30+ People Who Took Gender Norms a Little Too Far

The types of clothing men and women wear has changed a lot throughout the centuries. Men have gone from wigs and heels to display wealth to suits and nice watches, and women have gone from long dresses with lung-crushing corsets to…well, whatever they want!

It’s hard to believe there are people out there who still think women shouldn’t wear pants, yet here we are. Come on, women — you must trade comfort and ease for modesty because some random man on Twitter said so!

They say that laughter is the best medicine. It’s hard to be angry or upset when laughing. Something about it is just soothing. But, did you know that there are gender norms around who can laugh, how much, and when?

Well, there aren’t, but there are according to this person. Men must not laugh more than once a day. Doing so revokes your man card and makes you a laughing stock, literally. Men’s only emotional reactions must be angry grunts or glares.

Handshakes are used for many purposes in the modern world. They’re a greeting for someone we just met, a sign of an agreement being made, a sign of respect, and so much more. But, they’re also something only men should be allowed to do.

Surprised? So are we, but it’s true according to this random person on Twitter. Let’s ignore the fact that women can do all the things mentioned above, and just focus on some ancient arbitrary use of handshakes that in no way applies to the modern world.

Some people really love seafood and see it as a luxury. There’s nothing quite like cracking open a crab leg or devouring some popcorn shrimp. But, it turns out that pleasure should only be afforded to women.

We can’t imagine what possibly gave this person the idea that seafood is for women, and what possessed them to criticize this person’s food choices, especially on their birthday. What they should have asked was, “Why is there a cat on the table?”

Gender norms don’t simply stop at the colors men and women are allowed to wear or the drinks they can have. Oh, no! They go far beyond that, like controlling how often you can laugh and even what music you can enjoy.

How dare he, as a man, enjoy the lyrical genius of Taylor Swift! No, he must listen to hardcore hip hop, heavy metal, or maybe even some screamo. But, Taylor Swift? No way, he should know better.

It used to be that a big part of the American dream was a family where the man provides, the woman stays at home with the children, and they’re able to own a big house and a nice car. Thankfully, women can work and men can stay home now if they want to.

What men can’t do now, though, is live in a house! They must have something manly, like a workshop or an empty shed. They could even live in a truck bed — there’s nothing manlier than that!

Women can’t shake hands, women can’t wear pants, and apparently, women can’t work with “cloven animals” either! If you’re curious like we were, cloven animals have two toes and are animals like sheep, cows, llamas, alpacas, and pigs, just to name a few.

Who knew that women posed such a threat to farm animals?! Someone should go warn all those women who work on or own a farm that their animals don’t trust them. We must save them while we can.

The gym is a weird place. It’s packed full of ripped men and women who seem to know exactly what they’re doing, while you stumble around trying not to look silly. But, if you’re a woman, you shouldn’t even be there.

This person (probably a man, let’s be honest) is basically saying women can’t be in the gym because they should only be allowed to focus on cardio and obsess over staying skinny. No one needs or wants your “woman tip,” sir.

Some people seem to think that drinking any sort of coffee apart from black coffee is for girls. We aren’t sure who decided that men aren’t allowed to enjoy flavored things, but it’s simply unfair.

Communication is for women. Men must grunt — “Me want Frappuccino” — while refusing to make eye contact. That makes their Starbucks trip less girly, apparently, even though Starbucks is literally just coffee and does not belong to any one gender.

There are some things we as a society just deem normal for the genders — men should be taller than their girlfriends, women are supposed to shave their legs, and men can only have short hair.

Just because some people prefer tall men doesn’t mean the other men are inferior! Imagine thinking you get to dictate what makes a “real man.” Have a seat, trolls. Let short men live their lives.

Do you prefer cats or dogs? If you’re like most people who have ever had or been around pets, you likely have a strong reaction to this question and an answer you would defend to the death.

If you’re a man and you answer cats, this person says you’re not a man. We say that men can love cats and women can love dogs and any person can love any kind of pet as long as they’re happy and their pet is taken care of!

There’s nothing quite like the freedom that owning a car affords you. You can go anywhere any time you want — well, at least as long as you can afford the gas and maintenance. Car ownership is a big privilege.

