Today, we live in a world where we face double standards on a regular basis. What applies to women won’t apply to men and vice versa. What you can get away with when you’re rich might not be the same when you’re poor. We try to be unbiased, but sometimes those biases just sneak in, even if we don’t mean them to.
Double standards can be annoying. They can also teach us about how we perceive the world (and what we might still need to work on). Sometimes they can even be funny, especially if you take them with a grain of salt.
Here are 50 double standard comics that we can definitely relate to.
#11 Girls Can’t Say No
When a girl says no or turn a guy they find unattractive down, they always get judged hard for it, and there is always some reason behind it. Usually, people say that she thinks she is just too good for him, even though it may not be the case. When a guy turns a girl down though, it’s always okay, and it’s usually because she’s just being desperate. Now, that’s a double standard.
Source:
“Razzy
#12 Makeup or Death
When girls wear too much makeup, they always get told them don’t need any. When they don’t wear any makeup, they get told they look sick, tired, or even dead. There is no winning, so you might as well go with what you like. Forget about what the rest of the world thinks.
Source:
“Kate
#13 Who Said Curvy Girls Can’t Cosplay?
These guys are standing around and making fun of the two girls who dressed up as their favorite characters because they’re heavier than the character they’re cosplaying. However, the characters the males are cosplaying probably aren’t overweight, either, but nobody says anything to them.
Source:
“AlexandraDal
#14 Compliments, Compliments
She is completely flattered when the attractive man compliments her. When the heavyset, older coworker gives her the same compliment, she feels as if she is being harassed. Sadly, this happens more often than it should, but hey, a compliment is a compliment!
Source:
“Sunny
#15 Dads Can Get Away with Anything
If a dad brings the kids to the park, he’ll get praised for being such a good parent. If a mom does it, chances are she’ll be judged for not keeping a good enough eye on the kids. Moms are just expected to be perfect and get called out when they aren’t. Meanwhile, dads can do a halfway job and get nothing but applause. Some things are just unfair.
Source:
“Chaunie
#6 Bigger Isn’t Always Better
They always say that bigger is better, but in some instances, it’s really not. If you have a friend that isn’t as busty as you, but you have the same shirt, obviously, it is going to fit you differently. The clothing industry really doesn’t keep every body type in mind, and sometimes we just want to wear what everyone else is wearing.
#7 Who pays for dinner?
While more couples are splitting the bill these days, there are still some circumstances in which we expect the man to pay for dinner. It’s not usually looked on negatively, but making more money so you can afford to can definitely land any guy in hot water.
Source:
Fropky
#8 Feeding Your Baby is a Crime
One of the saddest double standards involves feeding a baby. Here we can see a new mom in a shopping mall, innocently nursing her baby. A store manager has gotten mall security to tell her that she can’t have her breast on display, but behind her is a woman with amble breasts in a lingerie advertisement. Most people would rather see models half naked because it’s sexy, but feeding our babies is way more important.
Source:
“LA
#9 Eating is a Necessity
Take note that in the comic, both girls are eating the same amount of food. However, people think it is cute that the skinny girl loves burgers. The curvy girl, however, gets told she needs a diet, and she’s overweight. No matter how much you weigh, eating is something you have to do in order to survive, and you might as well enjoy what you eat.
#10 Moms Get Treated Differently
As a mom, you get judged hard, no matter what you do. If you take your kids to the store and they all want something, they’re out of control, and you have your hands full, but if dad takes them and they behave the same way, he still gets credit for being an awesome dad for bringing them in the first place. Moms always get the harsh judgment and dad gets all the credit.
Source:
“Chaunie
#1 Girls Can Do What Boys Do
No matter what boys do, it is always perceived differently than when girls do it. Guys get called popular while girls get talked about for receiving male attention. Things probably won’t ever change, but girls can still do what boys can do, and better.
Source:
“Archie
#2 You’ll Never Catch a Break
No matter what you do to try and please society, it’s never going to be enough. If you wear clothes that are revealing, you’re being a tramp. If you wear clothes that are conservative, you’re a prude. Making judgments about people is never kind, and no one should be judged based on their appearance. There is no winning, so the best thing you can do is to make yourself happy and not worry about the opinions of others.
Source:
“Beiibis
#3 Male vs. Female Emotions
Girls and guys can both experience the same things and feel the same feelings, but the way they are perceived is always going to be different. If a guy says something bluntly, he is straightforward, but if a girl says it, she’s being abrasive. Even said in the same tone of voice, someone is always going to hear what they want.
