The baseline thuds against the walls of clubs as revelers extend their index fingers and aim it toward anyone within pointing distance.
While Ludacris chants the chorus, “I said that you’se a ho!” Everyone shouts at the end, “HO!”
So, who is the ho? Is it the female on the dance floor gyrating to the infectious beat of the song, or is it the male whispering lude propositions at the bar?
“If a girl sleeps around with a whole bunch of guys, she’s called a ho,” said Donald Johnson, 19, a computer information systems freshman from Atlanta.
“If a guy [sleeps around], he’s tight and he’s a pimp. He gets congrats from his homeboys.”
For centuries, society has seen a double standard placed on the sexual activities of men and women throughout a broad range of cultures.
Women are commonly looked down on for their promiscuity, while men are often applauded for their various sexual endeavors.
“Most cultural values exist over a long period of time,” said Jeffery Jacques, professor of sociology.
He said that this particular value, the double standard, can be traced all the way back to the beginning of history. The Bible is one example.
“This is a learned cultural process,” Jacques said, “therefore, we have learned to accept the double standard that many men evaluate themselves, in part, on the number of partners they have.”
“Every guy has a roster,” said Devan Tripp, 19, a business administration sophomore from Raleigh, N.C.
“Depending on his game, he might have three girls, five girls, 12 or 15 – and they are all in a certain order.”
According to Tripp’s theory, the first female on the ‘roster’ is a man’s main girl.
“From girl nine to 13, I call them my 12 a.m. to 3 a.m. girls.”
He goes on to imply that these are the ones who usually get called for sex.
Some male students feel that society gives men the wrong message when it comes to promiscuity.
“Society engrains in us that we are supposed to be players,” said John Vasquez, 18, a freshman computer engineering student from New York.
“A man can sleep around with plenty of women because it’s a sign of power. Therefore, when other women know that you have women, it shows them power.”
As a result, this symbolism attracts more females to that particular male, Vasquez believes.
According to Jacques, the historical consequences of being sexually active have been harsher for women than for their male counterparts.
Since ancient times, a woman’s virginity has been respected. Before the use of contraceptives, it was easy to recognize a woman who was sexually active.
The most obvious sign was pregnancy.
It should be noted that in those times pregnancy out of wedlock was trouble.
On the other hand, if a man was having sex – there was no way for anyone to know about it unless he told someone.