What’s funny about this is that if you search “Ford Focus” on Instagram, most photos are souped-up Focuses that were most likely done by guys. But, all those guys are wrong because evidently, some cars are gender specific.

Tattoos are a unique, permanent form of self-expression. The art form has been around since at least 5000 BCE. People get a tattoo for any number of reasons, but simply being a man isn’t usually one of them.

We weren’t aware that having tattoos as a man was an obligation. We mistakenly thought it was a form of body art that any person of any gender can choose to get. Silly us for making that mistake.

Children learn from copying what the adults around them do, which means they often love toys that reflect real life — like realistic phones, toy brooms and vacuums, or toy kitchens. But, some people see a problem with that.

Girls cook, boys grill. Neither is allowed to do the other. Men must never know the joys of cooking, nor pretend cooking when it comes to little boys. They can only deal with manly meat and charcoal.

Are you an early bird or a night owl? Do you prefer getting up early and seizing the day, or do you like to sleep in a little and thrive at night when most others have gone to bed?

Did you know that if you’re a man and you sleep in, it’s wrong? We have no idea how sleeping past noon is a “feminine trait,” nor how that would be a bad thing. This person has some really weird logic.

The art of texting changed dramatically since emojis became widely available in the 2010s. They allowed us to start expressing ourselves more clearly in a medium where body language and facial expressions fall by the wayside.

We all know men can’t have emotions, and that apparently includes virtual ones. We aren’t sure what great-grandfathers have to do with this, nor how men using emojis means they have no self-respect. Men, use all the emojis you want and ignore the haters.

The sporting world involves many sports that are traditionally more male or female. Sports like football, rugby, and boxing tend to be very male-dominated — whereas other sports, like soccer or tennis, are slightly more even.

The funny thing about this is that most forms of dance are very physically taxing and cause just as much sweat and dirt as any sport. We aren’t sure what this guy thinks dancing entails, but he clearly has no idea what he’s talking about.

Some adults enjoy visiting cafés, embracing the smell and relaxation of a nice cup of coffee. Others prefer visiting bars, where they can consume a nice adult beverage. But many like doing both, because anyone can enjoy either… or can they?

Her husband needs to grow up and stop worrying so much about what other people think, especially when it’s something so trivial as going into Starbucks. The way her coworker thinks is also very problematic. Their worlds must be so limited.

Kinder Eggs are chocolate eggs that are hollow and contain a small toy inside. They’ve been banned in the US for ages due to a “choking hazard,” but they’re still all the rage in many other countries.

Girls can’t eat normal chocolate eggs, they must have pink ones! Because everything a girl ever touches or consumes must be pink. Never mind that it’s just chocolate and a lot of girls don’t even like pink.

Preferences exist on a very wide spectrum, leading people to identify, both in their orientation and their gender, in many different ways. It’s not simple or straightforward, and it’s what makes humanity so interesting and varied.

Real men can be whatever orientation they want to be because it’s their life, their happiness, and their reality. It’s baffling that in this day and age, there are still people who have such narrow-minded thought processes.

Gesticulations are times we express points, ideas, or feelings by using our hands or bodies. If you think of all those people you know who talk with their hands, you’ll know what we mean.

We had no idea that men weren’t allowed to touch their faces for fear of gesticulating like women! Perhaps it’s because they aren’t allowed to care about their skin or take care of it, so they need to be careful of transferring germs to their faces.

Gender norms when it comes to children’s toys are really intense. The girl toy aisle is a world coated in pink and glitter and fluff, while the boy aisle is all blue and black and cars and “manly” things.

Why give the niece something different if all of the nephews are getting the same thing? If you’re going to teach the boys about safely handling a useful tool, teach the girl the same thing! She isn’t any different and will appreciate it.

Americans love to have massive meals to celebrate holidays. They’re a good excuse to get all of the loved ones together and enjoy both tasty food and each other’s presence. But, what if your food is too girly?

We’ve got to agree — that husband belongs in the trash. How on earth can food, especially a meal your partner worked hard on, something that provides you sustenance, be too girly?! This man sounds extremely insecure on top of being ungrateful.

