The phrase “double standard” originates back in the 18th century and has often been used to refer to the unfair and unjust treatment of women. In Thomas Paine’s work, he noted, “Women are constrained in the disposal of their goods, robbed of their freedom of will by the laws and victimized by a pernicious system of double standards.” When referring to and characterizing the emotions of men and women, a different vocabulary exists.
When women take initiative, they are deemed controlling or bossy, but when men take initiative, they’re referred to as leaders. When women have goals and dreams, they are perceived as overly ambitious, whereas men are applauded and labeled as determined and driven. When women express emotion it’s normal, but when men do it, they tend to be labeled as weak and are often told to “man up.” When women dress conservatively, they aren’t interesting to look at and when we don’t, we’re provocative and attention seeking. When women make critiques or offer criticism, they are abrasive when men are honest and to the point.
In the wake of Taylor Swift’s “The Era’s Tour,” a wave of teasing directed towards her fans has emerged, with many of Swift’s female fans labeled as “crazy” or “dramatic” for their support and devotion to the singer. Many concert-goers who shared clips from their experiences at the tour were met with nasty comments criticizing and making fun of their reactions.
Emily Offenkrantz, shared a video on TikTok garnering over five million views yet was overwhelmed with comments minimizing her excitement, calling her “dramatic” and “emotional.” In a following post, Offenkrantz juxtaposed the comments left under her “The Eras Tour” reaction with another craze fanbase, male football fans. She highlighted how unlike her comment section, comments left under men’s reactions to sports are positive, with men labeled as “enthusiastic” and “passionate” for showing love towards their favorite teams.
When male football fans react excitedly at games and during wins, it’s celebrated and deemed as “loyal” or “devoted.” There’s a different vocabulary used when describing excitement referring to female vs. male fans: when female fans act excitedly, they overreact; when a male fan acts the same way, they simply react.
Double standards aren’t inherently related to gender. They’re beyond evident in the responses of Western civilizations versus Eastern, First World countries versus those still developing or struggling to. The U.S. has a pattern of systematically ignoring and glossing over human rights violations made by its allies and partners, repeatedly failing to criticize or validate the human rights records made by itself and such allies.
For instance, over the past decade, the U.S. has continuously failed to highlight or even note the worsening human rights situation in Palestine. Instead, the U.S. has given recognition of the land to Israel while simultaneously giving Israeli forces passes on massive human rights and international law violations.
The U.S., a country built on the backs of immigrants and immigration, has repeatedly turned a blind eye to the overwhelming immigration crisis in this country. The Statue of Liberty, a symbol of freedom for the U.S. and its citizens, has a plaque located right at the base with a poem “The New Colossus.” An excerpt reads, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”
This poem is representative of what makes the U.S. so great—its diversity, hope and freedom. It symbolizes light at the end of the tunnel for so many searching for a better life and more opportunities.
Yet at almost every step of the way, the U.S. has made rules and restrictions to that freedom as the history of immigration within the U.S. has been filled with many. The establishment of laws and legislation in place to discriminate against and keep immigrants out. From the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to the Muslim Ban instituted by President Trump during his 2016-2020 presidency, the U.S. has failed to provide a lamp beside the golden door and instead has repeatedly turned away the tired, poor, huddled masses without regard.
