Have you ever been given a compliment by someone — even something as simple as "I love your dress!" — and then been judged fiercely and negatively for agreeing with their good impression of you? If you can relate, you'll love BuzzFeed Yellow's sad-but-true video on what happens when a woman takes a compliment. News flash, world: Women who love themselves are not being stuck up, and we need to stop treating them like they are.
This double standard follows a pattern of sexism that women know far too well: We're damned if we do, but also damned if we don't — so basically, we're always catching flack no matter what we do. And it is, in a word, unacceptable. WHy do we even bother telling women that they should love themselves if we're going to cut them down for being "too-self-absorbed" when they do? Ah, the never ending battleground that is womanhood.
BuzzFeed decided to illustrate this principle by showing what really happens when women take compliments. Although it doesn't seem like it should be a big deal to respond, "Thanks! I think it looks good, too!" when someone tells you how fantastic your sartotrial choices are, the way society remains convinced that women should be "modest" seeps into an endless array of everyday situations and circumstances. None of these occurrences are isolated incidents; when taken all together, it's easy to see how pervasive misogyny is. This is why patriarchy is bad, kids.
Here are just two common responses to a woman taking a compliment. Scroll down to watch the full video for more.
1. "What Do You Mean, You Think You Look Good Today?"
Here, we see a normal, everyday situation among co-workers: Charles decides to pay our protagonist a compliment by telling her she looks nice. She thanks him and then agrees that, yes, she's looking pretty great today. But Charles response to that? It's to tell her that she "sounds really full of herself," working himself up into a state as he continues to insult her for being happy with the way she looks. Ugh. Just... ugh.
2. "What?!"
This time, our protagonist is applying for a promotion as an account manger. As she's getting ready for her interview, one of her co-worker tells her she'd be excellent at the job. Again, our protag responds positively, saying, "Thanks, I think so, too!" Cue the incredulous looks and the spit take from the collegue on the right.
Wondering what happens when the boss pays her a compliment before her interview? Watch the full video below to find out:
Images: BuzzFeed Yellow/YouTube (2)
