In class we did an activity where we selected some well-known people who represent the ideal of each femininity and masculinity. Our list for masculinity included Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Will Smith. For femininity, our list consisted of Michelle Obama, Betty White, Lady Gaga and Marilyn Monroe. I thought it was really amusing how much the lists differed from each other. The men are all middle aged, successful, fathers (except George Clooney), and for lack of a better term, Hollywood hunks. If we then take a look at the ideals of feminism we range from Lady Gaga to Betty White. We have a combination of sex symbols and mothers; young, old, and in between; singers, actresses and a political/motherly figure. I think that each one of the women we came up with have good reason to be considered ideals of feminism. Lady Gaga and Marilyn Monroe are sex-symbols, confident and hugely successful. Michelle Obama brings the more ideal mother and wife characteristics. Lastly Betty White is humorous and successful even at 90 years old.
Why is there such diversity in what is considered feminine, while masculinity tends to be characterised fairly similarly? In my opinion, I think that society's definition of masculinity is in a way more so clear-cut than femininity, or in other words, the spectrum of ideal femininity is much broader than that of masculinity. I think that at one end of the spectrum for females is the sexy, third-wave feminists; while at the other end is the motherly, more proper women. While for men it seems like they can have characteristics from both ends; they can be hunky fathers.
In class we did an activity where we selected some well-known people who represent the ideal of each femininity and masculinity. Our list for masculinity included Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Will Smith. For femininity, our list consisted of Michelle Obama, Betty White, Lady Gaga and Marilyn Monroe. I thought it was really amusing how much the lists differed from each other. The men are all middle aged, successful, fathers (except George Clooney), and for lack of a better term, Hollywood hunks. If we then take a look at the ideals of feminism we range from Lady Gaga to Betty White. We have a combination of sex symbols and mothers; young, old, and in between; singers, actresses and a political/motherly figure. I think that each one of the women we came up with have good reason to be considered ideals of feminism. Lady Gaga and Marilyn Monroe are sex-symbols, confident and hugely successful. Michelle Obama brings the more ideal mother and wife characteristics. Lastly Betty White is humorous and successful even at 90 years old. 
Why is there such diversity in what is considered feminine, while masculinity tends to be characterised fairly similarly? In my opinion, I think that society's definition of masculinity is in a way more so clear-cut than femininity, or in other words, the spectrum of ideal femininity is much broader than that of masculinity. I think that at one end of the spectrum for females is the sexy, third-wave feminists; while at the other end is the motherly, more proper women. While for men it seems like they can have characteristics from both ends; they can be hunky fathers.
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