the very definition is the essence of sexism. This is not to say that women are more discriminated, they are. I am however saying that certain people discriminate against men without knowing.  

This idea came to me when, in one of my classes, we where talking about the mini series “Band of Brothers” which is about World War II. My teacher said that boys generally like “Band of Brothers”. She justified her saying this by prefacing that statement by saying it was a gender comment. Well of course me and some of my peers jumped to our defense by half joking by saying it was sexist comment. We did however have some seriousness to the subject. She said that the comment it was okay because she prefaced it with the fact she knew it was a gender comment. Yet we simply said it doesn’t make it right if we say a racist comment but preface it with a warning. But the part that really got me thinking was when she said it would be sexist if she said that girls generally don’t like “Band of Brothers”. What is the real difference in context here? Why is it not okay to reinforce negative stereotypes about women, while still encouraging stereotypes that all men like violence and war? This is unfair if as if I said most girls like “Desperate Housewives” I am sure several women would get offended by it. But if a woman said that most guys like boxing that would not be sexist. Where is the logic in that? How can substituting one gender in a sentence for another make it more or less sexist. If men and women are truly considered equal this would not be so.

Realistically I am not terribly offended by someone saying that men like “Band of Brothers” more, or even if someone said that men are more obnoxious than women. I really could not care less. The only thing that gets me fried is when people only approach sexism as a one gender offense, because it includes both genders, and not addressing it so creates a double standard. For both women and men can be discriminated against equally.

I am not trying to lessen the horrible misogynistic and sexist history that our patriarchal society has inflicted. And I am not of course saying that men have had any were near the amount of hardships that women have had that would take a few thousands years of fiercely dominated female rule. I just wanted to point out that a lot of well intentioned people, who are trying not to be sexist, neglect the other gender. And as for the definition we will all just hope that old Webster will revise the entry.