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Stereotypical gender roles
Defying gender roles video


 There are many videos regarding gender roles on the internet today. Similar to the “Blurred Lines” music videos and parodies watched in class, some videos involve stereotypical gender roles while others are used to defy these stereotypes and send messages to internet users everywhere. These videos become viral and the messages they convey are quickly broadcasted. After searching various articles and videos on YouTube, I discovered two videos sending opposite messages.

The first video is of a woman walking in New York City. There was a hidden camera in front of her recording her encounters with various men on the streets. The comments people made to her were displayed as subtitles for viewers to see. The comments included various sayings including, “smile!” and “how you doing”? At one point during the video a man followed her for a few minutes trying to start conversation. This video highlights the frequent cat calling that many women encounter in their daily lives from strangers off the street. The powerful video ends with a closing paragraph about an end to street harassment, an issue where women are the common victims.

The gender roles are completely reversed in the second video. A man is walking the streets pushing a baby stroller wearing “provocative” male clothing. The women are the streets stop him, trying to talk to him and seduce him. Similar to the first video, one even says, “keep smiling honey!”. The man becomes sexually harassed towards the end of the film where his wife picks him up from the police station with bruises all over his face and body. The ending conversation between the man and his wife is the most powerful part because she does not show remorse for him but rather anger, blaming the situation on his attire.

The two videos highlight the harassment issue that occurs to innocent people walking in cities. Men may not see this as a serious issue, but there are dangerous consequences. The videos  are very effective in making people aware of this issue, hopefully making men cognizant of their seemingly “harmless” actions.