Overall, I really like the message of this campaign/movement, because as a girl, I was told a few times in my life that I did certain things “like a girl.” When these words were spoken to me in the past, I always knew it was supposed to be an insult, but sometimes I would just simply reply with a kind “thank you,” and the other person would be thrown completely off guard. Generally, the person telling me that I did something “like a girl” was a boy. I now understand that much of the reason for this behavior was simply a means of boys practicing what society had taught them. The boys were simply following the gender roles that they were raised with: boys are supposed to be powerful, dominant, and in control. Growing up in a patriarchal society, I think women come to tolerate the idea that males are supposed to be the powerful leaders because they are generally bigger, stronger, and more aggressive.
As Americans, men (especially white men) have dominated the country for as long as America has been in existence. To an extent, even though I do not believe that these ideals are tied to any religious practice, they are tradition because anyone who has lived in our American society has lived by these informally established ways of life. There has not been a generation of people who has experienced gender equality, so we are slowly trying to break down this traditional wall with each generation.
Additionally, this video made me think of a frequent situation I encountered in high school. Many times when I attended school dances I was told by the African American students in my class that I danced like a “white girl.” While I really did not know how to respond to this the first time I heard it, I took it as an insult. Generally, in the past when I was told I did something “like a girl,” I thought this was just a display of our patriarchal society, but to hear that I danced like a “white girl” made me confused. What would make minorities stand up, and in a way project that their style of dance was somehow better than mine, and the culture I had been raised in? MySliceofthePi012
I absolutely love your response to any "like a girl" statement thrown your way. That sort of confidence is what is needed in the fight for gender equality. More and more each day, we see the feminist ideals breach into modern ideals. I would mostly attribute this to recent increases in higher education among women. Heck, women outnumber men in secondary education now! With knowledge comes confidence and power, and a byproduct of that is societal change. With hundreds of years of no resistance, white religious male practices have become this country's "norm." Only with continued push-back and political change will major change occur. -CSP012
Yes, I agree with your comment so much. Growing up I think every girl have heard that phrase “ like a girl “ and that is aggervating. Depending on your age hearing someone say “ like a girl “ could make you cry. I think boys say it because they know its kind of an insult. I love how you mentioned how when you were in high school people would say you danced like a white girl because thats the same as hearing “ like a girl. People automatically assume white people do not have rhythm when that is not true. Growing up I use to hear “ you talk white “ and I never understood that because everybody I grew up with family wise sounded like me of all colors so when people said that I would be confused. Society has made people closed minded to things and so narrow minded to say those kind of comments. -jolly rancher
I love your confidence as well. Yeah, I wouldn't take offense to that I'd do the same thing you did which was said thank you. After all I am a girl. I'm not a very physical person and I'm pretty sure if I were to be come physical I'd be very strong considering the fact I did cheerleading. I also like how you looked at this situation from a males perspective as well. Seeing both sides of the argument. If this is what boys are taught to be strong and dominant and if they're living their lives as such, seeing someone that isn't necessarily as strong as them of course they will say that. I like your response to the video and I couldn't agree more. Keep up with the positive outlook! -JEWELS012
Great thoughts! I found your comment on being told that you “danced like a white girl” very interesting. I think it is so very sad that in the society that we live in there are such things. It’s fascinating to me that just because of the color of someones skin they should talk, walk, or dance another way. This is most likely the beginning of an entirely new subject but I want to thank you for sharing. It was really great to hear some of your personal experiences on the subject. Great job on your response! -THEARSONIST012
I also love the confidence in your comment! I think a lot of women have experienced what you did and you expained it perfectly. No one really knows how to take things like that or how to address is and as people we just assume the worst and take it badly. It could not have been meant as an insult but it also definietly could have been and that is how most peopel would have taken it. I really enjoyed how you did add a personal experience and i think that a lot of people really relate to that. Good job! - mommaj'skid012
This advertising campaign demonstrates both the pros and cons behind gender scripts. First, the cons. Obviously, labeling simple, common motions like running, throwing, and fighting as feminine is absolutely degrading to females everywhere. As a runner, I can attest to the fact that girls are powerful and beautiful runners, exuding confidence with each stride. I have gotten my butt handed to me plenty of times by a female runner as well! However, this reminds me of an ironic situation. Take these same powerful, confident runners and stick them in a gym class during the fitness day. Most of them revert back to the floppy, bouncing “girly” run demonstrated by most of the models in the video. Our societal model of girls and running do not mix: one cannot be strong and fast while still maintaining her femininity. Obviously, the adult models in the video who completely play into the gender scripts while demonstrating the different activities are so off base. Maybe they felt like fulfilling the expectation for the advertisements sake, but either way, a very bad example. I cannot get mad at the little boy model, however. He is simply demonstrating the actions he sees every day at school, the playground, wherever. You can sense the innocence when the producer directly asks him “Are you insulting your sister?” He very sincerely believes that he is insulting girls, but not his sister; he simply does not understand that his stereotyping is wrong. The major pro from this commercial is that the young girls either do not care about gender scripts or they do not understand them. Either way, this demonstrates that gender scripts are learned, and therefore can be broken. These girls no doubt will join the strong feminist movement later in life, hopefully leading to much needed change. -CSP012
I think this video called “ like a girl “ was very eye opening. I feel like this organization did a good job portraying the message they were trying to get out. I know if I do something that my brothers do they'll be do it like a girl. A better example would be if I try to throw a football knowing I don't know how to hold a football they be like “ why you throw the football like that? You throw like a girl”. I feel like that phrase is used so often because society has shaped boys and girls so they expect boys to do things better than girls in certain aspects. Like growing up boys are suppose to be strong and dominant an girls are suppose to be the opposite of such. I think its stereotyping too be honest. I don't think gender matter, I don't think you should be able to insult someone by saying they do something like a girl. That just goes to show the gender roles play an impact on the way people think and if someone don't think gender roles is real this video would def make them think otherwise. I like how in the start of the video the person holding the camera say “ throw like a girl “ or “fight like a girl” and then at the end the same people was like well if you would ask me again I would do it how I fight or how they would throw how they normally throw instead of doing it “like a girl”. Then society don't only say “ like a girl “ or “ like a boy “ they will also throw race in it. All my life growing up I heard “ you talk white “ or they would say my mom and dad act white because I guess people automatically think cause I have black parents that they curse, when whole time my mom and dad never cursed at me growing up and that was unusual for my friends because their mom or dads would say every curse word in the book so they would say your family act white. - Jolly rancher
I totally agree that the organization of the video was really clean and clearly gave off the point they were trying to put out as a company. If anyone watched this video and didn't believe in gender scripts then their mind would automatically change. I agree that it's not just gender roles that play a part in this, it is just one aspect. Race is another aspect that is totally related to this problem. I'm glad you brought it up because I didn't think of it in that way. I totally understand what you mean when people say you talk white. I can kind of relate to that when I tell people I'm Mexican but I can't speak fluent Spanish. I feel like people put this picture in their head about how the world and it's people are but, when it is contradicted that is when they have to stop and think. I feel like when you learn about the people and the world around you it broadens your understanding of so many other things. -curlyhead012
I wish that we didn’t have to have commercials, campaigns or any other ‘rally’ type of awareness on gender scripts. I like that they, more often than not, empower females of all ages to prove that we are just as good, strong, smart, etc. as the male gender. It would be awesome for all to recognize males and females are predominantly the same. Some are weak and others are strong, some are feminine while others are masculine, some are smart while there are definitely those that are dumb -intellectually and mentally. Which gender was I talking about? Both!! Who cares anymore- we all bring something to the table, we all make this world work. We need both sexes to what the other cannot do. We balance each other out. We make the world evolve. I am all for equality and am not naïve to the gender inequality, but I do get annoyed at the fact that there is still such a huge gap between the genders when it comes to certain things. Saying things like “you fight like a girl” or “you fight like a girl” is just silly- especially in this day and age. Like the one girl in the video said, “because I am a girl”… Well, duh!! It’s just so trivial why things like this have to be said or pointed out. We as females are constantly defending ourselves all the while doubting ourselves. Not one person in this world is exactly like another and packaging females on certain actions is segregating and it needs to stop. All rules and regulations for everything were established by men, but are being rewritten by women. That’s good and all, but that doesn’t mean women are trying to ‘take over the world’ as some (mostly men), who are against feminism and their plight to be heard, would say. We just want equality of which should be a given not a fight. TRM-012
