Let Me Destroy 10 Stereotypes About Women Found In Sexist WhatsApp Forwards

WhatsApp jokes and forwards. I’m sick of the stereotypes about women that are an integral part of these, that not only men, but also clueless women propagate.

Q. What is the first thing I do after waking up in the morning?

A. I check my Whatsapp.

Q. What messages await me?

A. Series of ‘good morning’ wishes with fussy and often ugly flower bouquets and inspirational quotes from family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, schoolmates, college mates, ex-colleagues, fellow mothers from son’s school, and even ex-boyfriends. With so many wishes my day should not only be ‘good’ but ‘best’. However, on most days the wishes fail to work and my day turns out boring and often challenging.

As the day follows, these flowers and images are replaced by forwarded stereotypical jokes and memes. In most of the jokes, women are at the receiving end. These jokes are enjoyed and appreciated not only by men but even women.

Apparently, people find them very funny. I am part of a few women-only groups, and even those groups are not spared of these forwards. I guess, more than the flowers, teddy bears and motivational messages these jokes get on my nerves. I hate any kinds of stereotypes and these jokes just re-establish the age-old stereotypes that have been used against women. Let me give you a Myth Vs Facts from these stereotypical jokes.

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What are these stereotypes?

Women love shopping; they spend hours in shopping malls

Really? All women? I don’t! And I know millions who would echo me. Don’t men love shopping? If not, then why do we have billions of products, clothes, accessories catering to men? Whenever we go shopping, it is the better half who spends hours inside the store while I grumpily await the shopping extravaganza to get over.

They keep on buying clothes even if their wardrobe is overflowing with clothes

Probably, Sonam Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan do but they do not represent all women.

They wear make-up. Layers and layers of make-up

That means Mother Teresa, PT Usha, Kiran Bedi, Mamta Banerjee and yours truly are not women. Millions of underprivileged women all across the world are so busy struggling to get two meals a day that they cannot even afford to think of make-up. Lines of poverty on their face are the only makeup they have. Make-up is a choice, not a necessity for most women.

They love to gossip

Yellow Journalism was started by men. Tabloids all over the world have predominantly male journalists. Paparazzi are not jobs exclusively reserved for women.

They spend hours in front of the mirror

Probably they do. Many wake up in the morning and stare at the mirror to examine the scar or the bruise or the blue marks they got the previous night. They keep staring while wondering do I deserve this. He had said he loved me. Is this love?

Their only job is to spy on their husband

Yes, they do spy, only when they get time after finishing their cooking, cleaning, vacuuming, ironing, bathing the kids, putting the clothes in the washing machine, feeding the kids, dusting, helping the child with homework and school projects… my hand is aching. I cannot type the exhaustive list.

They love diamonds and gold

If they are offered love, respect, and peace in exchange, how many would still want gold? I know many, and literally many, who would rush to a bookstore instead of a jewellery store. There are many who would exchange their gold and hop on a flight to go overseas.

They love to click selfies

So do men.

Husbands are scared of wives

This is the most hilarious stereotype. In a country where we had to impose special laws to protect married women from getting killed, isn’t this the most ridiculous stereotype.

Women are dumb

Well, I agree women are dumb. We are dumb because we laugh at these jokes and send ROFL, LOL, LMAO and all those smiling smileys. Had we not been dumb we wouldn’t have allowed these jokes and memes to circulate all over the internet. Instead of smiles, we should be sending guns to whoever forwards these jokes.

These jokes are forwarded within our closed groups. The men who forward these jokes are often our father, brother, husband, friend and son. Even women are guilty of forwarding. As conscious human beings, our first step should be to raise voice against these misogynist and sexist jokes. What appears like casual light-hearted humour is, in reality, the root of a greater misogyny. Stop stereotyping women and thus stop circulating these jokes and memes.

Published here earlier.

Image source: pixabay

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