Bars in college are a very interesting place. They're often packed, hot as hell and the oxygen in the air is replaced with smoke from cigarettes. The social aspect of bars is even stranger. People are there looking to meet new people, find hook up's, and have fun with friends. The bars have a culture that is all its own, but have you ever stopped to think about just how sexist the culture really is?
Let's get the easy one out of the way: sexism towards females, specifically when it comes to dress code. Sure there are girls who wear Nike shorts and t-shirts to the bars, but more often than not girls are dressed to the nines and showing a whole lot of skin. Part of the reason we dress like this is because we want to get all dressed up and we want to look hot (gotta get those free drinks, am I right ladies?). But at the same time, there is huge pressure to look good. I've been out with friends shopping for clothes and my friends will say how they "need to find something slutty for the bars." What makes all of this sexist though is the difference in standards for dress between males and females. All guys have to do to get ready to go out is shower and throw on a clean shirt, whereas when girls do that they stick out like a sore thumb.
Now before you're like "wow, looks like we got a raging Feminazi on our hands," let me tell you how guys have to deal with just as much sexism (if not more) at the bars. Have you ever noticed how guys almost always have to pay cover at bars? For girls as long as it isn't the weekend, a quick smile and a flash of your ID will get you into almost any bar at no cost. However, guys almost always have to pay, and the cash flow doesn't stop there. As soon as guys are inside the bar they're then expected to pull out their wallets and start buying girls drinks. I'm even guilty of this; I will flirt with a guy and dance with him in hopes that he will buy me drinks. I'm able to go out on any given weekend and spend $30-$40 (depending on if I need a cab, which most of the time the guys I'm with will offer to pay for that too), whereas some of my guy friends will spend almost $100 in one night alone.
Although these practices might not change any time in the near future, it's something that is very prevalent and overlooked. I'm not calling for a change in the social order of the bars, just the next time you're at the Levee or Roosters, take a look around and see what you notice.