I really like the way you went about your comment especially because we always tend to pick male or female instead of the word equally. Today we always feel like we have a point to prove but the points we prove are not always right. As growing adults I do not want my friends and classmates to think one gender is better than the other because in reality they are not. We are equal as humans or should be there should not be no this is higher than this and sometimes I know we loose ourselves within the argument just not looking for equality. -campbell012
I agree with you that it is kind of sad that we need commercials to have this problems brought to the forefront. I like your comment of "take over the world". It doesn't matter if your male or female you control your own destiny and don't have anyone tell you can't accomplish something just because your are of the different sex. -CUBSFAN012
First off the running and fighting like a girl examples in the beginning were hilarious because I don't run and I wouldn't fight like that. Especially if I'm running for my life!As far as throwing like a girl yes I do throw like that to avoid hurting anyone! I feel like saying a man is doing something like a girl is an insult to him. Since men have this whole image of being Mr. Mighty Mouse, big and strong thing going on. Girls are portrayed to be "soft" or 'weak' so of course when a man gets called soft or weak it's an ultimate insult for them. Not only is it a insult to them but I'm pretty sure some women take offense to that too. Depending on what you mean by "like a girl". Personally, I do not take offense to "like a girl" why? All the things they are using with the phrase like a girl are physical things. Running, fighting, throwing. Which is society, back then you could say, there was a meaning for saying it. Women were more delicate where as in this generation females are definitely more tough. Me being the girly girl I am these expressions don't matter to me because I am a very gentle person. I don't engage in the physical activities that they are tying "like a girl" into. I don't fight because that's not lady like, I don't run and if I do run I'm exercising but obviously I'm not going to run like that if I'm exercising. I have no reason to throw anything, I don't play softball and if I do have to throw something I'm going to do it delicately because I don't want to hurt anyone. When society starts to say 'you think like a girl' or 'you work like a girl' that's when I'd be more likely to get insulted because now you're discussing the mentality of a woman. As far as physical things I personally do not take offense. That doesn't mean I disagree with women that take offense to this and it also doesn't mean I don't stand by other women when it comes to this. That's how they personally feel and if it's an insult then it's an insult. -JEWELS012
The video like a girl has a lot of meaning to it that’s really kind of hits home as a female. We all have been to the stage these kids are so somebody can not tell me that we do not relate. When they asked the question “How does a girl fight?” the way the girls showed their examples shocked me it was as if they were making fun of themselves no power but weakness. Its like they put no strength into there words and when the little brother did it he just you know clapped the air around lightly and even said he felt bad because he was making fun of his little sister. It took the females so long to see the reaction was not right at the end of this video than asked if she could redo her example. The preteenagers showed more strength than the teenagers and that’s sad because it really showed how much your self esteem changes throughout life. Females do not give themselves the credit they should, and I feel like in the world we live in that is why we settle for the things we do all the way to even our social statuses and pink-collar jobs. We tend to not give ourselves the power we have we give ourselves the power society thinks we should and that is where our mind sets need to change. Females can do amazing things throughout life especially when it comes to pregnancy. I am glad that in the world we live in today we are growing to the point that power is not just a masculine thing anymore the people around us have stay at home dads and everything it is not just a famine thing, roles are changing to not be gender defined for the better. -Campbell012
I agree with everything you said that we all can relate wheather it's women viewing themselves that way or others. Women should give themselves more credit for what they do. I think as a society we should let others know about these things because it's real and still happening today. I think that we should see strength in everyone no matter what they look like what gender they are we all live in the same world. -IDK123012
I have seen this advertisement before and I find it really motivational for myself, being a girl. As for boys I think it can be very eye opening for them. What we have been talking about is how segregated genders are from each other essentially. Whether we like it or not males and females are separated in so many ways. The inclusion of the opposite sex into the norm action of a sex has gotten better over the years but is not fixed. Personally, I think males and females will never be equal because biologically they are different, so people will always see them as different. This doesn’t go to say that I don’t think a girl can’t do what a guy can do. I’m a girl, so for this advertisement I am the intended audience. The always advertisement opened my eyes to the statement “like a girl”. It is true in a lot of instances that when “like a girl” is tacked on to something it’s meant to be insulting. The question they bring to mind is why or how it came to be an insult. Overall, girls are seen as docile and sweet which somehow transfers to girls being weak. There are anomalies to this but any woman in her right mind would stand up for themselves and say this is totally untrue. Women are unique and should always strive to be themselves, which is the point of the commercial. What I found interesting was when the producers asked the younger girls to perform the same exercises “like a girl”, yet they did them normally. This went to show that once a girl hits adolescence, self-esteem pretty much plummets. This is very accurate from my stand point. I feel like this becomes true for girls sooner than it used to because of the use of social media. Girls are shown all these pictures and advertisements which they think they have to live up to and that causes them to think they aren’t good enough. This is sad but true. I think Always did a great job of making this “like a girl” commercial as motivational as it is. It makes me think about all the possibilities in the world and motivates me to follow my dreams because girls are strong, and they are capable of so many more things than they are given credit for. -curlyhead012
I have seen this commercial so many times and I have had to discuss how I perceived the message and how it connects to our society in our culture today many times for classes before. The more I see it and have to talk about it the more I learn. My view on this commercial is that I like how the company put it together. Meaning I like how they used not just one age range and not just boys or just girls. I say this because as an audience we got to see how others see a girl in an athletic type of way. What is always disappointing to me about the video is how the older girl viewed themselves and how the younger boys viewed girls. What I thought was somewhat funny in a “nice try, that makes no sense” kind of way was when the younger did the imitation of a girl running and then got asked “do you think you just insulted your sister?” his was response was “no, yes not my sister but other girls.” Well in my mind I was think uhm isn’t your sister a girl. Though I felt some type of way about this I think he knew his imitation was insulting and so he somewhat panicked and didn’t know how to address it which at that age can be understood. Though the teenager girls surprise every time that I see this commercial I thought the would have ran how they naturally run which makes me think that they ran that way because they subconsciously know that is how others see girls. In all I think as a community we should not expect nor except all norms to be followed it has evolved overtime though it could be better. As a community there is always room for improvement. -IDK123012
It is funny the first thing that comes to mind when told to run or throw like a girl is uncoordinated. If we are being honest in my high school gym class I see just as many uncoordinated boys as girls and vice versa. Then often when girls want to be super muscular or good at a sport they are called "man-ish". On the other hand when boys are not as interested in sports and more into the arts or fashion they are automatically assumed to be "feminine or gay". This is a lot about what is first thought about women but it can be the same for men. Think of the boys who do not live up to the sporty muscular type. They are the nerds or never "one of the boys". These stereotypes happen to both genders. I am a girl but I am not going to just choose one gender to focus on. It is both boy and girl. It is all of us who think certain ways of others just because of the social norms. One thing I hate the most is when boys act so homophobic. Just because a guy is gay or into more "feminine" things they automatically can not associate with them and when they have to they always make a comment. It is what society has implemented on us that makes a lot of guys (at least ones my age) so immature when it comes to gay guys. They act like being seen talking to one everyone is going to make rumors they like him so they have to act like they hate them. Even girls do it to other girls saying "if she wore makeup she would be pretty". We ALL have constructs in our head of both sides. All these ideas or expectations are so unnecessary. Think how much happier the world would be without them. A lot more people would have more confidence and love who they are. gea012
This video on gender and our silly scripts really is something that everyone should watch when they are young. The reason that I say this is because I know I have been guilty of using one of if not all of the statements “like a girl”. The video does open your eyes on the topic and how saying these things could drop confidence and also hurt a person. When you really think about where did this even began, to make a comment such as you hit, run, or throw like a girl. We think these things mainly because of the labels that society has placed on girls. They have made it out to be that girls should be lady like and cannot be outside of this role, when in all reality there are many women who can hit with power and force much more than an average man. We have girls that can run and leave men in the dust; I believe people should not say this “like a girl” term because if you think about this it’s disrespectful to girls and hurtful. Instead of saying these things like you hit, run, or throw like a girl we should say more things such as I think you need to work on how you hit, run, throw and leave the opposite sex out of it. There are many ways that we can change this, one way could be is to show this video to our youth early while they are still young because like the little boy who was asked if he thought that he disrespected his sister, more people would see that even though you may think you are not disrespecting anyone in all reality we are and should think about how just because the world has put a label on this we shouldn’t follow and lead with change. Just me 012
