It’s been really hot here in Huron County. For those of you who don’t know where Huron County is, it’s the thumbnail of the “thumb” of Michigan. You’d think that with the lake surrounding our county it’d be cooler in the rising global temperatures we’re facing, but it's not. It has been in the lower nineties all week, and my thick hair has left my neck in a sea of its own sweat. Gross, I know, but this heat does have some advantages to it (though there are very, very few).

The first is that the hot weather gives me an excuse to spend as much money as I want on iced coffee from McDonald’s and lots and lots of ice cream (my summer obsession). The second? Since I have no A/C in my car (which sucks), I have to roll down my windows so I don’t suffer from heat exhaustion on my morning commute before I even reach my workplace. Why is this nice? Everyone loves feeling the wind blow through their hair, and you can turn your music up way louder than you ever should because the wind blasts your eardrums and makes the beats and melodies quieter. The last advantage is that the heat has caused me to pent up my rage like the Pokémon move “Endure,” where your battling Pokémon takes a few hits, meanwhile storing their anger and rage to ultimately come back with a powerful attack that is significantly more damaging to the foe than most other moves.

Why is this good? Because, my friends, my rage has inspired the following rant, and it’s a doozy.

If you have access to the internet and pay attention to social media or the news in the slightest (which I’m assuming you do since you’re reading this article), you’re probably aware of the “hot water” that Malia Obama has been in lately with some videos that were posted of her online without her consent. (I have bolded “without her consent” because, well, that’s kinda a big deal. How would you like people posting videos of you without asking you first? You wouldn’t.) Here’s the skinny. Malia Obama attended Lollapalooza a few weeks back. (For those of you who don’t know, Lollapalooza is a music festival.) Recently, some videos of Malia twerking and supposedly flashing her butt playfully and in good fun surfaced online, but that’s not all. Just a few days ago, a new video appeared, picturing Malia smoking what appears to be a joint of marijuana. Regardless of your beliefs about the legality (or lack thereof) of marijuana, it’s clear if one watches either of the videos that Malia did not know she was being filmed.

Before ANY of you try to pull the “But she’s the President’s daughter, so she should have gone out knowing that someone could be filming her,” please turn back around and cruise that ship right on home. To expect Malia, the First Family, or any celebrity or figurehead to act in a certain way just because they’re out in public and can be seen by your eyes is unreasonable and disrespectful. Just as you and I have the right to go out in public and not worry about having our every breath documented, they should too. (This is not my intended rant, but rather a little bonus rage for you, I suppose.)

Once the videos of Malia flooded the internet and spread like wildfire (as all news does), people instantly began chastising her. Some made racist comments. Others shamed the President for “raising” Malia “incorrectly.” (FYI, there is no such thing.) Yet even more began comparing Malia to her younger sister, Sasha, because at the same time that Malia was being blackmailed, Sasha was being praised.

Sasha Obama had recently become famous for taking up a job at a local restaurant. Photos of the 15-year-old were floating around the interfaces of the web, and people were praising her for going out and getting a job when she could have chosen not to.

Because people were praising Sasha and bashing on Malia, the battle of the Obamas began. Internet users instantly started comparing the two girls, and the following meme showed up in an app I have on my phone.

Let me begin with this statement--there is no one right way to go about life. There is no one right way to go about being a human, and there is no right way to go about being a woman. That’s right; I said it.

First of all, to conclude that Sasha is better because she has a job or that Malia is inappropriate or vulgar because she was at Lollapalooza without any context or understanding of who they are as individuals other than the brief images we’ve seen and descriptions we’re given online is unjust. It is not fair to pit these sisters against each other as if they were competing to be the best daughter or even the best woman. The moment I saw this picture on my screen, I grew furious. Why is society so fixated on comparing women as if there were a standard to be met or a “perfect” woman?

I’ve seen so many cases of the comparative literature I’m speaking of on my newsfeeds, in headlines, or in social media posts, and they’re so easy to spot. Below are some examples that I took the time to seek out.

