In standard stories in every type of medium, the villain is often an evil person, who wants to harm others or the world. The villain is untrustworthy, shifty and harmful to those around them. Though there are real people like this in our world, nothing is more villainous and harmful than society. Our society tells us how to act, how to look, how smart they are, and decides how respected we should be.
It starts off at a young age. Boys are told that emotions are weak, don't show them. Girls should be princesses, beautiful and in need of saving. Everything is separated into the girls section, which is almost always pink, and the boys section, which is mostly blue. The only way Legos figured it could target a female audience was to make a pink, girly version. Now, there is nothing wrong with liking blue or pink or "girly" or "boyish" things, but it's the fact that society forces these things upon you that makes it a villain.
Society tries to mold you into what it thinks you should be, and tries to strip you of your individuality. Many schools, for instance, barely have any art or music courses. Only more well off schools have them, and even then they aren't treated with the level of respect they should have. Instead, the only important things are sports or math and science courses. Nobody cares if you're good at history or English. Math and science are what matters. The only way to be deemed smart in society is if you have great grades, and do well on standardized tests. Never mind the fact that the ACT doesn't even acknowledge the writing part, which is optional anyway. So if you can't solve a math equation but you can write a stellar essay, you're out of luck.
Another way society is harmful is by how it convinces you the only way to be pretty is if you're skinny. Models and actresses who are almost too skinny are praised, and this is sending the wrong message out. The message should be to eat healthy and exorcise, not just "be skinny," because this leads to eating disorders, which are just as unhealthy as being overweight. Still, society doesn't care how you get there, as long as you do. You're anorexic? Well, now you can be a model. Congratulations!
Modern-day feminists try to convince you that women need saving, that men must do everything in their power to appease them. Be respectful to women, but women don't need to be respectful to you. It's a twisted way of thinking, but many preach this. The more popular these beliefs are, the more society will be better for women, and worse for men. In this, equality isn't achieved, and everyone should be equal. But society is shifty, and twists and turns things so that equality can never truly happen.
So what can we do to fix society? Nothing, really. It's a sad but true reality. Humans will always find a way to mess up and screw themselves over. If everyone started having healthy lifestyles, for instance, society would begin deeming some people too healthy, and others not healthy enough. There will always be a controversial thing, always something that society wants you to do, to be. There's no stopping its evil clutches. The only thing to do is to speak up against the wrong, and hope something can end up right.