I found this video really eye opening. You can see by the video that the older girls knew exactly what "Like a girl" was. But when they asked the younger girls what it was, they proceeded to try their hearts out and act just like a boy would. The older girls showed their impressions of what "Like a girl" means to them. They showed the girls as being weak, running funny, worrying about hair and not being as good as the males. The interesting thing was that the younger boy showed what "Like a girl" meant to him and he was spot on with the older girl's impressions. I found that rather fascinating. These girls once they hit 10-12 start getting introduced to these phrases and it honestly is kind of degrading to them during this time. They think they aren't as good as the opposite sex. I like at the end the older girls message to the young ones to keep doing what they're doing because it's working. To strive to be first and be the fastest. It doesn't matter how you end up there, we all arrive there sooner or later. Overall, this was the best video out of the three in my opinion. It made you take a step back and look and see how words or phrases effect people. -CUBSFAN012
The responses from the younger girls in this video caught my attention the most. It is seriously so devastating how our society can shape how we think of ourselves. I’m sure when I was younger I had the “girls can do anything that boys can do” mentality just like the girls in this video did. I feel like when growing up, we are forced to suppress our true thoughts and imagination by the educational systems that we have today. If you really think about it, when you were younger, whether male or female did you always participate in what YOU wanted to? I know so many girls that would only participate in certain things at school just because a majority of girls would do the same thing. However, I can't relate. I was the only girl playing TACKLE football with ALL BOYS, while my sisters played with sidewalk chalk.I always knew I was so much different than the typical girls’ you’d see around my school but I didn’t care. I wish our youth was encouraged more by the educational system to do things they REALLY ENJOY without making them feel like they’re an oddball! Let girls play football… let the guys be ballerinas and the world will be a BETTER place! -LayBae012
I found this video to be extremely interesting and quite enlightening on the subject of gender scripts in our country and the society of the U.S. “Always”, a popular feminine hygiene brand decided to speak out against gender scripts that exist even in elementary schools. The term “like a girl” is often used as an insult to girls both young and old. People may make a comment to a girl on the way that she runs or the way that she throws a ball saying, “she sure throws like a girl” or “she definitely runs like a girl.” However, in our society this comment is taken as an insult. If someone does something, “like a girl” it must have been done weakly or not very well. This video aims to change this idea of what “like a girl” means and to change it into something positive instead of negative. We need to change this saying into one that empowers girls to do their best and have the confidence to succeed. Every girl should feel that they are strong and that they have the ability to do amazing things. No gender script should be able to hold them back from their dreams. As a female in our society I would say that this is a very real issue within our country, but also within our world. There are many aspects of this subject on gender scripts and stereotypes. However, I think most of all women should simply feel loved and supported to follow their dreams even if those dreams are out of the ordinary in our eyes. I also think that this video touched on an important topic regarding the young girls that were also in this video. Their idea of what “like a girl” meant was dramatically different than that of the more mature women. I think that this should be a reminder to all of us that these silly gender script ideas are not things that are natural to us, they are ideas that are taught throughout our society. -THEARSONIST012
This always commercial was really inspiring. It showed a variety of ages of girls and how the younger girls did not have the same ideas as the girls that were older and understood the typical stereotypes. It also demonstrated the thoughts of young man. There are many stereotypical ideas around both boys and girls. Boys are known to be less emotional and caring but stronger in sports while girls are seen as emotionally responsive and weaker in terms of sports. That is absolutely not true. There are boys that are caring and show their emotions while there are girls who are more reserved and don’t show their emotions. In regards to sports, you can see from our recent Olympic games that there are some very strong and successful women. The key to this video to me is helping young girls understand themselves early on in life and to really fight stereotypes. Don’t let others label them. Girls need to reach for their own dreams and goals. God has given them skills and talents to achieve the goals he has set before them. Their individual gender would not inhibit this. As young girls are developing and in the stages o puberty they are very moldable weary about what others say about them. It is important they have leaders such as parents, teacher, friends, and coaches who can help support them in reaching their goals and understanding their own strength. When these leaders see girls struggling in their own skin, it is critical to jump in and help them understand their own worth and value. They don’t have to be held down because they are a girl, they should be empowered as a girl. They should empower other girls as well. It takes all of us to build each other up and show our strength. -SBC012
I agree with what you said about the stereotypes not being true. I know plenty of guys that seem to be anti-athletic, as well as plenty of guys who are emotional and have no problem showing their softer side. I also know plenty of girls who like to get dirty and play rough and tough in sports. And girls who you would think seriously didn't even have a heart. There's no one way to be, and I wish all of society could agree on that. The social norms that we follow today were based upon ideas from decades ago. Times are changing and I believe women need to be seen as entirely equal as men, not just 80 percent. Any thing a man can do, show me a girl who cant do it, too. Women deserve the same respect as men.
This video sends a strong message for sure. If someone asked me to “run like a girl” I’d probably stand there confused. Like, what do you mean by that? Personally, as a girl who grew up playing sports, I never had a problem with someone telling me I run like a girl or hit like a girl. As a kid, I was seen as an athlete by girls and boys in my classes, and I didn’t feel the girl/boy divide until I was much older. For example, at my high school, the girls sports were never taken seriously by anyone, not even the teachers, and the funding for girls sports such as softball, wasn’t even half of what the school would spend on the baseball team. So sure, as athletic as you are, if you’re a woman, you don’t get half the respect as men do for doing the same thing. But, this issue goes so much further than just sports. Men look at themselves as superior in every aspect of life. I don’t think any man knows what it truly means to “be a girl”, because if they did they’d understand they do not go through a fraction of the disrespect and pain that women have to go through. Men think they’re better and they are favored in life but ask any woman you’ll meet and you’d see just how delusional that theory is and the fact that as a society we live by that idea is honestly ridiculous. Now don’t get me wrong, men are special and important also. But if the roles were reversed, they’d be demanding that people see the wrong and unjust treatment they endure just like I am right now. I could go on and on for days and hours and probably end up writing world’s longest paper but I won’t. This video clearly strikes a lot of nerves with me and I think that was the intended purpose. It was a very good video I enjoyed it.
This is an amazing move and it did touch my heart. This is not about women and how people tend to use the word women as a shame or to insult others under the name of women. Who knows what to be like a woman other than women! as a woman, we are what we are, biologically, physically, and emotionally, it doesn’t mean anything if we are a little bit emotional and caring more than men do in general. We are both equal as the human being no matter what our gender is. What makes the society support this view is what we as women giving up to men and decided not to fight for our rights. The differences between men and women don’t give anyone to judge others under the title “like a woman!” I understand that we did create this, and we did force it because that’s all that we were taught when we were young. It is fine to let girls wear pink and boys wear blue, but it is a problem if one said that women can’t achieve a thing because they are emotion and wear pink. This video is telling us as women that we can do more than what we think and what others think, and we should use this to support that we as women are equal to men and enforce like a woman to be the same as like a man. And at the same time give the natural differences of both genders to act and think the way they are. We as women should give more credit for being women and appreciate it to encourage others to see what we are instead of letting them judge us under the name of the woman and support ourselves no matter to achieve our goals. POINTOFVIEW012
This was a really inspirational video. “Like a girl” is a phrase that many people use (mainly children) and it is used to be humiliating, disempowering, and otherwise degrading. It makes perfect sense that when things are said repeatedly that are degrading who they are as a person, it would really get to them and be highly discouraging. This commercial was put together very well, and did a great job making the point they were trying to make. I found it extremely interesting how all the children interviewed had high expectations and projections for what a girl could do (mainly the girls). It was as if they really knew their own limits. As the interviewees got to be older in age, they began showing more signs of displaying negative connotations that go along with girlhood. This in and of itself shows that the entire “Like a Girl” insult is a social construct, and holds no power and truth in reality. Even if girls aren’t physically capable of the same tasks as men are (in some cases), they are still exceptionally capable, and have the power to do countless things that men can’t do. My only qualm about the commercial was that they had all the girls do things that are typically and stereotypically male-dominated activities, as opposed to activities that girls are better at. I am not trying to say that women can’t do the same things as men, but the commercial could’ve done better highlighting the strengths of girls in particular and providing more that could empower them further. In conclusion, “like a girl” is phrase that should be discouraged and done away with entirely. Its use provides nothing of value to people, and is only degrading and disempowering. Girls and teens would be so much better off without the continuation of this phrase.
