Woman Explains Why Splitting The Bill 50/50 Isn’t Fair To Women
When it comes to whether the man or the woman is responsible for paying for a date, it's a debate that's not going away anytime soon.
One woman is now going viral on TikTok for explaining why the 50/50 rule of splitting things might seem fair on paper, but in actuality, it's another step back for women's equality.
A Debate As Old As Time
You're enjoying a night out at a restaurant with a man you met on a dating app and everything is going well. Between appetizers, entrees, and desserts, your belly is full, and the amount owed on your bill is growing too.
The server then comes by and drops off the check, and with it comes the inevitable question—who's responsible for paying?
The TikTok
This is Kiera Breaugh, and she refers to herself as an artist and "female protagonist." On TikTok, she's known as @kierabreaugh, and recently she went viral with over half a million views for her opinion on the fairness of splitting the check.
"One of the most insidious and ridiculous effects of the patriarchy is literally woman paying 50/50," she says.
A Paradigm Shift
Decades of dating etiquette have had it so that men always paid for women on the first date. Kiera explains that guys now want things to change when it comes to this mindset.
"Men going around being like 'it's 2021, equal rights, right? You're going to pay 50/50?'"
50/50
"The fact that men expect 50/50 from women when women don't get 50% of anything," she says. "Fifty percent of the money, 50% of the privilege, 50% of the safety, 50% of the space they're allowed to take up—none of that."
Kiera then adds, "But pay equal amounts even though you don't have equal rights."
Starting At The Finish Line
Kiera then asks viewers, "Do you really understand how ridiculous that is?"
In the strive for equality, she makes a point of everyone "starting at the end" and how women are only pretending they have basic equal rights before actually securing that equality. In her opinion, it's because this system "benefits men."
"Make His Pockets Hurt"
In closing, Kiera says that the current method of doing this is hypocritical because, "It benefits men to say, 'I'm feminist, I believe in women paying 50/50 on dinner dates,' and that is the only time they believe in equality."
Before ending the TikTok, Kiera then adds, "Make his pockets hurt."
Disagreeing Viewpoints
Kiera's TikTok quickly went viral, but not everyone supported her controversial opinion. Some men and women said that she has a harmful mindset while others had a different take.
"There is no way a man is paying for my food or drink. I'm a grown woman," one user wrote.
Different Dating Strategies
One woman said she chooses to pay for dates simply because she doesn't want men to "feel like I owe them," adding that it is also a problem.
"Just pay for ur food dear. Don't depend on [a] man," one user wrote.
Feminism When It's Convenient
For the most part, however, users who commented supported Kiera's point of view. They argued that men only want to talk about feminism when it's beneficial, citing the issue of splitting the bill 50/50. Other women accuse men of hijacking the feminist movement to serve their own needs.
"It's because they want to give us the illusion of equality without actually giving us equality," one user commented.
How "Equal" Is 50/50 Really?
Other users took things a step further and said that men want to split dinner dates 50/50 in the name of "equality," but that when it comes to child-rearing or domestic duties, things are often never split 50/50, and these responsibilities—combined with lower pay overall—do not equate to "equal rights."
"It's also WAY more expensive to just exist as a woman! Pink tax, pay gap, motherhood impacting earning potential."
