It
disgusts me that some women don’t understand the meaning of being a good
friend. In the hit movie Mean Girls, we see the evolution of clichés, when
women are at each other’s throats and talking behind each other’s backs. Although
that movie was a comedy, you got to admit that there is some truth to it. Since
when do your friends become your greatest enemy, and since when do you have to
wear your poker face around people that you deem to be your friends?
Whatever
happened to having each others’ backs like the women in Sex and the City? Women
who care about each other, not plotting to take behind their backs?
Society
has slowly enforced the mean girl culture, which is something that really disgusts
me. I’m not enforcing the hippy concept of “peace and love”, but I do think
that we should at least have respect for each other’s wants, needs, and desires.
True friendship is something that is give and take, not going behind the backs
of your friends to conquer.
When
it comes right down to it, some do not grasp this concept. It’s upsetting,
because I believe that in order to have a friend, you have to be one. To be a
friend, you have to care about them, listen to their problems when they have
them, and be their support system by being their biggest cheerleader when they
are happy, and their therapist when they are upset.
It
makes me angry to even think that the concept of female friendship doesn’t
exist anymore. It’s perhaps extinct in our culture. We have to outdo each
other, in order to be at the top. The concepts of having respect for others is
being thrown out the window, because all we care about is making everyone else
look bad. We bake or eat cookies with friends. Now, we just crumble them like
cookies and leave their crumbs scattered around. Meanwhile, the one who crushed
the cookies was the one that was standing tall and proud like Superman. But instead
of a cap, they wear high heels.
Whether
they are out for a guy or a coveted position, it’s safe to call what Cady Haron
deems as ‘girl world’ an outright jungle. It’s survival of the fittest.
However, the actual fighting differs. In a jungle, the fighting is physical and
bloody. None the less, the animals know how to cut you to the point where it
hurts. In ‘Girl World’, it may not be physical, but it still packs a major
blow. Instead of the fighting happening right in front of you, it has to be
behind closed doors. The fighting is sneaky, and has to be executed right in
order to be effective.
I
wonder why we have to make everything into a full blown war with each other? We’re
not in the high school hallways anymore, we’re in a college campus. But still,
the drama still exists, and best friends are still having it out with each
other on texting and social networking sites. Although it’s toned down a bit, I
still can’t help but wonder will friendship ever triumph the desire to be the
better one. Or will friends turn into colleagues, and business contacts.
Unfortunately, this exists everywhere. Not just high school and college. I agree with your thoughts 100% but we also have to look at how boy and girls are raised to see where this might stem from. I've done extensive research on this, but I'll try to keep it short lol At a very basic level, boys are raised through teams, and get that, "defend each other" and "all for one..." mentality by learning that you're only as strong as your weakest link. Girls are raised in a way that says be the best you can be and stand out from the others, so that more opportunities will be open to you. Which creates a sense of me versus them stance, which on a team, isn't actually good. Granted there are arguments about this theory as well, but I was in a lot of team sports and I always felt like this is how it was, and I hated it because it really benefited no one and I saw how teammates became "Mean Girls" so easily.
ReplyDelete-Chelsea
chelsandthecity.blogspot.com
thank you for stopping by! and I agree with you. That's true, and a really good point.
DeleteThis is a super well written Post, with many complexities exposed. It does seem sometimes that a transitioning culture of society has further intensified these issues. Since this Post has so much depth it is difficult to capture discussion in a brief comment but it is too bad there is not a greater resolution focus, much of what would be the best for society in general not just one individual. If one wants to look at public culture and individuals, not individual friendship- Martha Stewart. Jealousy. How can anyone justify disdain for someone that has contributed so much and in so many ways to making life more beautiful in so many ways to our overall society. Like her or not she certainly deserves respect. And respect, is part of what we have lost from the most basic of levels.
ReplyDeleteThis comment made my day! And I totally agree with what you're saying! It's hard to because of that yet we can't help but try to outdo her in some aspects...
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