This brought to light a problem to me that I did not think much on as a boy. Maybe it’s just something I looked passed or something I have not been involved in on either side. Saying someone is doing something like a girl or being told I do something like a girl. However I have seen in much of my life the strange way some men talk about women especially their wives. In a way that makes it seem like they own their wives as a piece of property, or they are a lesser to themselves. Something I have never felt in tune with. I thought that kind of fit with this discussion on just how we tear down women constantly and act they are a lesser when they are equal to men in most ways. Yes biologically we have differences, but the same differences vary from man to man. Not every human is the same nor completely equal but we must see one another as an equal. Saying someone does something like a girl is only to belittle and tear a female down. Saying something is done like a girl is just ridiculous to me some of the toughest and smartest people I know are women. If I was being compared to them I would not be offended rather pleased with knowing that I’m being compared to someone who is so great, especially in my field most of the Nurses I work with are women, and they are the smartest and most hard working people I have ever met. I see calling someone as a girl as a compliment in a way. It means they will do the task right and do it well. BossMan012
This is a very nice video and I really do enjoy the message, because "like a girl" really is a insult I have heard, but I usually heard it to insult men. I do think that women are put down in this way because physicality is suppose to be super macho and manly, but I suppose the more you think about it we only associate the best of us with these positive traits. Of course a professional football player can play football better than probably most girl, but he can also play better than most men. That is why he does it for a living. We rarely associate this super positive outlook to girls in terms of physicality. Even though there are obviously dozens, hundreds of examples of amazing female athletes. On a contrary to simply play devil's advocate like I mentioned before the insult "like a girl" does come from a stereotypical but partially true view of reality. It is likely that a guy could be stronger, or faster than a girl, but it is not a guarantee. We sometimes ignore biology just to have a more empowering message. The other video we watch also mentioned this. Men are socially pushed into physical things and girls are not. That does not make girls worse in any way, but it is a truth about men. More men wish to be physically fit and are because it is a social pressure. You could also mention the idea that sexual appeal often shows muscular men and slim women. It is just a stereotype that we give a lot of attention. In the end I think the same. Do you what you want and be who you want. Your gender has not bearing on your ability. -twentyfourframes012
I overall enjoyed watching this video. I think this is a great movement to publish for young girls. I think it will help their confidence a lot, which is something many girls, not just young, lack these days. I have heard "like a girl" to be an insult towards men as well, but it all comes back to the fact that girls are being put down and saying they can not do things as well as men. Just because you are bigger and stronger does not necessarily mean you can do something better than another person, man or woman. I have seen many guys try to hit a volleyball and not succeed but move out of the way when a girl does because of how hard she can hit it. The opposite of this would be for football since most girls do not play football. I do not think that stereotyping a certain movement is the right way to go about things. I liked how all the younger girls who were interviewed did not put themselves down in any way. They showed the people how they hit and did things for themselves not because they were a girl. It just shows how society has labeled women whe it comes to athleticism because of how the older women and the boys reacted to the questions. I remember as a young girl getting told that I hit "like a girl" or kick "like a girl" and it would honestly just make me very mad. I never was too hurt by it other than I got angry because I always wondered what was so wrong with hitting like a girl. I always thought to myself that some girls can hit or kick harder than some men do. I always wondered how this got started. - mommaj'skid012
I like the film or the ad which was very encouraging for others to see how others what it is to be a girl or what the girls think. I am guy, and do not really think their thing as you do things like a girl. Of course, everybody is different in his or her own way, but, I think the video really shows a more of a visual of how people see the world. Now, when the girls in the video where ask to do certain things, they did it as if any other person would do it. Now, when the boys where ask to do how girls do certain things, they did it more differently compare to the girls. I thought it was insulting to a girl because there is no such thing as a girl or a boy, because everybody does things the way they do because that’s how they are. As a guy, I’m not so good at basketball, but I still try to play the sport. I am one hundred percent that there is a girl out their who can definitely play as good as LeBron James. I believe this a very good example. This is how society has come to be shaped up because boys are though to be tough and girls to be passive, and now things are changing. I believe in equality for everyone, but a lot of things where made by man, so it kind of makes it hard. Especially, if not is being done to make that change happen. But, I feel there’s been some improvement because now women are getting a lot more involved in the society, so its slowly progressing which is good. But, I thought the video was good to show a more visual what its to be a girl. - LILPUMP012
This was an interesting video to watch. It really just made me think and opened my eyes. I feel girls are so underestimated. I never really thought deeply about “like a girl” until I watched this video. I have two brothers and they would always play fight growing up. If one of brothers swung on the other one and did not hurt the other would “You punch like a girl”. I got so used to hearing them say that, so it was normal to me. In my head growing up it made me think girls are weak and they can’t really defend themselves. It goes back to the example Dr. White gave in class. As fathers raise their children, they play fight with their boys and treat their girls so fragile. I witnessed that growing up because my dad would play with my brothers in that way. While with me, it was always picking me up and kissing me or playing with teacups. But even while I was in school I would hear that line being thrown around. Also, the “you act like a girl” line as well. Now as I think back those lines are just cultural norms. From the time you were young this is what you would hear. That is just how society is nowadays. I don’t think it is right. For some girls it actually may make them feel like they are weak. I like how Always is trying to change “like a girl” into a positive thing. It should be changed because girls are not as weak men try to put them out to be. The girl in the video at the end said it best, “Don’t be ashamed to be like a girl”. I never have been. I am proud to be a girl. prettygirlhd012
I think that saying "like a girl" came from a time in which girls were not taught to play sports or indulge in other physical activities very often. That said I do think that there are physical limitations that women hit before men do. I have worked out with several women and even when they did the exact same workout as men, they only grew muscle at about one third the rate. They also seemed to hit the point where their body's growth slowed down much earlier than their male counterparts. To me there seem to be a plethora of both physical and mental differences between the sexes. I do not think that one sex is better than the other by any means, but I think that they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Men show a higher level of strength while women are generally more dexterous than men. Men are more interested in building things and because of it tend toward jobs that include this interest while women do the same with social interaction. And to top it all off women have a superpower, they can create new human beings inside their bodies. My point is, while I do not think that "like a girl" is a useful term anymore, I still think that there are differences between us. That is another thing, these people keep saying that women would be stronger if they did not hear people say "like a girl", but I think that truly strong people accomplish the things that they set out to do despite what people say to them. I do understand that the ones that do are anomalies, but I also think that words like strong should be used very conservatively. I think that for a person to be truly strong in the first place is inherently an anomaly. -DMPeschy
This really puts into perspective the gender roles we were discussing in class. The older participants, and even the young boy seemed to portray "like a girl" as something more dainty and fragile. They have been socialized to believe being “girly” means not knowing how to fight, or apparently on the verge of tripping while running. But the young girls gave their whole effort. They fought with great effort, they ran with might. Not because they don't understand what it means to be a girl, but because they haven't been socialized to believe in their weakness or daintiness just because of what's between their legs. And this was a great example on shedding the light of just because we perceive roles as natural just because they are embedded into us, doesn't mean that that's how it's supposed to be. I loved how some of the younger girls didn’t even understand what “like a girl” is supposed to mean. That’s because it really doesn’t mean anything. We only made it mean something when we changed femininity into something to be looked down upon. Which also goes back to a class discussion. I loved how at the end the woman was giving examples and saying she does this, that, and the other like a girl because, well, she is one. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of, it’s nothing to look down upon. All in all, this video provided a great example on looking at a different perspective on acting “like a girl”. Whatever it means should depend on the individual girl because at the end of the day, yes a girl is a girl. That doesn’t make her weak, or slow, or dainty, or unusual. A girl is a girl. A boy is a boy. A man is a man. A woman is a woman.
This video really opened my eyes and actually made me feel bad about how I’ve sought girls out to be because if I was asked the same questions I would probably give the same actions that the older generation did but when the younger girls came on and showed how they thought it was it was just normal and just what they felt was right. The older generation did what the basic girl would do and what society has put the title and actions on girls to be with running and throwing but the younger girls haven’t experience a whole lot of life to know this really and their doing what to them is normal and to them is how every person should carry out the task that was given to them. This video made me think about the sandlot and how when they were insulting each other at the baseball field and one chubby kid said to other that he plays ball like a girl and everyone was just in so much shock because they based on society they knew that meant and knew that girls were lesser then men and they thought girls couldn’t play ball as well as a boy could so they saw it as an insult. It’s amazing to me to just watch the Olympics and to see the women do their events and to realize that they are better then a huge majority of average men in that sport and especially with running. The women who run in the Olympics are so much faster then the average men but people don’t really think about this because they just assume men are faster then women based on society and how things are. But if you just sit back a see the big picture and see how great they are in what they are doing, then you see that women can be just as good as men can. Mrbubby012
I loved this video. It was very empowering and inspiring! I love how the lady who answered the question regarding what you would advise girls to do when hearing “like a girl” matched perfectly to how I would’ve answered. Being someone who loves inspiring and bringing up people’s spirits, this was a very motivating and meaningful video. I think every girl should watch this. Guys too. They need to see how girls truly feel when they say things like this. Even the boy himself said he feels it’s humiliating/insulting to girls (excepting his sister). A girl’s self-confidence, self-image, and self-esteem is, in a way, more critical than a guy’s. No, it’s no less important than a guy’s, but girls tend to be more emotional and take things to heart/more personally than guys do. It was kind of sad to see that the older girls, when asked to do certain things like a girl, did things the way a stereotypical girl would have done it. The younger girls did it the way they normally would have done it regardless. I loved this. It showed that the younger girls, not as predisposed/affected by cultural norms and gender scripts, were themselves. The older girls, who have been affected by these sorts of things, did what they’ve seen or have been culturally made to believe what “like a girl” looks like. When asked to redo it, they felt more comfortable being themselves and embracing their gender and sex. I really loved the emotion and passion and sense of confidence that the girls of both age groups had. Guys and girls should have a sense of confidence, love, passion, and most importantly, respect for the other gender. They should also pay more attention to what the things they say to the other do and say about themselves as people and the effects they have.
I found it really interesting how the people asked the older group to run like a girl and fight like a girl then asked the younger group to do the same thing. The thing I found most interesting between the two is that the older group did more of the stereotypical thing on the way girls act versus the younger group. The younger group acted like what is considered to be the way the male gender. I really agree with the girl’s answer to the question that is asked about the phrase “like a girl”. I agree with her, I think during that age one wrong thing said to them can change their entire outlook on life and it could hurt their future. I do not like how other people try and belittle others by the “like a girl” phrase. I think that girls can do just as much if not more than males. I really like the answer that was told when the question was asked but what the lady would tell the people who were being told that they were doing things like a girl. I agree with them one hundred percent. If that person is doing what is considered to be doing like a girl and they are still accomplishing things with that way they should still continue with that method because the are doing something right. If a person is doing something that is considered to be something like a girl no matter what gender they are they should not be offended or belittled. It is something that people tend to do and is not right. -jw012
Overall, I really like the message of this campaign/movement, because as a girl, I was told a few times in my life that I did certain things “like a girl.” When these words were spoken to me in the past, I always knew it was supposed to be an insult, but sometimes I would just simply reply with a kind “thank you,” and the other person would be thrown completely off guard. Generally, the person telling me that I did something “like a girl” was a boy. I now understand that much of the reason for this behavior was simply a means of boys practicing what society had taught them. The boys were simply following the gender roles that they were raised with: boys are supposed to be powerful, dominant, and in control. Growing up in a patriarchal society, I think women come to tolerate the idea that males are supposed to be the powerful leaders because they are generally bigger, stronger, and more aggressive.
