Gender Roles
 

Are obsolete, necessary, inane? Discuss.

Heh.. I was just talking to my dad the other day about how sexist he is. He had been telling me that he treats women with respect after generalizing about "women's importance in the kitchen VS. women's importance in the workplace".
There's no educating this type of person. He grew up in a time where gender roles were a part of every day life, and through the years he saw it change and he feels like it's a change for the worse.
What he's really fearing is that man's grasp on the upper hand is slowly giving way to independent women who're able to do things for themselves. Women know it, and men like my dad can't stand it.

Gender roles were the product of environmental influence. Our societal environment is a lot more accommodating now than it used to be, so gender roles aren't serving the purpose they used to. Any gender can go out there and do anything and be successful. To remain tied to a tradition of expectation that's obsolete in today's world is not necessary. But hey, if both parties agree to it, then who's to say they're wrong... Ultimately it's up to the individual, right?

Necessary and waning.
The line gets drawn when people try to force people in to roles.
Other than that I believe this whole men acting like women thing is a passing fad.

I don't want to get personal but yeah they're bullshit and society enforcing how males/females should act according to some outdated senseless standards is even bullshittier.

We're not talking about emo kids. lol.

Don't get a male acting like a male confused with misoginy. I'm as much of a feminist as they come, and fully believe women should be treated with the upmost respect.
But men acting like men is innate, and vice-versa. This going over the top to act like the opposite gender seems so trendy and speaks to an annoying culture to me.
As far as "roles" in the household go, they are obviously a byproduct of environment. That's not what I'm talking about.

Neither am I.

'Twas a joke bro.
I probably should have put a wink smiley. That would have seemed a bit feminine though...

What does a "male acting like a male" mean exactly?

But that's really what gender roles boil down to right? Environmental influence. It's seen most in the workplace and at home, but what you're talking about is a little different than what I perceived the OP's point to be.
Maybe I'm off a little.
I wasn't talking about a manly-man beginning to physically and emotionally act like a woman in terms of gender-specific behavior that's dictated by nature. That's not a gender role.
Gender roles are socially imposed.

The only other socially imposed scenario I can think of is, like you said, fads, which, like I said, EMO.