Ladies, are we being played by the male species? According to an article featured in Suede magazine, we are.
The article interviews gigolos and boasts that it is relatively easy for a man to take advantage of a woman as long as he gives her what she needs first.
The men in the article were really getting over on the women that they were dealing with, too. These women were buying the gigolos everything imaginable from clothes, shoes, vacations, and even letting them live in their homes.
The funny part of the article was when asked about their behavior; these men blamed their actions on their fathers. They said that their fathers had directly, or indirectly, taught them that it was okay to live off a woman.
All of this seems far-fetched right? Well at least that was what I was thinking when I read the article.
I asked myself, what woman in her right mind would let some man get away with this foolishness. Then after speaking with a couple of my friends, I had to come to the conclusion that I was just being naive and these actions did indeed occur right here at FAMU.
Granted not many of us women are in the position to provide the expensive gifts that the women in the article provided, but we do allow men to pimp us in other ways. It is nothing to here a man on campus talking about how he had some girl to do his laundry or cook for him while he had another to do his homework and yet another for his pleasure.
Now I understand that this is college and it is a common act to date around. I even understand that the male to female ratio here on campus is atrocious. And after jail, drugs, drive by’s, and homosexuality you may begin to feel that your choices are a wee bit limited. Trust me I feel your pain.
Nevertheless, you must never let any man disrespect you because they are a limited commodity. Relationships are supposed to be an even exchange. If your man is portraying behavior that suggests he only wants you for your skills and fails to bring adequate compensation to the table, please feel free to let him go, because he is probably a college gigolo.
If you feel like every situation is all about your man, that could be because it is. When you deal with this type of person, you must understand that manipulation is their middle name. Initially it may seen as if this person understands you and really does feed you soul, but ultimately you will see that not only do they take more than they give, they are also probably taking from some other woman as well.
Men, this is not just for the women. If you feel that you have a girlfriend and all she wants out of you is her hair and nail money, then most likely you are being played as well.
One of the men that comments on the situation in the article wrote a book entitled “Play of get Played”. This book encourages you to manipulate your partner to get what you want. When did society deem this behavior necessary and proper? What happened to the days when people were honest with each other?
No matter what society implies is okay, it should be remembered that not only is honesty the best policy, it is the only policy. So, if you are reading this, and you suspect that your are being played, run away from this person. And if by chance you are the culprit, I urge you to stop and think about what your are doing. After all karma is a killer!
Sheryl M. Patterson is a senior political science student from Tallahassee. She can be reached at sheryl_marteisha@yahoo.com.