Opinion: Male Celebrities Get Away with Mediocrity

Have you ever been to a concert to see a solo male artist? Take Ed Sheeran for example. Oftentimes, concerts of such artists are rather lowkey. They wear something comfortable, don’t do a ton of dancing, and generally keep things pretty plain and simple. This does not apply to all male singers of course, and also doesn’t mean they are not extremely talented: they are! My point is that male performers do not have to go all out for their tours to be successful but female performers do. 

Take Doja Cat for example. She rose to fame recently and is on her biggest tour to date. Her concerts are complete with dancers, carefully coordinated choreography, matching outfits, and more. She sings, she raps, she dances: she does it all. Another good example is Taylor Swift. Her most recent tour for her album Reputation put on a huge spectacle. There is a huge team of dancers, outfit changes, props, huge constructed objects, guest stars, and more. It takes much more effort to have a critically acclaimed tour for female artists than it does for men, and even then they are criticized more often on social media. Breakout star Olivia Rodrigo recently kicked off her first tour and is already catching flack online for not doing enough despite the fact this is her first tour (and she is, in fact, doing enough).

It is not just singers and their concerts, too. Expectations are lower for male celebrities in general. A great example is fashion. Take the Met Gala for example. Most of the men in attendance (note that I said most, not all) wear some variation of a black or white tuxedo. There’s nothing wrong with a classic look, but it is nothing new or exciting for an event that focuses on progressive fashion. The women, however, always go over the top with extravagant gowns, headdresses, and creative looks. Katy Perry once wore wings to the event. The ladies at the Met Gala take hours to put their looks together and a lot of time, thought, and creative expression go into creating them. Women simply have to try harder to avoid being put on the worst-dressed list, and it is an unfair difference they have to deal with. 

My aim is not to disparage male celebrities for not doing enough, but simply to point out the double standard that women in Hollywood are held to in almost every aspect of their fame. Whether it be fashion, performances, or online presence, they have to be perfectly curated at all times in order to be taken seriously and avoid harassment from tabloids or people on social media. I think it is about time we start showing some appreciation for the effort that goes into maintaining their images and maybe encouraging today’s leading men to get a little more creative!

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