This is an article that I wrote after reading Gloria Steinem’s “If Men Could Menstruate.” It is a similar piece highlighting the differences between men and women in positions of power, and what it would look like if these roles were reversed.
If High-Status Men were Critiqued like Women
In our current political climate where the mere mention of a woman in a position of power raises all sorts of doubts based on features surrounding gender identity rather than ability, what would happen if the weight of gender identity was applied to a man seeking the same position?
If we told Bill Gates that inventing Microsoft is pretty cool, but it would be a lot more impressive if he didn’t dress less like such a nerd: men would be coming to his defense, stating that appearance doesn’t affect credibility. They would say that we should judge a person based on achievement rather than society’s unachievable beauty standards.
If we acknowledged Leo DiCaprio’s rigorous humanitarian work, but recognized that he must have ulterior motives, because ‘why hasn’t he settled down and gotten married yet?’ Men would be shouting from the rooftops that marriage isn’t for everyone and that it isn’t fair to put an expiration date on a human being based on their marital status.
If we said Nick Young should have thought about his career with the L.A. Lakers before acting like a slut and cheating on Iggy Azalea: men would raise the point that promiscuity doesn’t impact a man’s ability to play basketball and that we should be praising Young for being in control of and embracing his sexuality.
Men would take the critiques and, as a united front, proudly shut them down. Because, if a person works hard to achieve a status of power, they should not be challenged based on looks, marital status or promiscuity; this is not something that would happen—for a man.