Manhood is Everything (I wish there was a dislike button)

In reference to the American Railway Union’s successful strike of the Great Northern Railroad, Eugene Debs credited the workers because they “stood up as one man and asserted their manhood.”  Manhood appears to be the bar that we are supposed to strive for.  When we set these types of standards we are structuring society into this mold that is built on a particular type of success.  When in reality, success comes in many forms and cannot be measured by a standard.  Phrases like “grandest possible manhood” and the “stamina of manhood” are ridiculous.  If we are going to get technical we should be saying “the grandest possible womanhood” or “stamina of womanhood” because women are the ones who do it all (not that I’m biased of course).  

The most difficult thing for me to grasp in this class is how many male standards I have overlooked over the years.  I have been completely ignorant of the language I use and the things that I see/ hear and accept because they seem so normal.  I was listening to a mixed CD in the car that I made when I was about 13.  The song was by Good Charlotte and the lyrics were “Girls don’t like boys. Girls like cars and money.”  13 year-old me thought nothing of this.  But now, WOAH! Let’s just encourage little girls to grow up to be gold-diggers.  Who needs an education when you can just marry rich?  This really drives me insane!  Women need to have an education so that they can empower and provide themselves.  Having an education and being able to financially support oneself puts us on a more equal playing field.  We have more leverage in a sense to use. 

Hilkey’s article bothers me because he associates the power of will with success and characterizes that as a masculine quality.  He says that because of male’s libido and desire for conquest in battle, men have more power of will leading to success.  Once again, AHH!  This makes me cringe.  Yes, boys are competitive but so are girls!  Girls can do anything boys can!!! We have just as much will as men to awesome in every aspect of our lives.  I want to be superwoman.  I want to do everything I possibly can and do it well.  Both men and women are successful so drop the male standards of success.