I don't understand. Are you saying that if you don't get any say in what women should be called you're going to stop caring about what women want to be called?
Did you just throw a tantrum?
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Please stop referring to women as "females" (READ OP)
- Thread starter Persephone
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Did you just throw a tantrum?
Sprinkles
I was told that "jimmies" was a hush-hush racist term but that might be from people in my family that say everything is an old racist term.
Also I thought Jimmies was a local term (philly) and didn't know other folks used that term.
Please explain, cus as someone who barely remember the sentence diagram thingy I just go with what sounds right in my head. Sometimes it's "woman" and sometimes it's "female."
Pretty much I guess.
Are you fishing for an avatar quote?
It's super weird when people use it as a noun. I immediately think of Ferengi.
This is a prime example of a non issue and something you have to project someone's intentions onto. I feel when the right, center, and even some left leaning people talk about the absurdity of the progressive left this is what they are talking about.
Like they have to say men in conjuction with female. That's what makes it derogatory it seems. If they just say male and female then that argument of it being offensive doesn't make sense. We have already seen prof it is an adjective and a noun. It is common language in the military. It is the best word to describe the gender of a group of of all ages.
Even in this progressive forum people don't agree. I don't think there is any consensus on this. Even women in here disagree so who is to say it's offensive?
Like they have to say men in conjuction with female. That's what makes it derogatory it seems. If they just say male and female then that argument of it being offensive doesn't make sense. We have already seen prof it is an adjective and a noun. It is common language in the military. It is the best word to describe the gender of a group of of all ages.
Even in this progressive forum people don't agree. I don't think there is any consensus on this. Even women in here disagree so who is to say it's offensive?
This really shouldn't be controversial. Using "female" this way makes you sound like a dumbass. It's simple.
Honestly though, it really depends. I had a woman get upset because I referred to females in general as 'women' and said she was a 'lady.' I'm not even joking here. And this was in a public setting when I worked in retail. So like I previously said, it's really hit or miss on what might offend.
I like how it's not even okay to bring up that not everyone agrees. I mean the OP is very much worded as objective truth, why is that okay but not bringing up that another woman disagrees?
OP is correct and you should follow that person's advice. Those resistant to that advice should examine their approach to the most basic of communication rules: call people what they want to be called, you absolute shits.
All of this is a similar framework for Asian vs. Oriental, which I'm certain most of you observe by now.
Oriental: rugs, spices
Asian: people!
Female: pigs, cows, dogs, plants
Women: people!
See how easy it is? All you gotta do is try.
All of this is a similar framework for Asian vs. Oriental, which I'm certain most of you observe by now.
Oriental: rugs, spices
Asian: people!
Female: pigs, cows, dogs, plants
Women: people!
See how easy it is? All you gotta do is try.
I don't think Ive ever heard anyone say "male" and "female" in public. It's women, girls, boys and men.
Scientific taxonomy is about the least-politicised language possible. Deliberately so.
This isn't like Miss / Mrs versus Mr, where there is an inherent bias within a term that forces one gender to reveal marital status where the other does not, and a proposed new neutral term - Ms - is proposed.
e:
Both "girl" and "woman" presuppose an age; one is patronising when used incorrectly, the other is kind of creepy.
I'm saying when a person or group of people says something is offensive offering minimal explanation and when someone else says 'I disagree', if the end result is one side his handwaved away by calling it 'mansplaing', I don't know what meaningful change is expected. Is that supposed to be the argument that convinces the other party that this word is offensive?
User Banned (1 Week): Antagonistic drive-by posting downplaying sexism + history of infractions.
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Stop the ride. I want off
Stop the ride. I want off
It's really dependent upon the context for me. If "female" is used simultaneously with "male," it's consistent and I don't care. If "female" is used with "men," then I cringe a little bit, and the amount of cringe can vary and eventually morph into a side-eye if the person talking happens to be talking about people in general, in which case I assume laziness, or if they're discussing women specifically, in which case the use of "female" is almost always offensive to some degree.
Even then it's shorthand for "female suspect/victim/whatever" aka not what the OP is talking about.
Ok but that's one person preferring to be called "lady" for whatever reason. OP is talking about a structural issue that is actively (or subconsciously) dehumanizing women. If you think there's a structural problem with people using or not using "lady" then uh, go ahead and make your case? Otherwise I don't see why you even brought it up tbh.
Interesting. This is news to me.
I'm guessing its a similar dynamic with some Native Americans lately wanting to be called Indian and vice versa?
I'm starting to get the impression that a lot of people who are seeing the type of usage were 'females' or even 'males' would be used in a dehumanizing manner are finding it on social media. That explains a lot. Most social media tends to be a cesspool and, yes, if you see someone typing out men and females it's probably agenda driven.
If we're talking about most healthy discussion you can use male or female just fine in proper context and no one is going to ever give a shit. I think the OP could have used a little more context and some examples of where she sees this on a regular basis. I don't really dive into most social media outside forums so I never see that type of behaviour but looking at social media, now I get the frustration.
It's remarkable how much of people's daily interactions are primarily on social media. Language is weaponized.
While I agree OP, the better and more interesting thread would be in regards to the word "girls".
Personally, while I use it as there isn't a great equivalent for "guys", I do understand if there is some offense.
Personally, while I use it as there isn't a great equivalent for "guys", I do understand if there is some offense.
I'm not sure if I've ever used the word female outside of talking about a dog or something, but these "it says a lot about their views on women" posts are just absolute nonsense.
Because it's easy for a guy to say "i asked my wife and she said it's ok!" you're latching on to the SMALL ASS minority of women that are fine with it and justifying that to ignore the majority who do. It's fucking infuriating and frustrating the lengths to which men will go to silence us and invalidate our feelings.
While the Op uses that example it says to not use the word for women. Not just when men is used in conjuction with it. Does your non military background lend you to responding to threads without reading comprehension?
I mean, sure. But that's a formal context (taxonomy is about as formal as you can get actually). I don't think anyone is arguing against male, female, etc. in a formal context, but it'd be weird to use it in day to day life, just like referring to a person as a "Homo sapien sapiens".
Is there an informal context where you need to refer to all women, but for whatever reason can't use "women" or "girls"? I can't really think of one and I'm really trying to.
So you are fine calling people you disagree with 'absolute shits', but using the term females is off the table.
Okay, but as a feminist, you can care that there are a significant portion of women who don't want that term used when referring to women and respect that.
And then if you're really on a roll you can stop and wonder why there are women out there that feel the need to actively oppose other women's request to not be referred to as "females"
The way I see it, there are two big reasons to not do this:
1) It's rude as hell. It sounds like you're talking about animals, not people.
2) It makes you sound really stupid.
1) It's rude as hell. It sounds like you're talking about animals, not people.
2) It makes you sound really stupid.
OP, I totally know what you're talking about and it's uncomfortable and dehumanizing to say the least tbh.
Yeah, that is a more compelling discussion I think.
Practically no one says 'gals', and it feels strange when it does ever come up. But I do use 'guys' to include women if it's a collective of both genders. I guess that could be looked upon as demeaning, as it's failing to acknowledge the women in the group, or bundling them in with the men. But 'people' doesn't feel right either when it's friends.
OP never said all uses of "female" bother her either. The only case she gave that specifically bothers her is the one she specifically said, so I'm going to go on that. But go ahead and assume exactly all the cases she doesn't like the word being used if you like.
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