Canada Goose jackets, Pumpkin Spice lattes and a MacBook Air. Lululemon leggings, Uggs, and chemically straightened hair.
She is: the Western Girl Stereotype.
And I’ve had enough.
Every time you stereotype a group of people, you devalue their individuality; you devalue who they are and what they believe. And this isn’t only true of the Western girl stereotype. It’s true of all stereotypes. Who cares if a girl wears a Canada Goose, drinks a pumpkin spice latte, and owns a MacBook? Who cares if she wears Lulus, Uggs, and straightens her hair? Her behavior, and what she chooses to buy and wear and do, doesn’t affect your life. AT. ALL.
Take your time with that one—what? What other people do doesn’t affect me, and therefore, I don’t need to be a whiny pissbaby about it? Hold the phone!
At the end of the day, the Western Girl stereotype is misogynistic garbage. You’re saying that women can’t do certain things because they are women. I know your response: “This is so hypocritical, because women say ‘F*ckboy.’ This stereotype isn’t nearly as bad as that!” The term “f*ckboy” actually describes the way that a certain group behaves and the way that they disrespect women. (More on using the word f*ckboy here.) It doesn’t judge men based on what they wear, or drink or own. It describes men who straight up disrespect women.
I have to be honest, the main group that I blame for perpetuating this stereotype is the USecrets Western Facebook page. I’ve linked it, because I’m not subtle. Almost every comment and post on this page either attacks women in some way, or attacks the “Western Girl” in some way. And it’s pretty gross. Here’s their most recent post (which has over 100 likes):
WHAT THE HELL IS THIS WHAT DOES A WOMEN’S VAGINA HAVE TO DO WITH THE LAMENESS OF HOMECOMING?
Western students, do better. Stop stereotyping women (over half of the university population), stop being disrespectful, and start thinking before you open your freaking mouths (or before you comment some misogynistic trash on any post).