Oct. 6 marked another unfortunate and horrifying event that only further strengthens the patriarchy and system of male privilege in the United States. On this day, Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice. This atrocity was not just your typical event where liberals get upset because of the impending Republican majority in the Court. This is different. This brought up the question and importance of morality in the United States.
Brett Kavanaugh was accused of sexual assault while standing in front of the United States Senate. Despite these allegations and his immature and belligerent attitude, Kavanaugh was still confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice. In contrast, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman whom Kavanaugh sexually assaulted, was belittled by millions of people across the country, including the President. President Donald Trump sarcastically imitated Dr. Ford, stating, “How did you get home? I don’t remember. How’d you get there? I don’t remember. Where was the place? I don’t remember,” at a rally in Mississippi. This speaks volumes to the different expectations and standards that men and women are held to. Men are allowed to throw tantrums in a public setting while women are expected to be stoic and composed at all times. This is another sad example that shows the gender disparities in America in which women are forced to work 10 times harder just to be taken as seriously as the male figures we see today in positions of authority.
There are countless examples of these standards that hold women back and allow men to thrive — standards that never hold men accountable for their actions in the way women are. For example, tennis player Serena Williams was penalized during her final US Open match against Naomi Osaka as a result of the anger and emotion she showed toward the referee during the match.
The severity of the code violations in tennis matches are often left up to the jurisdiction of the referee. They have the power to use their own opinions to decide what is considered disrespectful. During Williams’ match, her referee, Carlos Ramos, held her to a higher standard compared to many male tennis players in the past. Male tennis players have gotten away with saying obscenities to the referees. Andre Agassi called his referee a “son of a b*tch” after being penalized and the referee administered no further penalty. Male tennis players are allowed to express anger because that fits within the masculine norms in society. However, Williams’ strength and forwardness in her complaints made people uncomfortable since it did not fit feminine stereotypes.
The reaction from the media that characterized Williams’ performance as a tantrum is even more noteworthy. The Herald Sun posted a cartoon portraying Williams as a burlish, animal-looking figure throwing a fit with Osaka as a light-skinned, petite figure in the background. Not only does this further demonstrate the misogyny Williams faced, but also the blatant racism in the media’s perception of colored women. The Herald Sun intentionally made Williams look much darker than Osaka to play off the stereotypes of colored women as outsiders among the idea of femininity. This intentional isolation and degradation of colored women is unacceptable and improperly depicts how Williams was treated at the match.
Male tennis players have frequently broken rackets or let off steam during matches in the past and regardless of the penalties they received, no one ever depicted them as childish and immature in the media. We take male figures seriously and justify their anger in response to the competitiveness of the sports they are playing. Meanwhile, women are seen as docile and elegant in many settings. In order to earn respect, they must always be composed because emotion indicates weakness. Williams went against these stereotypes and spoke her mind on the matter.
“I’ve seen other men call other umpires several things … For me to say ‘thief’ and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was a sexist remark. He’s never taken a game from a man because they said ‘thief,’” Williams said after the match according to WTATennis. She spoke her mind and expressed her emotions toward the situation, yet the media decided to use this to attack her for losing her composure.
Men are always allowed to show emotions while women are seen as weak if they do. This is because women are already viewed as inferior in our society. Therefore, they must be as close to perfection as possible to be viewed as comparable equals to men. This completely unfair and sexist practice is what causes men like Kavanaugh to receive praise for their touching vulnerability, while bold women like Williams are criticized for their strong opinions.
Often, people like to disregard gender stereotypes because the effects are not always explicit. But these examples show just how much they really affect us. The hearing with Kavanaugh and Ford showed how real these expectations are. Men are never held accountable for their actions because they are superior and justified in their actions. Women need to prove themselves worthy as a result of their inferior weaknesses and femininity. Kavanaugh sat on a stand and got red in the face, held back tears, and avoided answering questions but was still confirmed as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Meanwhile, Dr. Ford was looked at as a liar trying to take away from Kavanaugh’s success. The small differences in how we treat different genders adds up and can negatively affect the culture and safety of future generations.
Instead of condemning Williams for her anger and frustration, we should instead be asking ourselves why we are not as angry and fed up as her. The widely known saying, “If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention,” applies to this today. If you are not angry, you are a complacent participant in the perpetuation of the patriarchal system. This system continuously disadvantages women by creating a strict dichotomy of masculine versus feminine where masculinity is always preferred. If a woman acts like a man then she will be judged, but if she follows stereotypical feminine norms she will not be taken seriously. This is why we need to get angry. Anger is justified when it comes to our rights as humans. All women deserve to be heard and believed without feeling like there are rules to what kinds of emotions are allowed. Anger is justified when we see the real implications of these stereotypes in our White House, with a President and Supreme Court Justice both having sexual assault allegations against them with no one holding them accountable. Express your anger on social media, on your college campus, to your friends, and to anyone that will listen.