Grow a Vagina.

“Grow some balls”. “Suck my balls”. “He’s got balls for doing that”.

These are phrases that everyone has heard sometime in their lifetime and more than likely, they are phrases that everyone has said once or twice. It has nothing to do with physically having them but it has instead become an accepted way to either say: “Hey, gain some confidence and strength” or “I don’t care so you can buzz off” or “Man, that takes a lot of guts”. So why can’t most people say those phrases instead of glorying or denouncing a man’s testicles?

The reason is because a man’s testicles represent masculinity and the standards which it holds. A man, according to society’s standards, needs to be strong, unafraid, confident, and be the protector. So therefore, that makes women weak, passive, shy, and the ones that need protection. When a man “has balls”, it means that they are correctly adhering to the standard of masculinity but when they are told that they “need balls”, it’s the opposite. But sometimes, even women are told that. Does that mean that women need to be masculine? Or is it instead just another way to separate women from the men, implying their weakness and inferiority?

To be honest, I don’t understand why “balls” has become a symbol for masculinity…I think Betty White sums it up best:

And when you think about it, it’s completely true. A man’s testicles are known to be ultra-sensitive. Haven’t you seen a guy curled up in the fetal position from a swift kick to the baby maker because a guy thought it’d be funny? Sure, everyone sees that a man has weak parts. But have you seen a woman fall to her knees in tears because one part of her body is exceptionally vulnerable? Not really.

 The only reason that I see as to why balls are used as the symbol for masculinity is because of the patriarchal view of the male body. The male body is seen as the superior being and the creator of new life, which is why the genital are so highly emphasized in masculinity. If a man is considered “without balls”, he is deemed less masculine and might as well be considered a female according to society’s standards. A woman’s genitals according to society’s standards, although considered the bearer of new life, are considered lesser and inferior.

So in actuality, are balls a good signifier of masculinity? Or is a vagina a better symbol for strength and perseverance? All jokes aside, a woman goes through a lot more pain in her life dealing with a vagina and ovaries than a man does with his balls…but yet, women aren’t the ones on the ground writhing in pain.

So with all things considered, who exactly is lesser and inferior? And who needs to grow a vagina?