ReplyDeleteAs Americans, men (especially white men) have dominated the country for as long as America has been in existence. To an extent, even though I do not believe that these ideals are tied to any religious practice, they are tradition because anyone who has lived in our American society has lived by these informally established ways of life. There has not been a generation of people who has experienced gender equality, so we are slowly trying to break down this traditional wall with each generation.
Additionally, this video made me think of a frequent situation I encountered in high school. Many times when I attended school dances I was told by the African American students in my class that I danced like a “white girl.” While I really did not know how to respond to this the first time I heard it, I took it as an insult. Generally, in the past when I was told I did something “like a girl,” I thought this was just a display of our patriarchal society, but to hear that I danced like a “white girl” made me confused. What would make minorities stand up, and in a way project that their style of dance was somehow better than mine, and the culture I had been raised in? MySliceofthePi012
I absolutely love your response to any "like a girl" statement thrown your way. That sort of confidence is what is needed in the fight for gender equality. More and more each day, we see the feminist ideals breach into modern ideals. I would mostly attribute this to recent increases in higher education among women. Heck, women outnumber men in secondary education now! With knowledge comes confidence and power, and a byproduct of that is societal change. With hundreds of years of no resistance, white religious male practices have become this country's "norm." Only with continued push-back and political change will major change occur. -CSP012
DeleteYes, I agree with your comment so much. Growing up I think every girl have heard that phrase “ like a girl “ and that is aggervating. Depending on your age hearing someone say “ like a girl “ could make you cry. I think boys say it because they know its kind of an insult. I love how you mentioned how when you were in high school people would say you danced like a white girl because thats the same as hearing “ like a girl. People automatically assume white people do not have rhythm when that is not true. Growing up I use to hear “ you talk white “ and I never understood that because everybody I grew up with family wise sounded like me of all colors so when people said that I would be confused. Society has made people closed minded to things and so narrow minded to say those kind of comments. -jolly rancher
DeleteI love your confidence as well. Yeah, I wouldn't take offense to that I'd do the same thing you did which was said thank you. After all I am a girl. I'm not a very physical person and I'm pretty sure if I were to be come physical I'd be very strong considering the fact I did cheerleading. I also like how you looked at this situation from a males perspective as well. Seeing both sides of the argument. If this is what boys are taught to be strong and dominant and if they're living their lives as such, seeing someone that isn't necessarily as strong as them of course they will say that. I like your response to the video and I couldn't agree more. Keep up with the positive outlook!
Delete-JEWELS012
Great thoughts! I found your comment on being told that you “danced like a white girl” very interesting. I think it is so very sad that in the society that we live in there are such things. It’s fascinating to me that just because of the color of someones skin they should talk, walk, or dance another way. This is most likely the beginning of an entirely new subject but I want to thank you for sharing. It was really great to hear some of your personal experiences on the subject. Great job on your response! -THEARSONIST012
DeleteI also love the confidence in your comment! I think a lot of women have experienced what you did and you expained it perfectly. No one really knows how to take things like that or how to address is and as people we just assume the worst and take it badly. It could not have been meant as an insult but it also definietly could have been and that is how most peopel would have taken it. I really enjoyed how you did add a personal experience and i think that a lot of people really relate to that. Good job!
Delete- mommaj'skid012
This advertising campaign demonstrates both the pros and cons behind gender scripts. First, the cons. Obviously, labeling simple, common motions like running, throwing, and fighting as feminine is absolutely degrading to females everywhere. As a runner, I can attest to the fact that girls are powerful and beautiful runners, exuding confidence with each stride. I have gotten my butt handed to me plenty of times by a female runner as well! However, this reminds me of an ironic situation. Take these same powerful, confident runners and stick them in a gym class during the fitness day. Most of them revert back to the floppy, bouncing “girly” run demonstrated by most of the models in the video. Our societal model of girls and running do not mix: one cannot be strong and fast while still maintaining her femininity. Obviously, the adult models in the video who completely play into the gender scripts while demonstrating the different activities are so off base. Maybe they felt like fulfilling the expectation for the advertisements sake, but either way, a very bad example. I cannot get mad at the little boy model, however. He is simply demonstrating the actions he sees every day at school, the playground, wherever. You can sense the innocence when the producer directly asks him “Are you insulting your sister?” He very sincerely believes that he is insulting girls, but not his sister; he simply does not understand that his stereotyping is wrong.
ReplyDeleteThe major pro from this commercial is that the young girls either do not care about gender scripts or they do not understand them. Either way, this demonstrates that gender scripts are learned, and therefore can be broken. These girls no doubt will join the strong feminist movement later in life, hopefully leading to much needed change.
-CSP012
I think this video called “ like a girl “ was very eye opening. I feel like this organization did a good job portraying the message they were trying to get out. I know if I do something that my brothers do they'll be do it like a girl. A better example would be if I try to throw a football knowing I don't know how to hold a football they be like “ why you throw the football like that? You throw like a girl”. I feel like that phrase is used so often because society has shaped boys and girls so they expect boys to do things better than girls in certain aspects. Like growing up boys are suppose to be strong and dominant an girls are suppose to be the opposite of such. I think its stereotyping too be honest. I don't think gender matter, I don't think you should be able to insult someone by saying they do something like a girl. That just goes to show the gender roles play an impact on the way people think and if someone don't think gender roles is real this video would def make them think otherwise. I like how in the start of the video the person holding the camera say “ throw like a girl “ or “fight like a girl” and then at the end the same people was like well if you would ask me again I would do it how I fight or how they would throw how they normally throw instead of doing it “like a girl”. Then society don't only say “ like a girl “ or “ like a boy “ they will also throw race in it. All my life growing up I heard “ you talk white “ or they would say my mom and dad act white because I guess people automatically think cause I have black parents that they curse, when whole time my mom and dad never cursed at me growing up and that was unusual for my friends because their mom or dads would say every curse word in the book so they would say your family act white. - Jolly rancher
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that the organization of the video was really clean and clearly gave off the point they were trying to put out as a company. If anyone watched this video and didn't believe in gender scripts then their mind would automatically change. I agree that it's not just gender roles that play a part in this, it is just one aspect. Race is another aspect that is totally related to this problem. I'm glad you brought it up because I didn't think of it in that way. I totally understand what you mean when people say you talk white. I can kind of relate to that when I tell people I'm Mexican but I can't speak fluent Spanish. I feel like people put this picture in their head about how the world and it's people are but, when it is contradicted that is when they have to stop and think. I feel like when you learn about the people and the world around you it broadens your understanding of so many other things.
Delete-curlyhead012
I wish that we didn’t have to have commercials, campaigns or any other ‘rally’ type of awareness on gender scripts. I like that they, more often than not, empower females of all ages to prove that we are just as good, strong, smart, etc. as the male gender. It would be awesome for all to recognize males and females are predominantly the same. Some are weak and others are strong, some are feminine while others are masculine, some are smart while there are definitely those that are dumb -intellectually and mentally. Which gender was I talking about? Both!! Who cares anymore- we all bring something to the table, we all make this world work. We need both sexes to what the other cannot do. We balance each other out. We make the world evolve. I am all for equality and am not naïve to the gender inequality, but I do get annoyed at the fact that there is still such a huge gap between the genders when it comes to certain things. Saying things like “you fight like a girl” or “you fight like a girl” is just silly- especially in this day and age. Like the one girl in the video said, “because I am a girl”… Well, duh!! It’s just so trivial why things like this have to be said or pointed out. We as females are constantly defending ourselves all the while doubting ourselves. Not one person in this world is exactly like another and packaging females on certain actions is segregating and it needs to stop. All rules and regulations for everything were established by men, but are being rewritten by women. That’s good and all, but that doesn’t mean women are trying to ‘take over the world’ as some (mostly men), who are against feminism and their plight to be heard, would say. We just want equality of which should be a given not a fight. TRM-012
ReplyDeleteI really like the way you went about your comment especially because we always tend to pick male or female instead of the word equally. Today we always feel like we have a point to prove but the points we prove are not always right. As growing adults I do not want my friends and classmates to think one gender is better than the other because in reality they are not. We are equal as humans or should be there should not be no this is higher than this and sometimes I know we loose ourselves within the argument just not looking for equality.