#4 Men and Women Both Get Fat
It is not okay for women to gain any weight. A few extra pounds are essentially a sin. If a man gains a few pounds, he’s just bulking up, and it’s perfectly fine. Call it what you want, but gaining weight is still gaining weight, no matter what kind of justification you may come up with.
#5 How Unhygienic of You!
If a guy stands around with his shirt off, nobody thinks anything of it, but when a girl does it, she might actually be breaking the law. A guy doesn’t have to shave his armpits, but a girl does. If we don’t want to shave our pits, we shouldn’t have to. Men and women both have hair, just the same.
Source:
“Kendrawcandraw
#16 Single Moms Have It Hard
People judge single moms hard. You can work a full-time job to provide for your baby, so you do not have to depend on the government, and you’re still going to have to deal with it. If you stay home with your baby, you’re called an assistance-reaping free-loader. If you abort your baby, you’re a terrible person, but if you have your baby out of wedlock, you’re just as bad. Single moms have heard it all, and most of them are not fazed by any of it.
Source:
“Deadeyedplasticdesktoy
#17 Girls Are Always Asking for It
When a guy touches a girl inappropriately, someone always has to say that the girl asked for it based on how she was dressed. When a guy kicks another guy in his private area, it’s a whole different story, and no matter how much of a jerk he was being, no one will ever dare to ask why he wasn’t wearing something to protect himself. Either way, touching someone is never okay!
#18 Dads are Hot; Moms are Not?
Women always think that dads are hot, however, even if they are a mom, they will still judge other moms. Just because a woman has stretch marks and some extra weight, doesn’t mean anything. She has them because she carried a baby, while the hot dad didn’t get a single stretch mark.
Source:
Chatelaine
#19 Not always cute
Kids get life easy, especially when it comes to how adults treat them. Try doing the same cute things as an adult. We promise you won’t get the same response.
Source:
Baba's Field Notes
#20 Parenting Double Standards
If you are a parent, you’ve surely heard a situation like this one before. If you have a baby boy and you take a naked picture, there is nothing wrong with it. If you have a little girl, however, and you do the same thing, you’re such a creeper!
Source:
“MaryJaneSunshine
#21 Halloween is a Double Standard
Everyone loves to dress up for Halloween. Women get options to be sexy nurses, sexy vampires, or sexy witches. Guys get to be Dracula, a superhero, or a werewolf. Maybe guys want to be sexy too!
Source:
“Andi
#22 Conservative Can Be Cute
When girls wear something sexy, it doesn’t matter if they’re big or small. They’re showing skin, and that’s acceptable. If girls wear something casual and conservative, skinny girls can rock it, but curvier girls are considered ugly. It is literally the same outfit.
#23 Men Get Uncomfortable
For some reason, women are always expected to look at sexy pictures of other women and be okay with it. When guys have to look at sexy pictures of other guys, it’s not okay. They get uncomfortable, but women aren’t allowed to.
Source:
“Tom
#24 Marriage Isn’t Fair
Somehow it is legal for people who just met to get married like they do in Vegas. It’s also acceptable for people who have been married and divorced half a dozen times to marry again. If two people of the same sex, who have been in a committed relationship for years, however, want to get married, it’s still frowned upon by some people. Go figure.
Source:
“Horsey
#25 Violence is Never Okay
Girls in superhero movies can choke the male characters. That’s perfectly fine until the male character chokes the female character. Then it’s a big hullaballoo. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, they say, but violence is never okay, no matter who is on the receiving end.
#26 Girl Bosses
Even though being a girl boss seems to be the new trend, women cannot be bosses in the workplace without getting judged hard for it. If they dress nice, they’re trying too hard. If they don’t wear heels, they’re not trying enough. It’s a no-win situation.
Source:
“Daisy
#27 There is No Picture Perfect
Guys seem to think all women should look like the edited models in the magazines. If a woman thinks men should look like the edited and ripped men she sees on a women’s magazine, she’s ridiculous because real men don’t look like that. Well, neither do most women!
Source:
Diply
#28 Crazy vs. Normal
Guys can get in heated discussions all they want because it’s deemed normal for them. Once a woman speaks her mind, however, she is crazy and ridiculous, and nobody ever lets it go. Men can be crazy, too!
#29 One letter difference
We still have some old fashioned views when it comes to what a boss should look and act like, even though there are plenty of women in leadership positions these days. Since our views are based on a history in which the boss was more often a man, sometimes a woman can have a hard time fitting some of the boss stereotypes.
Source:
The Launch Pod
#30 Is Violence Against a Police Officer a Thing?
When a policeman gets loud or physical with a criminal, it’s never okay, and everyone likes to cry about police brutality. Everyone knows about it and its always recorded for the world to see. When the roles are reversed, however, the cameras seem to be turned another way as well.
