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“Age, Past 35”: 46 Things That Are Normal For Men But Taboo When Women Do Them
Depending on whether you're a man or a woman, the way you walk through this life can be wildly different. In 2017, Pew asked Americans what qualities they value most in men and in women.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, most respondents said that physical attractiveness, being nurturing, and being empathetic are the top traits for women. For men, the top three are honesty, morality, and professional success.
It seems like we all still have a long way to go when it comes to traditional gender roles. For instance, there are a lot of things men think women might never understand about being a man.
But this time, we're shining a light on the things that are deemed normal when men do it, but somehow weird if a woman does it. We've found the most interesting answers from folks in the thread where one netizen asked: " What are men allowed to do but when women do it it's a big no-no?" and present them to you here!
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#1
Have five kids across three spouses, cheat notoriously, pay [adult workers], defend sexual [attack], while being bankrolled by a guy with 14 kids with 6 women, mostly out of wedlock.
RELATED:
#9
Opt out of participating in family function planning scheduling. A husband/man can just not participate and no one bats an eye. But if the in laws reach out to organize Thanksgiving/Christmas/summer/family traditions and she doesn’t respond or jump into happily planning she is a “[jerk] that is trying to steal our son/brother/friend”.
And her parents wouldn’t reach out to him to expect him to plan. She gets the privilege of doing both sides of the family.
#10
Not know how to do basic life skills.
If a man doesn’t know how to clean, cook, do laundry etc women are expected to do it for them and/or their mothers are blamed for not teaching it
Women are just not allowed to not know. If they don’t know they have to figure it out.
#13
Abandon their child. I say this laying on a hospital couch next to my sleeping wife after she just gave birth to our daughter.
Single moms pick up the slack all the time and the farther is just considered a dead beat. If a mother abandoned the family, she is considered vile and heartless.
#16
Have hair on your legs or armpits. Not wanting to be alone with your own kids. Not doing a single chore on days they have to work. Not wearing makeup to important events. Watching something on their phone at events they don't want to be at. Not being ready for kids until their 30s or 40s (even though s***m quality decreases with age).
#17
Speak up for ourselves in the workplace.
When men do it, they're being confident and decisive and fill in the blank with a positive term.
When women do it, we are being b*tches or, my favorite expression -- we *have a tone*. No man on this earth has ever been told in the workplace that he *has a tone*.
#18
Not know how to handle their children. This peeves me. How is it women get slated for not being able to handle a tantrum or children’s behaviour but for men it’s just cute….
#20
Have equal representation in government in the US.
Be president in the US.
Have strong opinions. When men do this, it's normal. When women do this, they are a [jerk], a ball buster, a shrew, etc.
Control what happens to her own body. Make her own reproductive choices. No one tells a man what to do with his testicles. But everyone seems to want to tell a woman what to do with her uterus.
Have lots of [intercourse] with different people. When men do this they are seen as studs and are applauded. When women do this, they are labeled as sluts and denigrated.
#21
Be a deadbeat parent 😅 heading into year 6 of my kid's 'donor' deciding fatherhood wasn't for him (has since abandoned a second kid too, me and that kid's mum are now best friends and are raising the kids together).
#24
Get called a great parent for doing things with their kid one day a week. Oh and they get to pick the fun weekend things and ignore the boring stuff. Double points if they have a YouTube channel.
#25
Sit around on holidays. They might get up to help move a table and chairs but otherwise they get to sit in a recliner all day watching sports while the women do all the work.
Meanwhile if there’s a grown woman in the family sitting for longer than 5 minutes she’s a lazy [jerk] not doing her share of work.
#27
Hide or guard their emotions and feelings.
I've met women who do this much like men, and they always seem to be shunned away from the rest of the girls. .
#32
Burping. if i let out a big belch, my dad commends it. if my sister does the same thing, he is disgusted and says “that’s not cute :/“
edit: just for clarity, my dad would do literally anything for my sister or i, we constantly talk about how grateful we are to have him. this is the ONLY thing i’ve ever seen him say to her, and she’s never told me she has any ill feelings toward it, just something i noticed. it doesn’t make it okay but rest assured she wouldn’t trade him for anyone.
#37
Probably to over explain something in depth, but do it in a way that is completely wrong or backward. Men love to do this, and they’re good at it, but when women do it they seem to get called out 🤔.
#40
After reading many saying "Have an opinion", it just clicked for me why women are naturally so indirect with their communication!
I always wondered why they won't just be direct with men, especially in relationships or when dating.
You'all been conditioned into doing this by society! 😂.
#46
Have body hair, particularly leg hair. No women ever demands men shave their legs, nor refuses to date men with leg hair and claim it’s their ‘preference’
Like I genuinely get so angered by men who prefer hairless women and defend their right to have a preference, when they themselves have the same d**n hair on their legs. Gtf over yourself, we’re all mammals. .
#47
Play a didgeridoo.
It’s a taboo in Aboriginal culture for a woman to play a didgeridoo. Stores won’t sell them to women and there are massive signs asking those who purchase them not to allow women to play them.
This applies to all women, not just Aboriginal women.
#51
Have a bad day and act grumpy.
Not smile when dealing with coworkers.
Raise their voice in the workplace.
Walk alone at night, in general.
#55
Go topless at the Superbowl. Usher? No problem. Janet Jackson? Absolutely not. But she didn’t even go topless really.
