The Orbis

Not all women are die-hard feminists. I do not, for instance, want to be drafted into the military so that I can contribute to this administration's melee in Iraq. I do appreciate it when men open doors, pull out chairs, and -- the most antiquated of all -- stand up when a woman comes into a room.

Even so, I believe women still deserve those certain unalienable rights that we as Americans hold so dear. We deserve to live freely in the pursuit of property and happiness. For the most part, I think we get what we were promised by our founding fathers' words.

There is, however, one social arena in which there is still a cavernous gender gap: sex. This age-old social taboo is the source of much discrimination and general misunderstanding between men and women. As I see it, women can never keep up with men.

Sure, women are pivotal to most men's acquisition of sex, but they are really not seen as sexual themselves. They are sensual perhaps, but not sexual.

How often do we see the female in movies portrayed as the innocent, submissive girl-next-door? Recent movies try to suggest that women can be strong and sexy in such roles as fashion designers and women's magazine writers. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with clothes and make-up, it doesn't exactly advance the feminist cause to show female success solely in these areas.

Imagine you do find the rare film that allows a female character to show her sexual nature. The males in the audience are bound to be drooling the whole time and commenting on how they'd like to "tap that." Women, clearly, are only presented as sexual when it appeals to the appetites of men.

The same principle does not work in reverse. Guys don't expect girls to have any sexual desires at all. If a woman makes a comment about the relative attractiveness of a male on screen or in the flesh, she is likely to receive a glare or look of shock. Girls shouldn't think like that.

Then, of course, there is the possibility that a girl might slip and forget she is among males. A stray "I want some of that!" from a girl spells reputational disaster. Only a true slut could possibly say something so lewd, right?

For displaying signs of sexual interest, girls acquire such repellent nicknames as "whore" and "cock ornament." When the opposite happens, guys are congratulated for their manly tendencies.

Furthermore, guys are incapable of commenting on the attractiveness of other males. The threat this idea poses to their own sexuality suggests some underlying cultural homophobia. Women are perfectly willing to say that Kate Hudson or Jennifer Garner is hot, and they expect to be able to say Matthew McConaughey is, too. This double standard only adds to the misconception that women lack sexuality.

I suppose there is no use in arguing that men should start to respect women on a sexual level. Hopefully, the stigmatism attached to female sexuality is one that will fade over time. Meanwhile guys, keep up the "she's hot" comments, but accept the fact she might be thinking the same thing about you.

Article Tools