The Double Standards Need to Stop

Recently, there was reports and pictures going around that showed actress Lily James kissing her married co-star Dominic West. There were headlines after headlines made about the affair and one thing I noticed was the unfortunate pattern being made from all of them.

For the most part, Lily was being blamed for it happening. Everyone saying how she should have known better than to have started something with a married man who also has children. They all made her out to be the bad guy and she received the most slander and backlash. Meanwhile, Dominic put on a untied front with his wife as if there was no problems to be had.

The price that came after the fallout? While Lily had to cancel her upcoming interviews she had and basically hiding away from any and all press, Dominic is now in talks to play Prince Charles in the upcoming seasons of the Netflix show, The Crown. So while she has to pay the price for her mistake, he gets praised and given a reward.

Do you see the problem here? If not I suggest you wipe your eyes away from the blatant sexism and double standards being faced right before you so maybe you can see better.

Now, this isn’t something new and ground-breaking that is happening. Unfortunately, it’s become more apparent throughout the years and has gotten so exhausting to have to keep talking about.

The fact of the matter is this; women always seem to be the ones to blame when it comes to things like this. As if people completely forget that there’s another person who is just as much if not more to blame in the situation.

Here’s the thing, were they both wrong for doing it? Yes. Should both of them had known better? Also yes. But should she have had to take all the slander for it? Not at all. If the roles were reversed would she still have been to blame? Absolutely. Because to society’s eyes women should know better while men should keep doing what they’re doing.

When a man does something like this, he gets sympathy for it and the world sheds a small tear for him. When a women does something like this, she gets shunned and a slap on the wrist for being a homewrecker or a slut. He gets his world uplifted while she gets brought down.

My question, though so simple, seems like it will never get answered: When is it going to be enough? When will both parties be given the same punishment instead of one taking the hit for them both?

I’m not condoning anyone’s actions, I’m just asking for people to take a good look at the situation at hand before pointing to finger.