Delete-campbell012
I agree with you that it is kind of sad that we need commercials to have this problems brought to the forefront. I like your comment of "take over the world". It doesn't matter if your male or female you control your own destiny and don't have anyone tell you can't accomplish something just because your are of the different sex. -CUBSFAN012
DeleteFirst off the running and fighting like a girl examples in the beginning were hilarious because I don't run and I wouldn't fight like that. Especially if I'm running for my life!As far as throwing like a girl yes I do throw like that to avoid hurting anyone! I feel like saying a man is doing something like a girl is an insult to him. Since men have this whole image of being Mr. Mighty Mouse, big and strong thing going on. Girls are portrayed to be "soft" or 'weak' so of course when a man gets called soft or weak it's an ultimate insult for them. Not only is it a insult to them but I'm pretty sure some women take offense to that too. Depending on what you mean by "like a girl". Personally, I do not take offense to "like a girl" why? All the things they are using with the phrase like a girl are physical things. Running, fighting, throwing. Which is society, back then you could say, there was a meaning for saying it. Women were more delicate where as in this generation females are definitely more tough. Me being the girly girl I am these expressions don't matter to me because I am a very gentle person. I don't engage in the physical activities that they are tying "like a girl" into. I don't fight because that's not lady like, I don't run and if I do run I'm exercising but obviously I'm not going to run like that if I'm exercising. I have no reason to throw anything, I don't play softball and if I do have to throw something I'm going to do it delicately because I don't want to hurt anyone. When society starts to say 'you think like a girl' or 'you work like a girl' that's when I'd be more likely to get insulted because now you're discussing the mentality of a woman. As far as physical things I personally do not take offense. That doesn't mean I disagree with women that take offense to this and it also doesn't mean I don't stand by other women when it comes to this. That's how they personally feel and if it's an insult then it's an insult.
ReplyDelete-JEWELS012
The video like a girl has a lot of meaning to it that’s really kind of hits home as a female. We all have been to the stage these kids are so somebody can not tell me that we do not relate. When they asked the question “How does a girl fight?” the way the girls showed their examples shocked me it was as if they were making fun of themselves no power but weakness. Its like they put no strength into there words and when the little brother did it he just you know clapped the air around lightly and even said he felt bad because he was making fun of his little sister. It took the females so long to see the reaction was not right at the end of this video than asked if she could redo her example. The preteenagers showed more strength than the teenagers and that’s sad because it really showed how much your self esteem changes throughout life. Females do not give themselves the credit they should, and I feel like in the world we live in that is why we settle for the things we do all the way to even our social statuses and pink-collar jobs. We tend to not give ourselves the power we have we give ourselves the power society thinks we should and that is where our mind sets need to change. Females can do amazing things throughout life especially when it comes to pregnancy. I am glad that in the world we live in today we are growing to the point that power is not just a masculine thing anymore the people around us have stay at home dads and everything it is not just a famine thing, roles are changing to not be gender defined for the better.
ReplyDelete-Campbell012
I agree with everything you said that we all can relate wheather it's women viewing themselves that way or others. Women should give themselves more credit for what they do. I think as a society we should let others know about these things because it's real and still happening today. I think that we should see strength in everyone no matter what they look like what gender they are we all live in the same world.
Delete-IDK123012
I have seen this advertisement before and I find it really motivational for myself, being a girl. As for boys I think it can be very eye opening for them. What we have been talking about is how segregated genders are from each other essentially. Whether we like it or not males and females are separated in so many ways. The inclusion of the opposite sex into the norm action of a sex has gotten better over the years but is not fixed. Personally, I think males and females will never be equal because biologically they are different, so people will always see them as different. This doesn’t go to say that I don’t think a girl can’t do what a guy can do. I’m a girl, so for this advertisement I am the intended audience. The always advertisement opened my eyes to the statement “like a girl”. It is true in a lot of instances that when “like a girl” is tacked on to something it’s meant to be insulting. The question they bring to mind is why or how it came to be an insult. Overall, girls are seen as docile and sweet which somehow transfers to girls being weak. There are anomalies to this but any woman in her right mind would stand up for themselves and say this is totally untrue. Women are unique and should always strive to be themselves, which is the point of the commercial. What I found interesting was when the producers asked the younger girls to perform the same exercises “like a girl”, yet they did them normally. This went to show that once a girl hits adolescence, self-esteem pretty much plummets. This is very accurate from my stand point. I feel like this becomes true for girls sooner than it used to because of the use of social media. Girls are shown all these pictures and advertisements which they think they have to live up to and that causes them to think they aren’t good enough. This is sad but true. I think Always did a great job of making this “like a girl” commercial as motivational as it is. It makes me think about all the possibilities in the world and motivates me to follow my dreams because girls are strong, and they are capable of so many more things than they are given credit for.
ReplyDelete-curlyhead012
I have seen this commercial so many times and I have had to discuss how I perceived the message and how it connects to our society in our culture today many times for classes before. The more I see it and have to talk about it the more I learn. My view on this commercial is that I like how the company put it together. Meaning I like how they used not just one age range and not just boys or just girls. I say this because as an audience we got to see how others see a girl in an athletic type of way. What is always disappointing to me about the video is how the older girl viewed themselves and how the younger boys viewed girls. What I thought was somewhat funny in a “nice try, that makes no sense” kind of way was when the younger did the imitation of a girl running and then got asked “do you think you just insulted your sister?” his was response was “no, yes not my sister but other girls.” Well in my mind I was think uhm isn’t your sister a girl. Though I felt some type of way about this I think he knew his imitation was insulting and so he somewhat panicked and didn’t know how to address it which at that age can be understood. Though the teenager girls surprise every time that I see this commercial I thought the would have ran how they naturally run which makes me think that they ran that way because they subconsciously know that is how others see girls. In all I think as a community we should not expect nor except all norms to be followed it has evolved overtime though it could be better. As a community there is always room for improvement.
ReplyDelete-IDK123012
It is funny the first thing that comes to mind when told to run or throw like a girl is uncoordinated. If we are being honest in my high school gym class I see just as many uncoordinated boys as girls and vice versa. Then often when girls want to be super muscular or good at a sport they are called "man-ish". On the other hand when boys are not as interested in sports and more into the arts or fashion they are automatically assumed to be "feminine or gay". This is a lot about what is first thought about women but it can be the same for men. Think of the boys who do not live up to the sporty muscular type. They are the nerds or never "one of the boys". These stereotypes happen to both genders. I am a girl but I am not going to just choose one gender to focus on. It is both boy and girl. It is all of us who think certain ways of others just because of the social norms. One thing I hate the most is when boys act so homophobic. Just because a guy is gay or into more "feminine" things they automatically can not associate with them and when they have to they always make a comment. It is what society has implemented on us that makes a lot of guys (at least ones my age) so immature when it comes to gay guys. They act like being seen talking to one everyone is going to make rumors they like him so they have to act like they hate them. Even girls do it to other girls saying "if she wore makeup she would be pretty". We ALL have constructs in our head of both sides. All these ideas or expectations are so unnecessary. Think how much happier the world would be without them. A lot more people would have more confidence and love who they are.
ReplyDeletegea012
This video on gender and our silly scripts really is something that everyone should watch when they are young. The reason that I say this is because I know I have been guilty of using one of if not all of the statements “like a girl”. The video does open your eyes on the topic and how saying these things could drop confidence and also hurt a person. When you really think about where did this even began, to make a comment such as you hit, run, or throw like a girl. We think these things mainly because of the labels that society has placed on girls. They have made it out to be that girls should be lady like and cannot be outside of this role, when in all reality there are many women who can hit with power and force much more than an average man. We have girls that can run and leave men in the dust; I believe people should not say this “like a girl” term because if you think about this it’s disrespectful to girls and hurtful. Instead of saying these things like you hit, run, or throw like a girl we should say more things such as I think you need to work on how you hit, run, throw and leave the opposite sex out of it. There are many ways that we can change this, one way could be is to show this video to our youth early while they are still young because like the little boy who was asked if he thought that he disrespected his sister, more people would see that even though you may think you are not disrespecting anyone in all reality we are and should think about how just because the world has put a label on this we shouldn’t follow and lead with change. Just me 012
ReplyDeleteI found this video really eye opening. You can see by the video that the older girls knew exactly what "Like a girl" was. But when they asked the younger girls what it was, they proceeded to try their hearts out and act just like a boy would. The older girls showed their impressions of what "Like a girl" means to them. They showed the girls as being weak, running funny, worrying about hair and not being as good as the males. The interesting thing was that the younger boy showed what "Like a girl" meant to him and he was spot on with the older girl's impressions. I found that rather fascinating. These girls once they hit 10-12 start getting introduced to these phrases and it honestly is kind of degrading to them during this time. They think they aren't as good as the opposite sex. I like at the end the older girls message to the young ones to keep doing what they're doing because it's working. To strive to be first and be the fastest. It doesn't matter how you end up there, we all arrive there sooner or later. Overall, this was the best video out of the three in my opinion. It made you take a step back and look and see how words or phrases effect people. -CUBSFAN012
ReplyDeleteThe responses from the younger girls in this video caught my attention the most. It is seriously so devastating how our society can shape how we think of ourselves. I’m sure when I was younger I had the “girls can do anything that boys can do” mentality just like the girls in this video did. I feel like when growing up, we are forced to suppress our true thoughts and imagination by the educational systems that we have today. If you really think about it, when you were younger, whether male or female did you always participate in what YOU wanted to? I know so many girls that would only participate in certain things at school just because a majority of girls would do the same thing. However, I can't relate. I was the only girl playing TACKLE football with ALL BOYS, while my sisters played with sidewalk chalk.I always knew I was so much different than the typical girls’ you’d see around my school but I didn’t care. I wish our youth was encouraged more by the educational system to do things they REALLY ENJOY without making them feel like they’re an oddball! Let girls play football… let the guys be ballerinas and the world will be a BETTER place!
