In the 1940s, the sole purpose of a woman’s life was to find a husband and start a family. Now, with the help of feminism and a controversial article from British Vogue, the tables on how women view men may have changed.
Mya Bedoya, a PEACE sophomore, states, “People always talk about dating and having a boyfriend, but I never really felt like I had to. I just focus on my own stuff, and if it happens, it happens.”
This new push back from women is a good thing. A way for them to make their independence known, a way for them to make their non-reliance on men clear.
In agreement, Chante Joseph wrote an article for British Vogue on October 29 of this year that led to a wave of comments of both reaffirming and contrasting outlooks. In this article, Chante details how “In an era of heterofatalism, (the feeling among straight women that heterosexual relationships are doomed to fail or are hopeless, but pursue them anyway.) women don’t want to be seen as being all about their man, but also want the clout that comes with being partnered.” One of the women Chante interviewed went as far as to say that “Even though I am a romantic, I still feel like men will embarrass you 12 years in.”
This is almost the opposite of all the media that have been shoved down girls’ throats since the time they were little.
We see this in how Ariel decides to sell her voice for a chance to find love with the Prince, in how, in almost every romantic comedy, the girl claims her life is miserable, the metaphorical clouds only clearing when she falls in love with the leading man.
As a society, we have made the social norm for a woman’s main purpose to be finding and falling in love with a man. So, is it possible that this new wave of boyfriend embarrassment is further propelling the feminist movement? Or is it hurting the fight for equality by putting down men?
Brenda Tubbs, the QUEST pathway lead and a teacher for QUEST senior projects, states that “As a mother, I didn’t allow my kids to date until they were 16. I wanted them to sense who they were before they even explored partnering with someone. I didn’t want them to lose themselves in a relationship, and that does happen. Guys typically don’t claim the relationship until they have to. Whereas girls are normally very excited to go, ‘I’m in a relationship. ’ I’ve noticed the biggest shift is that girls are more okay with being single and being with their friends and not having to claim a relationship, they’re just who they are and comfortable with that, and I think that is more in line with what Vogue was talking about.”
In addition, another reason the Vogue article provides as to why girls have been ditching boyfriends is because of the fact that men just have not been meeting some women’s standards for their relationships. One of the top comments on the women-targeted podcast Delusional Diaries states, “Boyfriends are out of style, and they won’t come back until they start acting right.”
The article, as the generalized consensus has been, is relatable for many women who also share this feeling of embarrassment for men, and it is entirely possible that, if not true for some women, they simply no longer feel the need or societal pressure to be in a heterosexual relationship. This is an extremely large step towards a more gender-equal society.
Melvin Pham • Feb 24, 2026 at 9:46 am
I think the graphic design for this article was just outstanding.
Harper Young • Feb 3, 2026 at 6:13 pm
Barth explores the idea that women are beginning to feel less pressured or even required to have a boyfriend. She utilizes many different interviews, including one from British Vogue, to detail the varying opinions of women. This provides her main point with more depth which helps the audience fully understand the topic.
I love that Barth addresses this rising social norm because it is important in the lives of all women. Suppressing the social standard of having a boyfriend not only improves women’s social equality, but it instills independence and confidence in women who don’t have a boyfriend. Personally, I love this new trend and any further encouragement. This pattern demonstrates an increasing improvement from the past of inequalities for women and will hopefully continue to rise in the future. The purpose of a woman’s life should never be to please a man.