The Problem With Slut Shaming In Society
Kanye West’s recent Twitter tantrum, where he disparagingly told Wiz Khalifa: “you let a stripper trap you,” referencing author, model and activist Amber Rose, once again shed light on a constantly recurring issue: slut shaming.
For those who do not know, slut shaming is the form of social stigma applied to women who violate traditional expectations of modesty accentuating their sexuality. The irony is, men are applauded for the very same actions. That’s where the double standard comes in. Leora Tanenbaum, author of I Am Not a Slut: Slut Shaming in the Age of the Internet said society categorizes genders’ actions with the idea: “boys will be boys and girls will be sluts.”
Amber Rose herself has spoken up on the disparity between the sexes on her Instagram account when she posted a picture of her and actor Channing Tatum with the caption: “#LegendaryTeenStrippers the double standards are real tho.” She was calling attention to Tatum’s glorification for having been a stripper while she’s had to deal with scorn and defamation.
The irony about the whole thing is that women, even young girls, are expected to dress sexy and have a certain allure, all in the quest to enchant men, or they risk being called a prude. But at the same time, they are expected to not be too sexy or risk being labeled a slut.
Men aren’t the only ones who slut shame. Women have also been known for shaming other women for their real or perceived promiscuity. One would think that as fellow females, they’d be more open minded to the fact that what one wears isn’t a form of consent. But the misogynistic culture we inhabit has proven to be too pervasive, causing venom laced insults to be spewed at even victims of the worst sorts of sexual abuse.
Rape is another risk you run as well because, according to the logic of society, wearing “provocative clothing” such as short skirts or blouses that show cleavage or engaging in casual sex means you’re “asking for it.”
Victim blaming is another phenomenon that goes hand in hand with slut shaming. Such as with the case of the female typist working at a state prison in Pennsylvania. She was raped by an inmate and was said to have “acted in a manner which in whole or in part contributed to the events.” There was also the Steubenville rape case where the victim was raped by two of the town’s high school football stars. It garnered wide media attention for how the majority of the town sided with the widely revered players and blamed the victim for being “a loose drunk slut.”
To most, calling a girl slutty is seemingly a harmless judgement but can lead to dire consequences. We must continue to educate those ignorant to the issues that plague us and teach them that just as being black and wearing a hoodie doesn’t make you a criminal, being a woman and wearing revealing clothing doesn’t make you a slut.