ReplyDelete-LayBae012
I found this video to be extremely interesting and quite enlightening on the subject of gender scripts in our country and the society of the U.S. “Always”, a popular feminine hygiene brand decided to speak out against gender scripts that exist even in elementary schools. The term “like a girl” is often used as an insult to girls both young and old. People may make a comment to a girl on the way that she runs or the way that she throws a ball saying, “she sure throws like a girl” or “she definitely runs like a girl.” However, in our society this comment is taken as an insult. If someone does something, “like a girl” it must have been done weakly or not very well. This video aims to change this idea of what “like a girl” means and to change it into something positive instead of negative. We need to change this saying into one that empowers girls to do their best and have the confidence to succeed. Every girl should feel that they are strong and that they have the ability to do amazing things. No gender script should be able to hold them back from their dreams. As a female in our society I would say that this is a very real issue within our country, but also within our world. There are many aspects of this subject on gender scripts and stereotypes. However, I think most of all women should simply feel loved and supported to follow their dreams even if those dreams are out of the ordinary in our eyes. I also think that this video touched on an important topic regarding the young girls that were also in this video. Their idea of what “like a girl” meant was dramatically different than that of the more mature women. I think that this should be a reminder to all of us that these silly gender script ideas are not things that are natural to us, they are ideas that are taught throughout our society. -THEARSONIST012
ReplyDeleteThis always commercial was really inspiring. It showed a variety of ages of girls and how the younger girls did not have the same ideas as the girls that were older and understood the typical stereotypes. It also demonstrated the thoughts of young man. There are many stereotypical ideas around both boys and girls. Boys are known to be less emotional and caring but stronger in sports while girls are seen as emotionally responsive and weaker in terms of sports. That is absolutely not true. There are boys that are caring and show their emotions while there are girls who are more reserved and don’t show their emotions. In regards to sports, you can see from our recent Olympic games that there are some very strong and successful women. The key to this video to me is helping young girls understand themselves early on in life and to really fight stereotypes. Don’t let others label them. Girls need to reach for their own dreams and goals. God has given them skills and talents to achieve the goals he has set before them. Their individual gender would not inhibit this. As young girls are developing and in the stages o puberty they are very moldable weary about what others say about them. It is important they have leaders such as parents, teacher, friends, and coaches who can help support them in reaching their goals and understanding their own strength. When these leaders see girls struggling in their own skin, it is critical to jump in and help them understand their own worth and value. They don’t have to be held down because they are a girl, they should be empowered as a girl. They should empower other girls as well. It takes all of us to build each other up and show our strength.
ReplyDelete-SBC012
I agree with what you said about the stereotypes not being true. I know plenty of guys that seem to be anti-athletic, as well as plenty of guys who are emotional and have no problem showing their softer side. I also know plenty of girls who like to get dirty and play rough and tough in sports. And girls who you would think seriously didn't even have a heart. There's no one way to be, and I wish all of society could agree on that. The social norms that we follow today were based upon ideas from decades ago. Times are changing and I believe women need to be seen as entirely equal as men, not just 80 percent. Any thing a man can do, show me a girl who cant do it, too. Women deserve the same respect as men.
DeleteHOOTIEGRL012
This video sends a strong message for sure. If someone asked me to “run like a girl” I’d probably stand there confused. Like, what do you mean by that? Personally, as a girl who grew up playing sports, I never had a problem with someone telling me I run like a girl or hit like a girl. As a kid, I was seen as an athlete by girls and boys in my classes, and I didn’t feel the girl/boy divide until I was much older. For example, at my high school, the girls sports were never taken seriously by anyone, not even the teachers, and the funding for girls sports such as softball, wasn’t even half of what the school would spend on the baseball team. So sure, as athletic as you are, if you’re a woman, you don’t get half the respect as men do for doing the same thing. But, this issue goes so much further than just sports. Men look at themselves as superior in every aspect of life. I don’t think any man knows what it truly means to “be a girl”, because if they did they’d understand they do not go through a fraction of the disrespect and pain that women have to go through. Men think they’re better and they are favored in life but ask any woman you’ll meet and you’d see just how delusional that theory is and the fact that as a society we live by that idea is honestly ridiculous. Now don’t get me wrong, men are special and important also. But if the roles were reversed, they’d be demanding that people see the wrong and unjust treatment they endure just like I am right now. I could go on and on for days and hours and probably end up writing world’s longest paper but I won’t. This video clearly strikes a lot of nerves with me and I think that was the intended purpose. It was a very good video I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteHOOTIEGRL012
This is an amazing move and it did touch my heart. This is not about women and how people tend to use the word women as a shame or to insult others under the name of women. Who knows what to be like a woman other than women! as a woman, we are what we are, biologically, physically, and emotionally, it doesn’t mean anything if we are a little bit emotional and caring more than men do in general. We are both equal as the human being no matter what our gender is. What makes the society support this view is what we as women giving up to men and decided not to fight for our rights. The differences between men and women don’t give anyone to judge others under the title “like a woman!” I understand that we did create this, and we did force it because that’s all that we were taught when we were young. It is fine to let girls wear pink and boys wear blue, but it is a problem if one said that women can’t achieve a thing because they are emotion and wear pink. This video is telling us as women that we can do more than what we think and what others think, and we should use this to support that we as women are equal to men and enforce like a woman to be the same as like a man. And at the same time give the natural differences of both genders to act and think the way they are. We as women should give more credit for being women and appreciate it to encourage others to see what we are instead of letting them judge us under the name of the woman and support ourselves no matter to achieve our goals. POINTOFVIEW012
ReplyDeleteThis was a really inspirational video. “Like a girl” is a phrase that many people use (mainly children) and it is used to be humiliating, disempowering, and otherwise degrading. It makes perfect sense that when things are said repeatedly that are degrading who they are as a person, it would really get to them and be highly discouraging. This commercial was put together very well, and did a great job making the point they were trying to make. I found it extremely interesting how all the children interviewed had high expectations and projections for what a girl could do (mainly the girls). It was as if they really knew their own limits. As the interviewees got to be older in age, they began showing more signs of displaying negative connotations that go along with girlhood. This in and of itself shows that the entire “Like a Girl” insult is a social construct, and holds no power and truth in reality. Even if girls aren’t physically capable of the same tasks as men are (in some cases), they are still exceptionally capable, and have the power to do countless things that men can’t do. My only qualm about the commercial was that they had all the girls do things that are typically and stereotypically male-dominated activities, as opposed to activities that girls are better at. I am not trying to say that women can’t do the same things as men, but the commercial could’ve done better highlighting the strengths of girls in particular and providing more that could empower them further. In conclusion, “like a girl” is phrase that should be discouraged and done away with entirely. Its use provides nothing of value to people, and is only degrading and disempowering. Girls and teens would be so much better off without the continuation of this phrase.
ReplyDelete- MAXIMA012
This brought to light a problem to me that I did not think much on as a boy. Maybe it’s just something I looked passed or something I have not been involved in on either side. Saying someone is doing something like a girl or being told I do something like a girl. However I have seen in much of my life the strange way some men talk about women especially their wives. In a way that makes it seem like they own their wives as a piece of property, or they are a lesser to themselves. Something I have never felt in tune with. I thought that kind of fit with this discussion on just how we tear down women constantly and act they are a lesser when they are equal to men in most ways. Yes biologically we have differences, but the same differences vary from man to man. Not every human is the same nor completely equal but we must see one another as an equal. Saying someone does something like a girl is only to belittle and tear a female down. Saying something is done like a girl is just ridiculous to me some of the toughest and smartest people I know are women. If I was being compared to them I would not be offended rather pleased with knowing that I’m being compared to someone who is so great, especially in my field most of the Nurses I work with are women, and they are the smartest and most hard working people I have ever met. I see calling someone as a girl as a compliment in a way. It means they will do the task right and do it well.
