Chapter One: The Slut "Boys are awed and attracted, and girls are jealous and threatened, and so there is a common need to bring 'the slut' down, to make her the outcast and thereby convince themselves that they are normal by contrast." --Commentary, Fast Girls: Teenage Tribes and the Myth of the Slut In the world of High School (and Junior High), students are quick to label and stereotype. It is a yearly ritual that is performed habitually. There are the "geeks", the ones with glasses and braces who spend all of their time studying; the "jocks", the ones that have skills out on the football field, and on the dating field but certainly lack in the IQ department; the "preps", the ones that buy from American Eagle, and gossip like there is no tomorrow, along with the others. Among mysterious and inviting as the girl that wears the brand. The slut. She is the one with "the the other labels, there is one that is almost as reputation". The one that the boys are drawn to and the girls avoid. She is not invited to join any of the other cliques, outcasted because of her supposed and almost assumed sluttyness. She is the one with no real friends... girls are afraid to be her friend, fearing that they could be wrapped up in the drama surrounding the slut. She is the one that is made out to be a girl that will steal your boyfriend like she doesn’t care, flirt until she finds it boring, and kiss until the guy is done with her. You've read about her in bathroom stalls, and in passed notes during Science class. She is the constant subject matter of talk at sleepovers (of which, of course, she is never invited to). No one shows or displays any form of loyalty to the slut. She is merely a curiosity, something only marveled at. Are the rumors true? Did she really do that? If anyone were to show loyalty to her, they would be rejected by the rest of the labels, particularly speaking of the labels with the most authority (of which would include the jocks and cheerleaders). And if any girl were to show her loyalty, she would immediately be outcasted by her fellow clique members. If any guy were to show loyalty to her, he would be abandoned by the girls, therefore not enabling him to date and be known for his stud-ly and admirable “player” abilities, the one trademark envied and coveted by all guys. Not even one person questions the truth of the rumors that surround the slut and/or that are about her and include her. They pass the rumor as if it is some kind of rare gold, awing at it, and sharing it with others. So quickly it travels, through hallways, classrooms, and telephones. Sometimes a person or two will step forward, and claim to have witnessed the mentioned event that supposedly occurred, and it is then when this rumor is confirmed and decided to be authorized and valid, and travels faster, with excitement. The thrill of telling the rumor is quickly ignited as it is told from person to person. The gossip is like a beehive, and the students are like the bees. Everyone wants in. There are many of levels of the people that are sharing the rumor. The jocks and cheerleaders, who are at the top of the label totem pole, first start (or find out some other way) the rumors, and pass them to the lower members of the totem pole. It is most commonly that the cheerleading girls will see another fellow student getting some attention from boys. Seeing her get this attention, the cheerleading girls will have mixed emotions of fear, jealousy, and fury. So, they pass around a certainly over exaggerated story of their fellow student, believing that if she is outcasted, no one would want anything to do with her. The lower members of the totem pole, including those who feel no sorrow, no compassion for the slut, are just passing the rumors as a thrill and as a way to be accepted, knowing these tidbits of knowledge makes many feel included in the corrupt high school scene. Other rumor-passers include those who are jealous of the slut’s attention and way with guys, so jealousy and anger fuel their need to outcast the slut, therefore making them normal by contrast. The scattered others just share the rumors as the only form of truth they know, as it is frowned upon in high school to not know the latest gossip, and teen girls are ashamed when having to ask others relentlessly about an occurring event. But what exactly creates the slut? The word “slut” itself was created out of fear. Fear that your boyfriend will be taken away. Fear that your relationship will be ruined. Fear that you would lose the guy you liked. That your crush would become someone’s boyfriend. So in order to shield yourself, to protect yourself from your fear carrying out, you brand and outcast the girl that could do the damage. The slut can be called what she is called for any reason that makes her seem provocative and wanted by the boys. A short skirt can warrant girls to hiss slandered names from across the hall. A low cut blouse invites girls to quickly exile the girl who is wearing the shirt. Ever since the time of Jesus, it has been considered that women and females have been held to higher social standards. Men could commit adultery and not be chaste, and it was measured as a good thing; something to be proud of. Yet, if a women was to cheat on her husband, she would be brutally stoned and killed, labeled as a whore. Tracing back history, you can examine all the ways in which females were constantly degraded when it came to their sexuality. Males, however, were congratulated and encouraged to display and flaunt their sexuality. It’s what made them accepted. Men proving their masculinity was the norm. Calling a girl a slut may be a way of breaking her down and making her seem insignificant, but if you scrutinize the term, and open it up, you will be able to examine all the ways in which the feeling of being threatened or afraid can cause us to outcast and destroy those who we believe can do the damage. Chapter Two: The Bad Apples "Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. The men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just get the rotten apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy. So the apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, THEY'RE amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree." This paragraph identifying women as apples was passed out via e-mail. It states that the best women are on the top of the tree.