Betta fish are a super popular first pet due to the relative ease of owning one. They only live two to five years, and they don’t need much beyond being fed. Unfortunately, their fishy evolution doesn’t follow human gender norms.

The gall of this male fish! How dare he be pink? He should have chosen a boy color while in his egg, like a nice blue or green or brown. Careful — nobody tell her that male flamingos are pink, too.

Did you drink coffee and now you’re worried about stains? Have you ever eaten some garlic or onion and had a bad taste in your mouth afterwards? Are you simply trying to fight plaque? Well, have no fear — Colgate is here!

You know, they always tell women to smile more, but how are they going to do it without a toothpaste of their own to keep their teeth squeaky clean? They can’t use this one, that’s for sure, because, well, it’s for men.

While there isn’t much need for cookbooks nowadays thanks to the internet, some people still prefer the act of flipping through the pages for a recipe over scrolling past some person’s life story on their cooking blog.

Why on earth do men need cookbooks specifically for them? Any cookbook can be used by any person. We blame society for making us believe that women should always be the ones in charge of the kitchen.

For reasons that are important only to them, some people choose to embark on a weight loss journey. It can be a difficult process and involves lots of factors, like proper diet and exercise.

What it doesn’t usually involve is worrying about your diet or exercise regime appearing unmanly. Nothing about that journey is masculine or feminine. It’s just losing weight, period — and men should only be concerned with doing it in a healthy way.

Lil Nas X has been defying gender norms ever since he stepped onto the scene with “Old Town Road” in 2019. He’s super comfortable in his skin and doesn’t care what people think of his appearance.

This person stated, “So this is why I stopped listening to US rap.” We’re so glad Lil Nas X had a sense of humor about this, because it’s comical that this guy seems to hate the color pink that much.

There are a lot of English names that have been traditionally considered unisex — like Cameron, Alex, Ashley, and Drew. But, more and more people these days are giving their children names traditionally for the other gender, which opens a whole world of opportunity.

Even if Cameron’s name was Susan, this guy had no right to insult him. Going after his name — something he had no control over — is such a childish low blow. We do at least appreciate the irony of his name being Alex.

While nail polish has traditionally been for women, more and more men these days are embracing the creativity that manicures and pedicures offer. It’s great that men are slowly being allowed to express themselves in ways women have always been afforded.

The supposed haters probably had good points, like that she denied her child happiness by reinforcing really old, pointless gender norms. Why can’t boys have nice, colorful nails like girls? It makes no sense.

Have you ever escaped into the mind of a well-fleshed character, or imagined yourself walking down the streets of a novel you’re reading set in medieval times? Books are a great way to expand our minds and escape our realities… if you’re a girl.

That’s right — men shouldn’t read. They’re supposed to spend all their time working or sitting around. Books are a waste of time that they could be “learning hands-on.” So get out those electric saws, boys.

Active threat drills have become all too common in the United States, due to the very real threat of a dangerous situation happening in schools. It’s good that schools are trying to prepare for the worst, but it’s hard for any teacher or student to have to go through that.

Why on earth were the children separated by gender in the first place? If it were a real situation, the last thing on people’s minds would be if boys and girls are mixing! The safety of the children should be the main concern, including this trans student.

The Nintendo Switch was all the rage during lockdown — due to its ease of use and fun, relaxing games like Animal Crossing. They also have the more affordable Nintendo Switch Lite, which comes in fun colors.

Yellow and turquoise? What was Nintendo thinking? Don’t they know that men only wear black, white, and blue? The rest are all girl colors! The funny thing is that the Switch in the photo is gray, blue, and red. How is that feminine? You tell us.

Barbie and Hot Wheels were all the rage in the late ’90s. Children of both genders had massive collections of both toys. Add in Legos, and it was any kid’s dream come true. But, some people tried to control which toys their kids could play with.

Plenty of young girls like Hot Wheels, and plenty of young boys like Barbies. Toys are toys, and kids should play with whatever they want as long as it doesn’t harm them or other people.

