Being in His Shoes (for one day)

Ever since we were young, we grew up watching chick flicks and romantic movies that usually ended up with the male proposing his love for the girl, or the female anxiously waiting for her prince charming. It's always the male who decides when things between the two should become official, and it's always his decision to decide whether or not they should be in a relationship. Who decided to give men all the power to decide who and when they want to make something official? Why do we always have to make sure they're ready for commitment? This leaves the female with a forced passive attitude. She patiently waits for him to pop the question no matter how eager or ready she is because as long as he's ready, everyones ready..right?

But then came Sadie Hawkins. First off, lets talk a little about who Sadie Hawkins is, and how this day even originated. Sadie Hawkins is not an actual human being, but rather a character from the famous comic strip, Li'l Abner. The story involves Sadie, the daughter of a settler, who impatiently waited at home for several years for men to come court her away to marriage. By the time she reached 35, her father fell into desperation and gathered up all the single, unmarried men to the town. Sadie Hawkins day was then created, along with the Sadies Hawkins race. Men were lined up and were forced to run away from the "to-be-bride" for their freedom. Whoever came in last at the race or was caught by Sadie herself, was forced into marriage with her. So thus the point of the game was whoever she caught in the race was going to be her future husband.

Sadie Hawkins may seem like just a fun idea where women ask men out but what does this say about women and male dominance? Do women have to be married in order to have a happy life? The Sadie Hawkins race mocks the ability of women to court men. Apparently women are unable to court men unless through comedic races at high levels of desperation. Sadie Hawkins proves that women just lounge around and wait for men to come to them. Women are clearly seen as the weaker link, and inferior towards males. Men have always been dominant over women and are automatically raised and taught to always be more powerful than women, and to always be the one that makes the decisions.

We have grown accustomed to the power of male dominance so that it seems "new" or "unusual" when women are the ones to have authority. Why do we need a day that allows women to ask men out? Why do we have to label it? Women have the complete ability to do so without just restricting it to a one-day only event. Sadie Hawkins is the only exceptional opportunity where a women is finally given power over the male.  It seems as if now if women were to court a man, she'd be offending the male and it wouldn't follow tradition. Sadie Hawkins restricts women to a day of freedom and choice, when it should be always-all year long. The power of male dominance has taken over our everyday lives but yet nobody notices this because it has become so normal to the American culture.