Anything you can do, I can do better...

The objectification of women has always been a hot-button issue. For men, some agree that women should have more respect for themselves, while others see a half naked female pining for any attention she can get and they use it to their advantage. It’s scary but, unfortunately, true.

When it comes to women, there are the few that love the attention and have some “issue” in their life to blame their less-than-respectful-ways upon…insert daddy issues here. Or there are the feminists who fight for gender equality, respect from men, and work hard to be “one of the boys”. Those women look down on the attention-seeking women and cringe.

Then there are women like myself, who are intelligent enough to use men’s stupidity to my advantage. I am objectified on a nightly basis as a bar tender on Bourbon Street. As soon as I smile at a male customer and he tells me how hot he thinks I am or other not so polite comments, I know I own him. Or at least his wallet. I’ll get him to buy me shots to increase my sales and keep reaching in his pockets for more tips. And all I have to do is smile, bat my eyelashes, flirt, or shake my hips when I walk. These hips are made for shakin’… Sure, there are times I lean over the cooler so they can check out my butt, but I have bills to pay and Loyola is NOT cheap.

My mentality on this is men will objectify me no matter what I do or how I act. As a woman, I have what they want and therefore, I am an object. It’s a disgusting and less than flattering theory because I know I’m more than that. I’m an intellectual and responsible female, and just because I have a vagina doesn’t mean I’m less than that. But since nothing really can be done, why not play the game right back? Why not use this knowledge to my advantage? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t take off my clothes or let anyone touch me (I usually threaten them if they try); I respect myself way too much for that. But if they can look at me and make sexually explicit comments, manipulation means pay back.