I took an extended lunch the other day. One of my coworkers in the cubicle next to me invited me to watch the USA-Germany World Cup match in another building with him and one of the FAA's contractors. So I went.
There was a point where a US player fell over in pain. And then someone who was watching the game in the room with me called out, "Stop being such a girl!"
That line rang around in my head for so long afterward.
How is "Stop being such a girl!" supposed to be motivating? Because we don't respect femininity, and we idolize masculinity, particularly in the sports sector. From a young age, femininity as bad and masculinity as good are engrained within us, particularly for boys. One of the most detrimental things for a boy to hear is "Be a man!" or "Man up!" It teaches boys that being a real "man" (whatever that is) is the ultimate goal, and whoever they might be otherwise must be cast aside. Being a "girl" is an insult and is shameful, even to grown men who play in the World Cup, apparently.
Of course, gender norms is a massive can of worms. I was just focusing on that one line that I heard a couple days ago.
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