The Man

 While our society has greatly progressed over the past century, there are still a number of ways in which we still have yet to reach our true worldly potential. With this being said, our society can still be viewed as that which views the man as the superior being - solely basing his worth based upon his sex. In saying this, there are many forms of media and news that further perpetuate our patriarchal society; ultimately, building up the potential of the man, while simultaneously breaking down the progression of the woman.

While this is true, there are still works that combat this patriarchal message - whether it be to build up the woman, or to solely present the two sexes as equals. While this conversation is more touched upon today, there are also previous works that have similarly delved into the topic; a primary example of which being Walt Whitman's "Children of Adam". With this being said, Whitman begins the text in stating, "To the garden the world anew ascending, potent mates, daughters, sons, preluding..." (Whitman, Lines 1-2). In saying this, while these lines could easily be overlooked, I believe there is a subliminal message presented in the order in which the inhabitants are listed. With this being said, Whitman first uses the term 'mates' then follows this by placing the female gender before that of the male. While this message may be rather subtle, I believe it to be one that greatly exemplifies the gender equality conversation that is still wholly present in our society today. 

With this being said, a number of prominent figures in the media today continually use their platform to address such issues - a primary example of which being Taylor Swift. Swift, who came into the public eye at a young age, continues to use her influence to combat the stereotype surrounding gender norms. For instance, earlier this year Swift released a song entitled, "The Man," which highlights the vastly different lights in which men and women are to be viewed in our society. In furthering this, she paints the picture of what her life would be like if she were a man, but acted the same way she does as a woman - for instance, she states, "They'd say I hustled put in the work they wouldn't shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve what I was wearing If I was rude could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves" (Swift). In short, Swift, similar to many other artists today work to further Whitman's point - simply, a point that calls out society on its various shortcomings.