People share 10 things that are considered 'normal' for men but not so much for women

It's difficult to ignore the double standards faced by men and women, especially in daily life situations that occur frequently. This includes instances related to appearance, childcare roles or even something as basic as expressing anger. With this in mind, Reddit user @u/killywayx posed the question, "What is something that is considered ‘normal’ for a man to do, but if a woman does it then they will receive backlash?" Here are some of the responses from the thread.

1. The underarm

Women have to continually take care of body hair so they won't be perceived as dirty and careless, while the same is not really an issue for men.  

2. Assertion

When it comes to careers, women who are strong leaders and value proper work ethics are considered cold and emotionless, while men who have the same traits are seen as respectable bosses. 

3. The mustache

Women are often told that facial hair is undesirable and that they should pay to have it removed - or tweaked into shape - regularly. Facilitating this expensive and painful gender norm, hair removal products are a multi-billion dollar industry with creams, wax strips, razors, and epilators aimed at women who can afford to pay for them. 

4. Be Angry

u/LatterBlood addresses a very important point, which is the mocking of anger expressed by women. Women expressing any normal emotion is frowned upon, especially in workplaces, with the constant assumption that anger = PMS. u/Irohsgranddaughter responds with a reaction used way too often to shut women up when they express rightful, valid anger about something, "YoUr'E eMoTiOnAl."

5. Caregiving for children

The expectation for women to just have maternal instincts is extremely overbearing. u/pseudonymous13 added onto this, saying, "Phew! This is fact. The stigma is insane around me not having primary custody of my kiddo. But after the divorce, my ex was more financially secure and could provide better. It’s been two years and I’m just barely getting on my feet. Kiddo is better off with dad right now. It’s in kiddo’s best interest. But I’m the bad guy? Bananas."

6. Last name

It's considered customary for women to take their husbands' last names post-marriage, but many want to keep their maiden names. In such cases, women are actively shamed. A user u/asian_egg added to this, saying, "This!!!! My last name is super important to me and my EX boyfriend gave me a huge speech on how it would be super disrespectful to keep it if we got married because it shows everyone I don't want to be part of his family"

7. Childfree Women

Women are expected to change their minds about having babies, while it's extremely common and normal for men to not want to have children. u/recalcitrants uses the perfect analogy, saying, "I also don't like olives. Big deal."

8. Putting on weight

The fat ugly friend in movies is such a trope, and u/CrispSandwichMuncher summarizes the burden for women to never put on weight perfectly in their comment.

9. Competing

10. Going Shirtless

Going topless is considered a very normal thing for cis men, but the same cannot be said of others. In fact, many would recall being shamed or oversexualized from a very young age over something like that. u/Impossible_Radio4257 shares a very vivid story about this from when they were very young, writing, “I have a vivid memory of being 10 or 11 during a very hot summer afternoon. It was right after school and the boys popped their shirts off, so I did too. I was so confused when they all gave me sh*t and told me to put my shirt back on; we looked the same.”

Some responses are extremely hilarious, with a sarcastic spin mocking men for the things they do that the world considers to be normal.