Dating at Oktoberfest
Gen Z and Millennial women feel uncomfortable in sexist Oktoberfest atmospheres
At Oktoberfest, dating and hooking up can get a little rougher
© IMAGO / Smith
The traditional Oktoberfest attracts visitors from all over the world every year. Of course, there’s a lot of drinking between music and alcohol. But many women feel uncomfortable with this, a survey found.
They bawl, grunt, sing, peel off their leaves, dance on the tables and with a bit of bad luck they even fight: men on the Oktoberfest. Especially in groups of boys, testosterone levels shoot through the roof like in “Hau den Lukas”. Of course, the male hunting instinct awakens in such an atmosphere. But for many women, this behavior seems to be a real problem.
The Oktoberfest, which this year runs from September 16th to October 3rd, 2023, is visited by an average of six million people from all over the world. Not everyone behaves at the traditional folk festival the way they would behave in everyday life. After a few pints of beer, one or two inhibitions fall, which doesn’t go down well with many women.
Culture at Oktoberfest is no longer up to date
The dating portal “Bumble” used a survey to find out that Gen Z and Millennial women in particular have a problem with some of the traditions of Oktoberfest. 2,128 adults were interviewed for the survey at the beginning of September. More than half of the women between the ages of 18 and 34 who took part in the survey find the culture at Oktoberfest to be sexist and not equal.
Most women unintentionally experience being hit on, whistling, shouting or even touching people without being asked. Two-thirds of women surveyed also say that some Oktoberfest customs reinforce traditional gender roles, such as: B. that women indicate their relationship status through their apron bow, while there is no comparable dress code for men. In addition, there are sometimes sexist and demeaning song lyrics, which make 48 percent of women feel uncomfortable.
The older generations primarily perceive the music as funny and not so serious, but among 18 to 34 year olds, men actually agreed with women when it came to discomfort. The younger generations are apparently differently sensitized to the perception of sexism.
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