Introduction
Being a rather novel concept, the term ‘simp’ took over social media and paved the way for numerous jokes and societal phenomena. The current paper provides a thorough definition of the concept and explains why it is affecting the culture and society negatively. To maintain the point regarding the misogynistic basis of simping, the author addressed this concept from two particular standpoints: female streamers and a general societal outlook. The importance of these arguments can be explained by the toxic nature of simping that averts society members from exposing or even displaying their true emotions. Accordingly, the culture of simping is a damaging concept, which cannot be left untreated or mistreated, as, otherwise, the damage done to interpersonal relationships will become irreversible. The paper is concluded with a thorough discussion on why one should strive to evade the simping culture and promote a less toxic and objectifying outlook on females.
Simping is damaging the culture and society because it reinforces misogynistic ideas and creates an environment where males start believing that women owe them something in return for verbal compliments or significant monetary donations.
Definition of the Concept
A simp is a person, most commonly male, who buys gifts, gives money, or does something to have the object of simping (usually female) pay attention to them. Even though it is not usually stated verbatim, the majority of simps tend to be looking for sex-based rewards (Marcus and Bromwich). There is a definite subcontext of misogyny affecting the usage of the word ‘simp.’ The simping culture has created a stereotypical outlook on females suggesting that the latter are only exploited for sex or physical contact and nothing else. The problem with real simping is that these days, the so-called “nice guys” cannot appeal to women without pursuing intercourse or any kind of benefit associated with relationships.
While many consider the simping culture to be a joke, there is much more depth to it. Most people who use the word ‘simp’ as a joke are damaging interpersonal relationships (Adams). This derogation of females cannot be accepted, regardless of whether it could be an intentional or an occasional act. The current improvements in terms of the amount of respect that women currently have in society might be threatened by the simping culture and degrading behaviors. The progress that has been made so far could be easily hindered by the culture of simping for female streamers and other women online or offline.
Impact of Simping on Society
Society seems to be heavily affected by the culture of simping due to the popularity of the term ‘simp’ and the inability of teenage individuals to draw the line between a joke and offensive behavior. The male counterpart is willing to act tougher in order not to be called ‘simps’, while females essentially expect men to be able to display and understand emotions (Adams). Therefore, contemporary society has to deal with a situation where respectful relationships between sexes are inexistent due to males unwilling to show their true feelings (Vijay). Careless attitudes employed by boys and men ultimately cause them to develop an image of a ‘bad guy’ that they have to maintain in order not to be disrespected by peers.
Therefore, the culture of simping is based on the notion of toxic masculinity. The amount of stigmatization experienced by males exposing their emotions forces them to resort to behaviors that have nothing to do with their real-life outlooks (Marcus and Bromwich). Masculinity in itself is not toxic, but the exaggerated willingness to look tough is what fuels the simping culture and has males engaging in conflicts with one another. This reinforces the idea that a simp is an individual whose key priority is to take care of the object of simping, while in reality, this is a mere attempt to draw attention and only pretend to be a decent human being (Vijay). The fear of being misinterpreted by society drives males toward tougher behaviors that are based on emotional detachment, false toughness, and toxic masculinity.
Impact of Simping on Female Gamers and Streamers
Stigma, Inequalities, and Male Domination
The first issue female gamers meet when trying to conquer the streaming industry is that these services are dominated by males. In this regard, men’s support could be beneficial to females to break the stereotype that female streaming is a mere attempt to gain monetary advancement (Searl). There is an exceptionally damaging trace of stigma affecting female gamers that cannot be eradicated due to the lack of proper culture. Simping took over Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube, endorsing the idea that males tend to degrade women, and the latter kindly accept the benefits as long as they are paid enough to make a living (Kastrenakes). The negative influence of simping on females goes beyond inequalities because it keeps the stigma alive and also averts people from displaying their true emotions.
Damage Given to Female Gamer Community
Even though there are males who could use the word ‘simp’ much more often than women, it does not validate all the instances of misogyny and harmful behaviors. To simp for someone is more of an insult than a joke. It may be safe to say that males cannot even display politeness toward female streamers at the moment, as they would be instantly labeled as simps or submissives (Kastrenakes). There is an underlying culture of toxicity causing males to degrade women because of other men being able to treat the opposing sex with respect. Some males consider toxic masculinity to be the answer. Their idea of relationships with other people supposes that a monetary donation or a couple of polite words may be enough to expect a sex-based reward in return (Searl). The ability to appreciate the opposing sex should not be mistaken for simping and vice versa, especially when it comes to influencers, such as popular female gamers and streamers.
Conclusion
One crucial conclusion that can be made after reviewing the arguments from above is that no one has to be ridiculed for their ability to express emotions. This does not relate only to males because the current state of degradation affects everyone and threatens general mental wellbeing. Even though the culture of simping is a mere joke for some people, its narrower subcontexts show that not all males complimenting women are simps, and not all women expect males to simp for them. The current paper shows that misogynistic ideas inherent in simping are still alive. There has to be something done about the fact that more people start treating relationships with the objects of simping as a true example of care, love, and passion. Culture becomes even more toxic when the word ‘simp’ is used out of context. There should be a much more careful outlook on social media trends because the damage given to the society by the simping culture is rather heavy and cannot be ignored anymore.
References
Adams, David. “Pardon Me, but the Idea of ‘Simping’ Was Just Torn Apart by the New York Times.”PedestrianTV, 2020. Web.
Kastrenakes, Jacob. “Twitch Bans “Simp”.” The Verge, 2020. Web.
Marcus, Ezra, and Jonah Bromwich. “A Short History of ‘Simp’.” The New York Times, 2020. Web.
Searl, Nate. “Usage of Simp More than Doubles on Twitch after Ban.”Daily Esports, 2020. Web.
Vijay, Mansi. “Are You a ‘Simp’? Internet Says You Might Be One, if You Respect Women!”Feminism in India, 2020. Web.