Benefits to new sexism blur lines of equality

For those of you who attended Zeta Beta Tau’s Passion Pit event Saturday, you might have a nice recollection of lines filled with scantily clad girls, separate bars for men and women, and 100 percent or more ticket price inflation for the fellas.

Julia Vann | Daily Trojan

It struck me while listening to a DJ set of music chosen by Passion Pit that this night served as a microcosm of Millennials content with the sexual double standard.

We all know the historical saga of sexual liberation, from Susan B. Anthony to the bra burners and everything in between. But before you jump the page for fear of a feminist rant, let me say that this is not my aim.

What I’m noticing in this generation, particularly among young women, is a break from the pleas for equality.

Although the struggles of generations before us for equal voting rights or occupational consideration were not in vain, the women of today have grown comfortable with this state of equality.

Moreover, women are now taking advantage of their status, which begs the question of whether true equality is still a desired goal. There’s a new kind of sexism in town, one where women enjoy the perks of the double standard as opposed to being offended that standard.

As college students, different treatment is afforded to women on a daily basis. Events catering to the ladies, such as ZBT’s show, are a dime a dozen — and you don’t hear girls complaining.

After all, why would we be upset for enjoying less red velvet tape and a slightly more affordable college experience?

If you’ve ever caught a glimpse of a game of intramural soccer on the USC campus, you might have noticed the majority of women running the field. This might be because of a rising interest in field games among women, but could also be because of a league rule that calls for at least two female players on the field at all times to avoid a forfeit.

With women in equal standing in so many aspects of modern culture, I wonder if we are dropping the ball in the final quarter for the sake of convenience.

What about this treatment is necessary and fair?  USC is a progressive campus that long ago made strides for equal footing between men and women. I don’t think female students are crying out for crutches, but they certainly aren’t rejecting the advantages thrown their way.

Statutes like Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in any program or activity at any educational institution, have grown increasingly archaic. I can’t imagine girls storming Cromwell Field with pitchforks and torches if, heaven forbid, we had a men’s soccer team as well as a women’s one. Gender balance in athletics isn’t exactly a make it or break it point when it comes down to school pride.

I think we can all agree that for the most part, the population of women picketing for equal opportunities and treatment has significantly diminished.

True, that’s partly because we’ve reached many of the milestones for which our predecessors fought, but it’s also because a culture of suffragettes has given way to one where the double standard often benefits women — and where we enjoy it.

But now I think it’s worth asking, who is advocating for the men? We are so often barraged with the statistics of women who are victims of discrimination. Rarely do we hear about the men who are victimized —  or if we do, it’s disproportionate to the reality of the incident.

So rest easy, fearers of the all-mighty stereotypical feminist; I think the troops have moved on out for now.

Consider this next time you’re at an event where men are hopping fences for entry and girls are getting the VIP treatment: Is equality still the objective?

Allegra Tepper is a freshman majoring in print and digital journalism. Her column, “Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation,” runs Tuesdays.