With the planet slowly getting hotter and hotter, people are finding different ways to stay cool. One of those ways has been the return of short shorts for boys. No more bermudas or cargo shorts — men like them short and comfortable.

This person isn’t having it, though. Exposing your thighs isn’t manly! Who cares about comfort? It’s all about what this person says you can wear as a dude. Watch out, because they’ll probably come after men in tank tops next.

There were a lot of ways we protected ourselves during the pandemic. We increased how often we washed our hands, we used hand sanitizer, we tried not to be too close to others for too long, and we wore masks.

Masks were to block viral particles, not to look cute. Of course this mask allows you to breathe easier — that’s because it’s barely even a mask! Girls don’t need to look delicate and feminine when protecting themselves from a virus.

It’s tough to be a woman gamer. A lot of people don’t take them seriously, talking down to them or thinking that they don’t actually know what they’re doing or talking about.

This guy is acting like women’s understanding of deep stories or logic puzzles is nonexistent. Women have brains too and are perfectly capable of figuring things out. While he’s right that most game testing is done by men, he’s wrong about pretty much everything else.

For some reason, society thinks that men shouldn’t be able to drink things that taste good, like sugary adult beverages or Frappuccinos from Starbucks. It’s weird that society would try to control something so minor and unimportant.

He, as a grown man, is getting a mocha cookie crumble frappuccino because he wants to. That’s it. That’s the only reason he needs. If he enjoys it, he can drink it. Let’s stop gatekeeping drinks, shall we?

Sometimes, girls have unrealistic expectations of men, and these expectations put a lot of pressure on men to look and act a certain way. Of course, women experience this too, and for both genders, these expectations often border on completely ridiculous.

Ridiculous is expecting a man not to enjoy eating hummus. Why do we need to gender food? It’s just chickpeas. How are chickpeas feminine? And even if they were, how are you going to judge a guy you just met based on his snack choice? Like we said, it’s ridiculous.

Despite people nowadays seeing makeup as something only women use, makeup has been used by men for centuries. Ancient Egyptian men invented the cat eye, and in England, men used powder for a flawless matte look.

If modern-day men want to start using makeup again, we have no problem with that! But call it what it is — concealer. It’s not war paint, unless you’re battling the bags under your eyes that your toddler gave you, which can feel a lot like a battle.

The world of fantasy and sci-fi is vast. The books the genres encompass are creative and often elaborate and may appeal to anyone who has a big imagination, man or woman. But, this guy wasn’t okay with that.

Oh, so sorry, sir. The woman wasn’t aware that she’s not allowed to enjoy fantasy books because you (not the author) claim they’re only for men. Even if the author did say they were for men, they can’t control what people read in their free time!

Somehow society has decided that men can only have two emotions — stoic, and angry. They aren’t allowed to be overly excited, and they definitely aren’t allowed to cry. Never mind the fact that expressing our full range of emotions is healthy and necessary for all humans, male or not.

Their three reasons were a family member dying, a dog dying, and their truck breaking down. The third seems silly, but we say we agree because a man should be able to cry whenever he feels the need, even if it’s over a truck.

As a parent raising a child to pave their own path, whether it’s playing with a toy that’s “for the opposite gender” or supporting a boy growing his hair long, it can be frustrating when other adults try to impose gender norms on their kids.

This child literally embodies the dinosaur spirit, and we’re here for it. We love that mom is supportive of whatever her child wants to play with. There’s nothing wrong with dolls — and there’s nothing wrong with a girl wanting a dinosaur, either!

While it may come as a surprise to some, men and women are in fact both humans, and have most of the same body parts. Some like to think men and women are drastically different, but anatomy-wise, things are very similar.

Sure — Chewbacca is a guy, but guys have rear ends too! It’s not like women are the only ones with junk in the trunk. Chewbacca is also literally a fictional creature, so he can look however the creators wanted him to look.

9% of the US population will experience some form of disordered eating, and the statistics in other countries are probably similar. Societal pressure and the need for control are just some of the reasons people may come to face this hardship.

People like this commenter are the reason it’s so hard for guys to get help. Men can have eating disorders too, and what’s important is supporting them in getting help, not questioning why they are where they are. You are a superhero, dude.