Oh, let me clarify: I do not watch televised NFL games on Sunday afternoons. I do, however, frequent high school and mights football games starring my incredibly athletic and gifted nephews, but that's not that kind of football I mean. I mean, when I'm on a date and a guy asks me if I like the Patriots, he's undoubtedly going to be disappointed by my non-commital, "Eh, yeah, sort of."
I don't want to say 'no' exactly, because I have watched football before hundreds of times, and I don't hate it; I just don't love it. But they want me to love football. (Yes, I did just group all men into one large all-encompassing 'they'). Because THEY really do want me to. It's not their fault though, and it's not mine either.
Us females, we are born into a world of pink, sparkles, and frills. We are wrapped in blankets adorned in flowers. We're given gifts wrapped rose-toned paper tied with lace. We are taught that we are girls and we should like "girl things." Not to be confused with boy things. Footballs, wrapped in football wrapping paper, to toss around with football buddies before Monday night football.
You know, guy stuff.
Okay, so I'm exaggerating, but you get where I'm going with this. People teach us what to like when we're younger, but then we grow up.
Little boys who like football grow up to be grown men who like football and everyone is totally fine with it. Little girls who like ballet grow up to be grown women who love ballet but are watching football with their husbands on Sunday afternoons because they're cool wives.
We get older and men want the best of both worlds. They want us to wear dresses and cook because that's what girls do, but they also want us to watch football and drink beer because that's what makes us cool. How confusing is that? The things we we're taught are strictly for boys when we're little are now the things we're being asked to like. Wait a second... I have an idea!
Men should like shopping. Men should like Grey's Anatomy. Men should like flowers. Men should like what we like. I don't consider myself a feminist by any means, but I do think that we're living a double standard, and ya know what? I find myself perpetuating that double standard.
Last week I went on a date with a new guy I met on OkCupid (I've upgraded from Tinder to OkCupid). We met at a restaurant for drinks. I wish I remember what he was drinking, but I remember thinking, 'okay, good choice,' when he ordered. I like beer, so I get worked up when a guy orders a Coors Lite or something on a date. Huge turn-off. Anyway, I was sipping on a Shipyard Pumpkinhead, not wanting to come off too masculine by ordering a lager or something, when he asked my least favorite question...
So, do you like football?
At which point I stuttered through my explanation of how I could see myself watching football with someone who cares about it, but how I would never sit down to watch the Pats on my own.
Oh, what do you like to watch? Grey's Anatomy? Scandal?
To which I answered honestly, "Both."
I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this because I know it's a girl show, but I watch Scandal, too.
I had no idea what to say, but I didn't have to think of anything because the conversation moved quickly to red wine, our jobs, our families, etc. But I kept thinking about Scandal. Did I think it was weird that he liked it? Sort of. I thought maybe he's gay. Then I thought maybe he doesn't know he's gay, but then the more I thought about it, I realized: THIS ROCKS! IF THIS WORKS OUT WE COULD WATCH SCANDAL ON THURSDAYS!
That's the thing, we forget that guys can like "girl things," too. It doesn't make them homosexuals, it makes them fun for girls to hang around with, the same way liking sports makes girls fun for guys to hang around with.
I feel like I'm rambling, but I'm gonna try to zero in on a point here: Gentlemen, it's okay for you to want a girl who likes sports, but it's also okay to like some of the girly things in life! And Ladies, it's okay for you to ask a guy to likes the things you like. It doesn't make him less manly, if anything, I think it makes him more attractive. Think of all of the potential shopping trips, paint nights, and Bachelor marathons in your future if you find the right man for the job.
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