Sexist Jokes

Back when I was a freshman in college, I had two good friends (males) that found it funny to say, "Make me a sandwich, wench!" I knew that they were my friends, and didn't think I was a wench. And I knew they didn't expect me to make them a sandwich, so I never really said anything back. I just assumed they were goofing off, and, well, whatever. Then one day, my roommate was with me when they called me "wench," and she forcefully responded, "Don't you dare call her that!" It wasn't until that moment that I truly realized that despite the fact that they weren't serious, it was definitely rude and disrespectful behavior, and it hurt my feelings. I was certainly glad that my roommate wouldn't stand for it. And I wish that I hadn't allowed it either.

Fast forward. Just recently, a friend of mine shared a photo with me that his friend had posted on facebook. He then asked me whether I was offended by it, or if I found it humorous somehow. What do you think?

Let's just say, I found it offensive. I'm sure that the manufacturers simply felt this was funny, and so did the person who posted it. But I have to wonder not only why people feel comfortable making jokes at women's expense, but why any respectable company would be bold enough to publicly do so. I remarked that there would never be a racist joke about who picked the cotton for the clothing, because of course, no one would find that funny. It would be blatantly offensive! So why does society so readily allow sexist jokes to go unchallenged?

This laundry tag reminded me of a speech that Hillary Clinton gave in which she was heckled by a man who shouted, "Iron my shirt!"

I'm so glad that she didn't just ignore the comment. It's not okay to marginalize women, or to play the part of the chauvinist for laughs. Not only should we resist participating in these jokes and comments, we should stand up against them. I'm discovering that developing more courage through the beginnings of my feminist journey isn't easy. Even in my adulthood, with all I've learned, it's still hard to stand up to the bullies I encounter. A couple months ago, I stood up for a friend of mine at a get-together, and found myself crying after being made fun of and questioned as to why I was upset. I wish I were stronger. I wish that I could stand up for others with more power and authority, and without tears. For now, it only matters to me that I have the courage to do it at all, in whatever capacity I have. It's a step in the direction I know I need to go.