Things We’ve Normalised That Definitely Aren’t Normal
And the things we need to normalise.
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Image via Pinterest.
Norms are constantly changing. Sometimes good new normals come about, like seeing body diversity in the media and showing support for same-sex relationships and marriage. But sometimes norms are shockingly awful, like the normalising of police brutality and for profit healthcare. Labelling things as normal is a way we’ve come to organise the world, so we know what's right and what's wrong, what we should and what we shouldn’t be doing. Normal is what we’re okay with, it’s what we’re used to.
Things we’ve normalised that aren’t normal:
- police brutality
- murder of non-whites
- the systemic inequality of society
- school shootings
- mass incarceration
- homelessness
- immigration detention centres
- sexual assault
- student debt
- voter suppression
- medical bankruptcy
- for profit healthcare
- billionaires/large corporations not paying taxes
Isn’t there something wrong with the fact that something is labelled as normal just because it happens a lot? Plenty of abnormal things happen on a daily basis that we’ve come to normalise, the reality of many everyday situations are immoral and quite frankly wrong. For example; the pandemic has exposed the systemic inequality of society showing us who’ll come out of this okay and who won’t, sexual assault happens so frequently statistics often don’t hit the headlines, and the rate of homelessness is so severe society has come to pretend that the homeless are invisible. Why is it that those most in need, those most affected by the things we’ve normalised that aren’t normal, are the ones we hear from the least and who end up being forgotten?
Image via Instagram #normalise.
Things we need to normalise:
- respecting/protecting women and their rights
- women in positions of power
- female masturbation
- public breastfeeding
- men expressing themselves through makeup
- men showing their emotions
- body diversity
- body hair
- cellulite/stretch marks/acne
- LGBTQ+ identities
- LGBTQ+ parents
- same sex relationships and marriage
- single parents
- adoption
- mixed ethnicity families
- interracial dating
- platonic relationships
- discussions about mental health
- discussions about race and racism
- therapy
- sex education
- equality for all
Modern lifestyles are ever-evolving and changing, and our world is becoming richer for it. One way we can go about bettering society is to normalise factors in our everyday lives that are still seen as taboo. Not only will doing this help open our minds and allows us to become more accepting, it’ll teach younger generations that whatever they may do in life, however they may feel, whoever they choose to become, all of it is entirely normal. We need to be open to new ways of thinking and new ways of being, even if it’s not the lifestyle we’d want to lead or something we’d do ourselves - just because we wouldn’t choose to do it doesn’t mean it's not normal.
It’s hard to progress and move forward until we normalise certain things. Having discussions about mental health, race and racism, respecting and protecting women and their rights, normalising LGBTQ+ identities and parents, and normalising therapy are just a few of the ways that we can make our world a better and more equal place for all. Times change, people change, and for us to move forward we may need to change too.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter to see more of what I’m up to, and I’ll see you same time same place next week!
Catch you soon,
J’Nae
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:
- Carry On: The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow by Rainbow Rowell is a must-read for any Harry Potter fans. At the start I thought the book was so similar I wondered how it was even allowed to go into production, but in the end it turns out to be a compelling story completely within its own rights. Think magic, star-crossed lovers, tragic pasts, and sworn enemies. Everything you’d want in a teen novel.
WHAT I’VE BEEN WATCHING:
- (Un)Well on Netflix has left me with tons of questions, I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s watched this show that thinks this. So far I've watched the 'Essential Oils’, ‘Tantric Sex’, ‘Bulking Up with Breast Milk’, and ‘Fasting’ episodes. Interesting, confusing, but also kind of enlightening… I wonder what the rest of the world makes of this series. Can't wait to finish it.
WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:
- Here’s a selection of Black-created podcasts curated by Refinery29 for people to listen to who want to become better allies to the Black community.
WHAT’S CAUGHT MY EYE:
- Lone Fox on YouTube has some of the best DIY interior and home renovation videos, his fun personality makes his videos really easy to watch. Be warned, you will want to redecorate your whole house after tuning in to his channel.
ON MY BLOG:
- I don't know why I held out on buying a pair of Dr. Martens for so long, but boy I’m glad I did. Because of my shorter height I bought the style that had a platform, and come winter I think these will be my go-to shoe. Mini shoot/blog post inspired by an image I’d saved on Pinterest, featuring one of my fluffy feline rescues.