https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSOqv32y17A&feature=youtu.be

“Girls chase boys,” “guys have to ask the girl out,” “all guys are jerks”—the stereotypes for genders and relationships are endless. Not only do I wish they would stop, but I hope people acknowledge that both genders can counteract the stereotypes and understand that they are not always true.

For instance, I know many girls who ask guys out, even propose. It should not be a law for guys to perform every little gesture. Guys today have so much pressure on them to even like a girl. Girls expect the guys to make all the first moves. Is it really going to be the end of the world if a girl takes the initiative? Many guys have to pay for everything the couple does together too, as well as the $100 purse she is expecting him to buy her for Christmas. Girls also expect many guys to look like muscle men, such as Zac Efron. They want a man with abs and perfectly coiffed hair, and girls need to realize that finding the right guy does not mean finding one with a perfectly ripped body.

However, boys, do not become cocky, because guys do the same thing. Guys expect many girls to look their best and to wear makeup all the time. They expect all girls to resemble Victoria’s Secret models, which is unfair because not one girl at HSHS does. Guys expect girls to cook for them, or “make them a sandwich.” I am a girl, and I know I can barely make easy mac-n-cheese. Girls are always expected to know how to do laundry and clean up for everyone else. Many guys think all girls are clingy, that all girls are going to be attached and are too needy. This connects to thinking that all girls are too emotional. Just because we are mad for five seconds does not mean girls are emotional all the time. That is unfair, especially because guys are just equally as mad.

Again, the stereotypes are endless. However, girls and boys alike need to create a compromise. Both sides should expect less than what they hear. Stereotypes are just jokes, they should not be taken seriously. If both sides are seen equal, gender roles and stereotypes will not be a problem anymore.

Video: Max Carlson, videographer