The Sadie Hawkins dance is supposed to allow men and women to switch their typical societal roles. That is to say, it is ostensibly empowering for woman, allowing them equality, but in truth it’s quite the contrary.
See, Sadie’s gives the illusion that woman can do just as much as men can. But in actuality, it’s placing females in a tiny little box that says, “You can only have the upper hand when we say so.” Think about it, we’re assigned a specific date and a specific dance where we’re allowed to ask out the guy? And pay for him? What, we can’t do this for prom or homecoming?
There shouldn’t be a need for a Sadie Hawkins dance, because women should be allowed to ask their significant others to any dance, regardless of societal pressure or expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate cute prom proposals and when my boyfriend offers to pick up the check for me once in a while, but I also enjoy turning him down and forking out the cash myself. Equilibrium is crucial in a stable and healthy relationship, and it can’t be achieved if the men are expected to constantly do all the work.
Plus, in today’s society, it’s a thing of the past to only see a male–female relationship. So let’s say we do follow Sadies rules and regulations. If there are two girls, who is supposed to ask whom? The one who’s supposedly more girly? And for two males, what then? Not only that, there are many people nowadays who don’t identify as male or female.
Though the Sadie Hawkins dance is suppose to be the epitome of gender equality, its intentions fall flat. It’s another tradition that tries to label roles and relationships when things simply aren’t, well, that simple.