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20+ Comics That Show Us Society's Ridiculous Double Standards

If you're a human living in modern day society, you've very likely been subjected to a variety of double standards on a daily basis. Whether you're treated differently based on your gender, sexuality, body type, age, religion, or a variety of other intersections, double standards can be incredibly frustrating.

Why are men called weak when they show emotion? Why are women perceived as promiscuous based on what they wear? Why is flirting by an attractive person more appropriate in a social setting than flirting from someone you don't find attractive? These are questions that can't be answered logically because there isn't logic behind them.

Through incredible art and razor sharp wit, these artists have attempted to start a conversation about how double standards affect us all.

Cosplaying is a chance to be someone else.

Tumblr | alexandradal

Women's bodies are often sexualized in a way that strips them of their agency.

Rather than having women portray their sexuality on their own terms, society has made their bodies inherently sexual, regardless of what situation they're in.

Food is fuel.

Tumblr | Beiibis

Let me make this abundantly clear: All of us need food to survive, and we are not more or less entitled to food based on what we look like.

Body hair should be normalized regardless of gender.

Twitter | @kendrawcandraw

How to get a beach body: have a body and bring it to the beach. That's it. That's literally all you have to do.

You don't have to like a band, movie, or show to wear something related to it.

Tumblr | radrangy

Fandom culture has embraced their weird ideology that gatekeeps people who aren't "big enough fans" from liking whatever it is that brought the people together in the first place.

We often don't see how we judge others for the same things we do.

LoadingArtist.com

Why do we need to demonize relaxation and doing things for fun? Everyone has that 'thing' that they enjoy watching to relax.

A woman's appearance can always be turned into something negative.

Tumblr | yogaandbacon

Women are often caught between having to prevent themselves from being prudes and sluts and goodie too shoes and too pretty and too ugly and too vapid and too brash.

You might be asking "what's left?" Nothing I guess. I guess we just aren't supposed to exist!

Have you ever noticed how we gender emotions?

Everydayfemininsm

Yeah, we do that. A person's emotional reaction to things is often filtered through how society sees them.

One of these is considered wrong.

LA Times

If your argument against gay marriage is that it 'ruins the sanctity of marriage' then lemmie introduce you to the wild concept of divorce, and how common it is among straight people.

What's the difference?

Wordpress | forevermuslim

The same thing can be said about nuns being praised for wearing religious garments, but Muslim women being told they are 'oppressed' for wearing hijabs.

We can't help the way we look.

Rampaige

This one centers back to that "women's bodies are always sexualized" thing, where people think that because someone has a bigger chest, they are inherently more sexual.

Depending on the subject, men and women have to jump through hoops to prove they're a fan of something.

Devianart | RangyRag

WHY DO WE HAVE TO PROVE WE KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT A SUBJECT IN ORDER TO BE A FAN OF IT?

It seems like women can't win when it comes to makeup.

Kate Or Die

Ah yes, the two states of womanhood: slutty and tired.

This all too true when it comes to women's costumes in film.

Anna-Maria Jung

Let's get real, no actual warrior is going into battle in a bikini.

This parenting double standard should make us stop and think twice.

The Awesome Daily

This one is actually harmful for both men and women. Men seen as 'babysitters' where a mother's job is seen as something she has to do and should never complain about.

When a man does bold courtship gestures, it's considered sweet and chivalrous.

Tumblr | heriticarts

How about we all just agree that when someone asks you to leave them alone, YOU DO IT.

Body image issues don't just affect women.

Rampage

Beauty standards effect all genders, but the ones affecting men aren't talked about publicly very often.

The same outfit can be taken in two very different ways.

Good Men Project

But...but hot weather equates to less clothes? I'm honestly baffled.

It's all about perspective.

Feminism In India

I love how women can only ever grow up to be the angel or the whore. That's my favorite.

Men also get sad, feel insecure, and can have low self-esteem.

Bust

We need to have more male-oriented conversations about ridiculous beauty standards.

Archie comics have been around for a long time, which shows that double standards have been too.

Archie Comics

As an avid Archie comics reader, I am happy to let you know that Betty and Veronica are no longer fighting over Archie in 2019. It's wonderful.

I know that we can all say we've seen this happen with various well-off celebrities.

Andie Singer

No one is coming to mind? No one at all? No one? Nobody from Full House?

If this isn't the truthiest truth you've ever seen.

Sunny Street

We can't help who we're attracted to, but we can help how we treat people.

Nothing like a good old gender generalization.

Tumblr | xkcd

Kind of like how if one terrorist ends up being Middle Eastern, all Middle Eastern people are terrorists for some reason? Blah.

Don't even get me STARTED on society's negative reaction towards women breastfeeding in public.

LA Times

Ah yes, because if the boob cannot be sexualized on our terms, whats the point of it? To, uh, feed? How gross.

There are some hypocrites out there who need to think twice before they go judging other people.

Everyday Feminism

Why is it that every time we go out in public, our physicality is a competition?

This comic actually says a lot on a few different levels.

The Meta Picture

On one level, people are quick to bring out their phones and film when a cop is arresting someone, regardless of what happened leading up to the incident.

On another level, anyone else notice how it's a white guy who everyone comes to the rescue of?

I think I would laugh in the face of whoever had the gall to say something like that to me if I were reading in public.

Jeff Stahler

Let's agree to stop dating hypocrites.

If you're reading this as a younger sister, there's a pretty good chance that you've faced this type of parental discrimination before.

Facebook | Brown Paper Bag Comics

Ugh, don't even get me started on parenting double standards between genders.

Please tell me that I'm not the only one to have heard some of these comments before?

Tumblr | beiibis

Then. How. Are. We. Supposed. To. Look????

A lot of women are constantly brought down for the way they phrase their opinions.

The Cooper Review

Why do we need to constantly make ourselves smaller?

Shame on anybody who thinks that reading Harry Potter 63 times is wrong.

SidewaysGamer.com

Again, everyone's got their thing that we like, and we need to unlearn the habit of comparing those things.

Yet another scenario where women are made to look threatening when they state their opinions.

The Copper Review

I love how the only way to disagree with a man is to be one.

This Dilbert comic is a pretty hilarious way of explaining that double standard of coming across as too tough.

Dilbert

We need to do better, people.

If anybody ever paid attention to the election, the double standard that existed was glaringly obvious.

Alternet

Trump was literally talking about grabbing people's privates and still got elected so nobody can fight me on this.

Women are told that their bodies are beautiful and not a limitation.

Reddit [Deleted]

We can't just lift up women to deconstruct our old beauty standards—we need to lift up everyone.