ReplyDeleteBossMan012
This is a very nice video and I really do enjoy the message, because "like a girl" really is a insult I have heard, but I usually heard it to insult men. I do think that women are put down in this way because physicality is suppose to be super macho and manly, but I suppose the more you think about it we only associate the best of us with these positive traits. Of course a professional football player can play football better than probably most girl, but he can also play better than most men. That is why he does it for a living. We rarely associate this super positive outlook to girls in terms of physicality. Even though there are obviously dozens, hundreds of examples of amazing female athletes. On a contrary to simply play devil's advocate like I mentioned before the insult "like a girl" does come from a stereotypical but partially true view of reality. It is likely that a guy could be stronger, or faster than a girl, but it is not a guarantee. We sometimes ignore biology just to have a more empowering message. The other video we watch also mentioned this. Men are socially pushed into physical things and girls are not. That does not make girls worse in any way, but it is a truth about men. More men wish to be physically fit and are because it is a social pressure. You could also mention the idea that sexual appeal often shows muscular men and slim women. It is just a stereotype that we give a lot of attention. In the end I think the same. Do you what you want and be who you want. Your gender has not bearing on your ability. -twentyfourframes012
ReplyDeleteI overall enjoyed watching this video. I think this is a great movement to publish for young girls. I think it will help their confidence a lot, which is something many girls, not just young, lack these days. I have heard "like a girl" to be an insult towards men as well, but it all comes back to the fact that girls are being put down and saying they can not do things as well as men. Just because you are bigger and stronger does not necessarily mean you can do something better than another person, man or woman. I have seen many guys try to hit a volleyball and not succeed but move out of the way when a girl does because of how hard she can hit it. The opposite of this would be for football since most girls do not play football. I do not think that stereotyping a certain movement is the right way to go about things. I liked how all the younger girls who were interviewed did not put themselves down in any way. They showed the people how they hit and did things for themselves not because they were a girl. It just shows how society has labeled women whe it comes to athleticism because of how the older women and the boys reacted to the questions. I remember as a young girl getting told that I hit "like a girl" or kick "like a girl" and it would honestly just make me very mad. I never was too hurt by it other than I got angry because I always wondered what was so wrong with hitting like a girl. I always thought to myself that some girls can hit or kick harder than some men do. I always wondered how this got started.
ReplyDelete- mommaj'skid012
I like the film or the ad which was very encouraging for others to see how others what it is to be a girl or what the girls think. I am guy, and do not really think their thing as you do things like a girl. Of course, everybody is different in his or her own way, but, I think the video really shows a more of a visual of how people see the world. Now, when the girls in the video where ask to do certain things, they did it as if any other person would do it. Now, when the boys where ask to do how girls do certain things, they did it more differently compare to the girls. I thought it was insulting to a girl because there is no such thing as a girl or a boy, because everybody does things the way they do because that’s how they are. As a guy, I’m not so good at basketball, but I still try to play the sport. I am one hundred percent that there is a girl out their who can definitely play as good as LeBron James. I believe this a very good example. This is how society has come to be shaped up because boys are though to be tough and girls to be passive, and now things are changing. I believe in equality for everyone, but a lot of things where made by man, so it kind of makes it hard. Especially, if not is being done to make that change happen. But, I feel there’s been some improvement because now women are getting a lot more involved in the society, so its slowly progressing which is good. But, I thought the video was good to show a more visual what its to be a girl. - LILPUMP012
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting video to watch. It really just made me think and opened my eyes. I feel girls are so underestimated. I never really thought deeply about “like a girl” until I watched this video. I have two brothers and they would always play fight growing up. If one of brothers swung on the other one and did not hurt the other would “You punch like a girl”. I got so used to hearing them say that, so it was normal to me. In my head growing up it made me think girls are weak and they can’t really defend themselves. It goes back to the example Dr. White gave in class. As fathers raise their children, they play fight with their boys and treat their girls so fragile. I witnessed that growing up because my dad would play with my brothers in that way. While with me, it was always picking me up and kissing me or playing with teacups. But even while I was in school I would hear that line being thrown around. Also, the “you act like a girl” line as well. Now as I think back those lines are just cultural norms. From the time you were young this is what you would hear. That is just how society is nowadays. I don’t think it is right. For some girls it actually may make them feel like they are weak. I like how Always is trying to change “like a girl” into a positive thing. It should be changed because girls are not as weak men try to put them out to be. The girl in the video at the end said it best, “Don’t be ashamed to be like a girl”. I never have been. I am proud to be a girl.
ReplyDeleteprettygirlhd012
I think that saying "like a girl" came from a time in which girls were not taught to play sports or indulge in other physical activities very often. That said I do think that there are physical limitations that women hit before men do. I have worked out with several women and even when they did the exact same workout as men, they only grew muscle at about one third the rate. They also seemed to hit the point where their body's growth slowed down much earlier than their male counterparts. To me there seem to be a plethora of both physical and mental differences between the sexes. I do not think that one sex is better than the other by any means, but I think that they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Men show a higher level of strength while women are generally more dexterous than men. Men are more interested in building things and because of it tend toward jobs that include this interest while women do the same with social interaction. And to top it all off women have a superpower, they can create new human beings inside their bodies. My point is, while I do not think that "like a girl" is a useful term anymore, I still think that there are differences between us. That is another thing, these people keep saying that women would be stronger if they did not hear people say "like a girl", but I think that truly strong people accomplish the things that they set out to do despite what people say to them. I do understand that the ones that do are anomalies, but I also think that words like strong should be used very conservatively. I think that for a person to be truly strong in the first place is inherently an anomaly.
ReplyDelete-DMPeschy
This really puts into perspective the gender roles we were discussing in class. The older participants, and even the young boy seemed to portray "like a girl" as something more dainty and fragile. They have been socialized to believe being “girly” means not knowing how to fight, or apparently on the verge of tripping while running. But the young girls gave their whole effort. They fought with great effort, they ran with might. Not because they don't understand what it means to be a girl, but because they haven't been socialized to believe in their weakness or daintiness just because of what's between their legs. And this was a great example on shedding the light of just because we perceive roles as natural just because they are embedded into us, doesn't mean that that's how it's supposed to be. I loved how some of the younger girls didn’t even understand what “like a girl” is supposed to mean. That’s because it really doesn’t mean anything. We only made it mean something when we changed femininity into something to be looked down upon. Which also goes back to a class discussion. I loved how at the end the woman was giving examples and saying she does this, that, and the other like a girl because, well, she is one. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of, it’s nothing to look down upon. All in all, this video provided a great example on looking at a different perspective on acting “like a girl”. Whatever it means should depend on the individual girl because at the end of the day, yes a girl is a girl. That doesn’t make her weak, or slow, or dainty, or unusual. A girl is a girl. A boy is a boy. A man is a man. A woman is a woman.
ReplyDeleteThis video really opened my eyes and actually made me feel bad about how I’ve sought girls out to be because if I was asked the same questions I would probably give the same actions that the older generation did but when the younger girls came on and showed how they thought it was it was just normal and just what they felt was right. The older generation did what the basic girl would do and what society has put the title and actions on girls to be with running and throwing but the younger girls haven’t experience a whole lot of life to know this really and their doing what to them is normal and to them is how every person should carry out the task that was given to them. This video made me think about the sandlot and how when they were insulting each other at the baseball field and one chubby kid said to other that he plays ball like a girl and everyone was just in so much shock because they based on society they knew that meant and knew that girls were lesser then men and they thought girls couldn’t play ball as well as a boy could so they saw it as an insult. It’s amazing to me to just watch the Olympics and to see the women do their events and to realize that they are better then a huge majority of average men in that sport and especially with running. The women who run in the Olympics are so much faster then the average men but people don’t really think about this because they just assume men are faster then women based on society and how things are. But if you just sit back a see the big picture and see how great they are in what they are doing, then you see that women can be just as good as men can. Mrbubby012
ReplyDeleteI loved this video. It was very empowering and inspiring! I love how the lady who answered the question regarding what you would advise girls to do when hearing “like a girl” matched perfectly to how I would’ve answered. Being someone who loves inspiring and bringing up people’s spirits, this was a very motivating and meaningful video. I think every girl should watch this. Guys too. They need to see how girls truly feel when they say things like this. Even the boy himself said he feels it’s humiliating/insulting to girls (excepting his sister). A girl’s self-confidence, self-image, and self-esteem is, in a way, more critical than a guy’s. No, it’s no less important than a guy’s, but girls tend to be more emotional and take things to heart/more personally than guys do. It was kind of sad to see that the older girls, when asked to do certain things like a girl, did things the way a stereotypical girl would have done it. The younger girls did it the way they normally would have done it regardless. I loved this. It showed that the younger girls, not as predisposed/affected by cultural norms and gender scripts, were themselves. The older girls, who have been affected by these sorts of things, did what they’ve seen or have been culturally made to believe what “like a girl” looks like. When asked to redo it, they felt more comfortable being themselves and embracing their gender and sex. I really loved the emotion and passion and sense of confidence that the girls of both age groups had. Guys and girls should have a sense of confidence, love, passion, and most importantly, respect for the other gender. They should also pay more attention to what the things they say to the other do and say about themselves as people and the effects they have.
ReplyDeleteStarlight012
I found it really interesting how the people asked the older group to run like a girl and fight like a girl then asked the younger group to do the same thing. The thing I found most interesting between the two is that the older group did more of the stereotypical thing on the way girls act versus the younger group. The younger group acted like what is considered to be the way the male gender. I really agree with the girl’s answer to the question that is asked about the phrase “like a girl”. I agree with her, I think during that age one wrong thing said to them can change their entire outlook on life and it could hurt their future. I do not like how other people try and belittle others by the “like a girl” phrase. I think that girls can do just as much if not more than males. I really like the answer that was told when the question was asked but what the lady would tell the people who were being told that they were doing things like a girl. I agree with them one hundred percent. If that person is doing what is considered to be doing like a girl and they are still accomplishing things with that way they should still continue with that method because the are doing something right. If a person is doing something that is considered to be something like a girl no matter what gender they are they should not be offended or belittled. It is something that people tend to do and is not right.
ReplyDelete-jw012