This photo is obnoxiously rude and was shared by an old classmate of mine on Facebook. (I knew this was the article I would be writing today, so he basically placed this one right in my hands. Hilariously and brilliantly coincidental.) If a girl enjoys wearing boots, then let her wear boots. She is allowed to wear whatever she wants whenever she wants. Comparing girls who participate in farming to those who don’t is a joke. Maybe not every girl enjoys farming. I don’t. Does that mean I’m not allowed to wear boots from October through March? Does that mean that girls who don’t farm can’t wear boots to places other than the farm, like a concert? No, absolutely not. That doesn’t make any sense.

This particular discussion about makeup wearing and usage adds fuel to the constantly burning fire in my heart about this particular issue. No one has the right to regulate your right to do whatever makes you feel comfortable. I go to college with girls who have, on multiple occasions, bragged about how they don’t wear makeup and prefer to go “natural” so that they can “WOW” their boyfriends when they do paint their faces. But, uhm, shouldn’t your boyfriend think you’re more beautiful without the makeup society forces upon your face? And by bragging about being “natural,” you are putting down those of us who actually enjoy wearing makeup every day. It’s not about shocking people. It’s about being comfortable in your skin. (Sorry, but this, in particular, really irritates me. If you’re one of those bragging “I’m natural” people, get over yourself. Sorry, but I’m not sorry.)

Do not even get me started on my argument opposing those who claim that the Kardashians are empty-headed, unsuccessful sex objects. Especially Kim. (Do not come for my girl Kim. I will fight to the death.) Other than the fact that that claim is totally false, this image represents a contradiction between the Kardashians, who enjoy designer clothing and upscale items and homes, and women like the female character Letty, who is a part of the "Fast & Furious" series. (I just found this information out and I’m disgusted because women used in action movies like Fast & Furious, Transformers, or any other film about cars are typically used as eye candy, so I could quit discussing this photo now, but I won’t.) Obviously, Letty is a girl who is knowledgeable about cars, and in this image, a girl (not Letty herself) is depicted fixing a tire.

First of all, to assume that none of the Kardashians know how to change a tire is both sexist and class-ist. Just because someone may have a lot of money doesn’t mean they don’t know how to fix things or have what society considers to be “necessary” skills. It’s also not OK to put these women into a boxing ring with each other. They are completely different women with different personalities, hobbies, likes and dislikes, and it’s unfair to try to say that one is better than the other.

Brian Atwood is an American women’s shoe designer who clearly thinks that being a man means that he is entitled to hold an opinion that degrades women who simply cannot afford his “high class”, overpriced, mega-tall heels. Brian Atwood has never worn heels in his entire life, nor has he ever worn women’s shoes; therefore, he doesn’t have the right to make any claims about whether stilettos are better than Uggs because he’s also biased (clearly).

His argument here compares two types of women: those who can and do buy stilettos and those who can or cannot and buy Ugg boots instead. I don’t even know where to begin. Like I stated previously, the fact that he’s a man saying this pretty much says it all. Generally speaking, though, it’s not fair to compare women who like different kinds of shoes to each other. No one type of shoe is better than any other. Boots are not better than flats. Kitten heels are not inferior to stilettos. Sandals and flip-flops should not be compared. Why? Because they’re completely different from each other. Not only is this witty quote dangerously comparative, but it’s terribly class-ist as well.

You get my point by now. Every woman is beautifully unique. We all have talents and dreams that no one else has. We have different personalities and body shapes and sizes. We have different colors of hair, skin, eyes, and even toenails. Why does society throw us at each other like there’s something to be won? It is a ploy to encourage us to fight for their approval, and we don’t need it. We need only to love ourselves. You don’t have to ask anyone for their approval or permission to be fabulously and brilliantly you. You don’t have to dress the way they want you to. You don’t have to eat the way they want you to, and you certainly don’t have to give into the pseudo-competition like they want you to. In fact, fight it. Instead of competing against each other, we should band together as a team to fight society’s desire to pit us against each other just so they can watch us all fall with broken arms and broken hearts.

I will not be a puppet to society and neither should you. We are all awesome women who deserve a lot better than that. So, in closing, here is one final image for you to cherish.