My senior year of High School I took a female topics class that changed my life. Before that I had never really understood how big of an impact the media has on individuals & the standards that are pushed on them surrounding gender. 

We've all seen it before - you just might not notice it because it has become so normalized. In popular magazines & films women are seen as desirable if they dress 'sexy' or act flirtatious, but at the same time are only seen as 'wife material' if they are pure & domestic. It is expected that women somehow find the perfect balance, for if they go too far in one direction they are either 'sluts' or 'prudes'. They are faced with so many silly standards, such as being told, a man wants a woman that is smart, but not too smart, as it will scare them off. 

Men face it too! They are told if they ever want a girlfriend they have to be in good shape, confident, and athletic, but are shamed for being cocky, too sensitive, or overly smart. They are told that they need to be kind & gentile to their significant other, but not overly kind or they are considered 'whipped', and not too mean or they are abusive. I mean we've all heard jokes about who wears the pants in a relationship - right? Men, like Women, are faced with an impossible balance between these standards. 

As I entered college I continued taking classes in gender studies & realized how deep these issues really go. From the moment we are born we are assigned a gender & targeted based on that gender from things as simple as color (girls are pink & boys are blue), to what a child might be when they grow up & what gender they are expected to be attracted to. 

Some of you might be rolling your eyes & thinking "so what?" or "ohh look another millennial going on complaining about gender!", but I'm asking you to take a moment & think about how ridiculous these double standards really are.

The standards placed on individuals to be perfect are not even attainable, as the 'perfect' so many of us strive to reach does not exist. It is all done to encourage consumers to buy products, striving to reach the 'ideal image' that is constantly changing & in no way attainable. As trends constantly change so many struggle to keep up with it in hopes they will look & feel better about who they are as a person. Our youth is being slammed with ideas of what they think they should be, how they think they should look, and what they think they should act like. These expected actions are where gender roles come in. 

A gender role is "the role or behavior learned by a person as appropriate to their gender, determined by the prevailing cultural norms." While these roles have certainly come a long way since the past, it is still important to know they are out there & that gender roles are okay to break!! 

That is why when I saw this shirt at Salvation Army I just had to pick it up. PIZZA ROLLS NOT GENDER ROLES PEOPLE!

Next time you see a woman who is interested in technology, engineering, mechanics or any relatively 'male dominant' field, or a man who is a hairstylist, nurse, stay at home dad, or interested in more 'faminine' hobbies do NOT ask them why? do not look surprised! Pat them on the back - they are the future!

Next time you see a boy who has dreams of being a ballerina, or a little girl who likes trucks, don't discourage or shame them - embrace who they are. 

The world does not need such harsh gender roles - just more pizza rolls! :)

I know this post was a little different from what I normally write, but finding this shirt gave me a platform to share a little of what I have learned in college. I am forever thankful that our school systems teach us such important material & that I have a boyfriend that encourages me to have my own voice, and pushes me to be the best I can be not only at home or in the kitchen, but in my career. 

Help empower others with me by tagging me on instagram @keypsake_treasures & using the hashtag #pizzarollsnotgenderroles in a photo doing something you love!

"We are more powerful when we empower each other"