Source:
Diply
#31 What to Wear???
As women, we have to find the fine line between slutty and too conservative. The thing is, that line doesn’t actually exist. No matter how much you try to walk that tightrope, someone is going to judge.
Source:
“Daisy
#32 Women in Relationships
Relationships are supposed to be a positive thing for the couple, but there is a lot of extra pressure on women in them that we may not even realize. If women are too assertive, they usually get called out as being bossy or too much. If they aren’t assertive, they get called a doormat.
Source:
“Daisy
#33 Cats and Dogs
There are even double standards in the animal world. We all put up with the cat when they walk all over the keyboard to get our attention, but what about when the dog does it? It’s a cat’s world.
Source:
“I
#34 Why Can’t I say That?
Double standards exist when it comes to age too. Sometimes grownups use a few choice words to express their dislike for something…but use those same words in a report for school, and you can expect a trip to the principal’s office.
Source:
“Ozzie
#35 Don’t Forget the Funny Side of Life
Some double standards are eye-roll worthy while others can get under your skin. Either way, they are a part of the complex balancing act that we call life. The best thing to do is realize that we’re all going to be guilty of them sometimes. After all, we’re just human, one of the most harshly judged groups of all.
#36 A nipple is a nipple!
One of the oldest double standards in the books is the supposed difference between male and female nipples.For some reason, women’s breasts have become so over-the-top sexualized that they can’t exercise the same freedom as men.
Source:
Metzger Cartoons
#37 Always ‘sexy’ outfits
Ever since the dawn of Hollywood, women have been expected to always dress in ‘sexy’ outfits even when the practicality of it is absolutely ridiculous. Let’s all just have the same uniforms, please. Thank you.
Source:
Anna Maria Jung
#38 So what?
A woman might not know all of the Marvel comics or superheroes, but the logo might be cute and that’s good enough reason to wear it without criticism from anyone. Guys do it all the time with brands and it doesn’t mean they golf or play guitar.
Source:
Tumblr
#39 I have hobbies, you know.
Of course, it’s only natural to ask about someone’s children when you know they have children. But for some reason, it seems like guys aren’t usually asked about the kids right off the bat. Why is that?
Source:
Facebook
#40 Same emotions, different perceptions.
When men and women display the same exact emotion, they can be received and perceived in completely different ways. Which is actually quite ridiculous when you think about the fact that men and women are both HUMANS.
Source:
Robot Hugs
#41 Sweeping generalizations
Another frustrating thing that happens to women is that they’re always lumped together as “all women.” Just because one person does something, doesn’t mean it applies to a larger group, no matter how you want to cut it.
Source:
xkcd
#42 At least we can laugh about it
Here’s a funny comic depicting the crazy double standard of assertive women versus men. Yet again, another “bossy” woman. But if a man said the same exact thing, no problem at all.
Source:
The Cooper Review
#43 How is this not getting through?
What is so terrible about having a woman be the lead role in a movie that portrays them as powerful? Take a look back in history and we’ll find that women have been beyond powerful for centuries.
Source:
ShortPacked
#44 Religious exemptions
In some cultures and religions it’s completely fine to wear certain things and show off certain body parts. But those same people that wear those things will often critcize and judge someone who is wearing something very similar but for non-religious reasons.
Source:
Bored Panda
#45 *rolling eyes*
Politics is never fun, but here’s another double standard in society where the men in the arena seem to always be held to different standards than the women. Pay attention you’re watching the next debate. It’s painfully clear.
Source:
Alternet
#46 Stud versus slut
High school is brutal. Knowing how and where to fit in is one of the hardest parts in life. What makes things even more complicated are the social rules regardings guys and girls and their sex lives. The guy is always seen as someone who scored while the girl is seen as someone who gives it up too easily.
Source:
DeviantArt
#47 Always in danger
Another thing that women are always subjected to is the thought that they can’t take care of themselves as well as men can. This sort of thought process is engrained starting as children and teenagers with the help of the parents.
Source:
Bored Panda
#48 Of course, it goes both ways
Of course, men also have to put up with double standards all the time. Women complain about characters and costumes that are “too sexy” but just love when men show off skin (only when they have nice bodies, though, right? There’s another double standard).
Source:
Tumblr
#49 See what I mean?
Here are other examples of the double standard mentioned on the previous slide. Women can complain all they want, but men are also subjected to skin-tight costumes and hard body standards as well.
Source:
WordPress
#50 Can body hair be kept a private issue?
Since when did other people’s body hair start to bother people? Who cares? It’s not your body! Male or female, rock whatever you want, however you want.
Source:
Justin Hubbell
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Source: Diply