Before we start, let me just say I've had quite the day which involved me walking the streets with no shoes. Forgive me if this post is a bit unfocused, it was quite the ordeal.
Anyway, back to business. I recently read an article about a young woman who was subject to this ridiculous, sexist and dehumanising joke called "pulling a pig". Basically the nature of such a joke is a bunch of lads will have a competition to see who can "pull" the most unattractive girl. And that's pretty much it. I mean there are a lot of things wrong and unethical about this but when you dig a little deeper you find that it's more than just the obvious.
So the story is a 24 year old girl met a dutch guy while holidaying in Barcelona. They have a nice little holiday romance but continue to speak even when they are back in their respective countries. The need to see each other grows too strong and the young girl flies to Amsterdam to meet her new beau only to find that he doesn't show and the only contact is a snapchat message that reads "sorry you've been pigged, it was all a joke". I honestly don't get how this absolute wasteman could bring himself to press the send button on that message. Of course this is upsetting for the recipient to read but what does it say about the sender. To have no regard for the feelings of the person you're sending it to and to compose the message in the first place is slightly worrying and no doubt numerous other boys would have no problem acting in a similar way.
Oh wait let me just clarify that our lovely dutch friend has denied keeping in contact and denied sending that message even though there is a pretty clear screenshot. Which leads me on to another point. Part of "lad" culture, which this game is certainly a part of, is proving you're an alpha male. Bet you had a good old laugh with your friends while the prank was happening but now you've been caught you don't want to be the big man and take ownership. Do me a favour, you're so small, so insignificant. You wasted all your time pulling this cruel joke and what do you have to show for it? What was the actual point? Why not put all that time and energy into a girl you actually like. The best thing you can do with your life is to make someone else's that little bit easier. There are so many ways you can lift someone up, but you choose to bring them down instead. This shows you have the potential to be a decent human being. She definitely liked you for one reason or another, just be that genuine person for someone who needs and deserves it.
This is why female body image, actually just body image, is a huge issue in the first place. I thin we all feel a little bit insecure in our bodies as it is and we don't need the fear of thinking that we'd be victim to this sick joke. No one needs that. Especially when we are put in the environment when we think we are looking our best. This game, I assume, happens at a bar or club and this is when we all doll ourselves up and want to be looking our damn finest. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If this has happened to you, then I can only apologise that you had to go through all that. Because it's more than just a game. It's a destruction of confidence and days of negative self image. But I guess these are what games can do to you... I've played FIFA.
There's more I want to say on this subject but there's so much going through my mind I'm finding it a bit hard to streamline it all. It does make me think about my own interactions with, not just females, but people in general. My biggest fear is offending people and when I feel like I have I honestly just don't know how to cope. I was a boy and fell victim to what was considered "normal" boy talk. Or I just thought I was being cool. But it's neither of those things, my morals and beliefs don't fall in line with the kind of trash I was spouting and this is something to remember with all of us. Whether you're speaking publicly or privately, keep your talk respectful of the other human beings that inhabit this godforsaken rock.
Everyone says it, but it's true, we are all beautiful. The opinions of a few sad, boring neanderthals is nothing compared to everything that you are.
Watch the interview below about the story:
0 comments:
Post a Comment