The role of gender in society raises many important questions: Why are ladies always being asked to throw their hands in the air like they just don’t care? Why are single-person bathrooms gendered? We should be focusing on the proliferation of faulty bathroom locks, since no one feels safe with a janky lock, regardless of the sign on the door.
Debates about whether gender is fluid, binary, or nonexistent are generally abstract in nature as gender is a social construct that changes both from culture to culture and within the same society over time. To help provide a foundation for these necessary conversations, which are always super super nuanced, we investigated how Americans gender particular objects, professions, and activities.
According to many Americans, masculinity is most strongly associated with woodworking, trucks, and weight lifting. In contrast, femininity is largely connected to ballet, the color pink, and candles. Yes, you read that right—a soothing object that emits light and pleasant scents has no place in a man cave, according to most Americans. But what if the candle smells like a steak?
The good news is not everyone sees life in terms of blues and pinks. Arguing, art, and love are thankfully seen as gender-neutral by most Americans. Which can only mean that nothing is less gendered than arguing with someone about who loves art more.
The distribution for boy bands is the most *⚠️Warning: Unnecessary statistical term ahead* platykurtic, meaning it has the least consensus on the extent and form it is gendered, and will be more prone to spark argumentation. Honestly, how could someone not love boy bands? They have the emotional turmoil of punk rockers and the voice of Christina Aguilera. Speaking of platykurtic, Americans' gender identity also spans the entire distribution. We are all boy bands at heart!
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