Maddy+C’s+Final+AmEx+2013+Speech



= = =Title of Speech= Ladies, Not Bitches

=Text of Speech= The 464th rule of being a lady (according to a tumblr page) is: “There is more to being classy than simply eating or dressing well. Being classy means always being kind, respectful, and polite, even to those you abhor. “ The only problem is, somewhere along the lines, the term “lady” seems to have vanished, and the term “bitch” seems to have taken its place when describing a woman. Watching not only my peers in high school, but also observing women outside of school, I have been come to the conclusion that women have shot themselves in the foot. We want respect, but there are those among us who do not behave in ways that command respect. Women today seem to have become harsher and cruder than in previous eras, both for better and for worse. Yes, women have gotten more of a backbone in comparison to the past and are able to stand by themselves in today’s society, many do not need a man for financial support; but in the process of becoming independent, we have also harshened our appearance and forgotten what it is like to be referred to as ‘a lady’. Now when I say the term ‘lady’ I am not referring to a social hierarchy. I am not referring to the stereotypical woman in pumps and pearls who is a snotty country club member. When I use the term ‘lady’ I mean a woman who respects herself. She is polite yet holds her own. I just don’t see that as often as I would like in my generation. Today, women are looser when it comes to their sexuality, profanity, and manners. I see girls hooking up with boys, swearing like sailors and belching like a middle-aged man. It all has to stop. Girls, we are getting too sloppy, and it’s affecting the way men, and the media see us.

I for one am sick of being referred to as a “bitch” when people talk about a general group of girls. “Yeah, I’m gonna get some bitches” or “That bitch is hot”. No, I am not what you call a ‘bitch’. I’m a girl. But girls seem to be accepting the term that is casually used to describe them and I don’t understand why. The term ‘bitch’ is a word that just brings women down. It chips away at self-esteem and self-respect and I don’t understand why on earth women have just accepted the term, and not only accept it, but are embracing it. Swearing and staggering along at a party in a ridiculously revealing outfit with the Man meat of the night is something I have seen too many times by girls whether it be on the street or on TV. Girls, this sloppy display is ruining us. Displays like that are the reason we have earned the title “bitch”.

Why the heck are we being referred to as “bitches, and hoes, and shawty” in music? (I still don’t fully understand the term shawty) Every rap song I hear on the radio today is about how some guy is going to bang some ‘hoe’ in a club. And the only reason that I think some sweaty rapper would be singing about something like this, is if girls are actually doing it. That behavior is not going to get any respect from men. It just ticks me off when I hear girls complain that there aren’t any good guys anymore. No, there are good guys out there, you just aren’t going to find a guy who wants to stick around with you if all you’re going to do is have drunk sex with some random dude in a club.

Our actions are allowing our standards to be lowered whether we realize it or not. Men are going to treat us the way that we allow them to treat us. If a girl is throwing herself around, then she doesn’t have much self respect, and therefor not receiving much respect from men. Women need to stop expecting such a high level of respect if they are going to act in a way that doesn’t deserve it.

Girls, this speech obviously doesn’t apply to all of us, it might not even apply to anyone in this room; but the point I am trying to make is that people, not just girls, get the respect that they deserve based on the respect they give themselves. This image of girls being trashy and only good for one thing is not just the media’s fault. We have allowed this image of us to exist. We have to fight against the stereotype and not give into it-even if it seems cool or exciting or whatever the reason may be. In the America I grow up in, we need to get rid of the ‘bitches’ and bring back the ‘ladies’. I want to reclaim that title and regain our self respect. As Abigail Adams once said “remember the ladies”.

=Cite Your Sources= http://etiquetteforalady.tumblr.com/