Discrimination Against Men

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Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex. In today’s society, men are being discriminated against through the media, suffering from parental custody discrimination, being discriminated against in the courtroom and even for their choice of career. BBC reporter David Benatar said that, “the second sexism is that across the world men are more likely to be conscripted into the military, be victims of violence, lose custody of their children and take their own lives” (Castella, 2012). Even the way men are being portrayed on television and in film plays a big part in how they are treated in real life situations.
The most common and subtle form of discrimination that men have to deal with is stereotypes in the media. In the media men are portrayed as aggressive and angry athletes, business men with no morals and lazy, terrible fathers. When men are being portrayed so negatively right in front of people’s eyes, the way that all men are seen and treated is going to be negatively impacted as well. When all that people see of men are these buff and aggressive people who “compromise their own long-term health to fight when necessary” (Children Now, 1999), it begins to distort the image of men. This portrayal makes men seem as though they are creatures who care only for showing off their strength and avoiding look feminine at all costs.
Some “admirable” portrayals of males in the media can also be a bit destructive. Most movies and television shows have the big shot business man who is the "epitome of success, embodying the characteristics and acquiring the possessions that society deems valuable” (Children Now, 1999). This portrayal of me...

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...That statistic further enforces the belief that males should not or cannot teach young children. Men are still shying away from jobs that are considered “feminine”, mostly because the media still makes it seem as though they will be less of a man if they choose careers that are female dominated.
In conclusion, male discrimination has become a very subtle but more prevalent part of today's society, and it isn't being given the attention it deserves. People need to realize that men’s rights need just as much attention as women’s. Men are being portrayed terribly in the media, not being given a fair chance to receive custody of their children, are being treated unjustly by today’s justice system and sometimes even being mocked for their choice of careers. If gender equality is to be achieved then male discrimination must be taken as seriously as sexism against women.

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