It’s Sunday morning at 10:00am. Those of us awake on campus pass by a boy walking through the Southwest tunnel. Dressed in a limp collared shirt and a faded pair of khaki shorts, his hair is tousled and gaze downcast as those he passes by roll their eyes and snicker in judgement. Hungover and sleep deprived, he bears the embarrassment that has come to be known as “the walk of shame.”
I might as well have prefaced that with “meanwhile, in a parallel universe…” Of course we’re all familiar with the so called “walk of shame,” but I challenge anyone to find me an instance where this term has been applied to a man. It’s always a girl walking back to her dorm in an outfit clearly meant for a party. And if being overdressed on a Sunday morning doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable enough, try enduring the judgmental glares from everyone you pass by.
But why?
The most recent wave of feminism say that women should be in control of their own selves, and follow their own path to individual happiness. Naturally, if this means expressing our sexuality, we should be empowered to do just that. So what if that includes a walk home in last night’s clothes? If women are as “liberated” as this generation claims, there should be no “shame” on the morning after for anyone. Whether it was a one night stand, a romantic night with a long term boyfriend, or simply spending the night at a friend’s – no woman should be silently judged based on the outfit worn on her walk home, or what may (or may not!) have happened the night before.
So why continue calling it “the walk of shame”? Even when meant as a joke, or to describe your own activities, just the mention of the phrase reinforces the principle that something in your own, or another woman’s, behavior was inherently wrong or something that should be hidden from public view. We are actively repressing our own sexuality, and affirming old fashioned societal norms, which specifically look down on women for enjoying something perfectly natural.
Just think, do men shame each other for sex? Are their activities scrutinized by society and given a derogatory name? Next time you see a woman walking home in the morning, think before passing judgement. It can be hard to do in a society that quietly endorses stereotypes and double standards. Often times, the harshest critiques of women are given by other women, but remember that our similarities are far greater than our differences. Remember that words, whether you intend them to or not, have power and can change the way we think. Remember that one second of empathy can change an entire attitude. So stop calling it the walk of “shame.”