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Nov 9, 2016 · In fact, researchers have long noted how the classes of derogatory terms for men and women have certain skewed characteristics and reveal quite a lot about how we socially build up gender, and then how we make each other maintain these gender characteristics through the nasty language of invective.
Mar 4, 2020 · While these phrases are often uttered by men, women are just as capable of spewing internalized garbage. Here’s what’s wrong with several common phrases women hate and how to shut them down.
- Al Donato
- "Dramatic"
- "High-Maintenance"
- "Irrational"
- "Bossy"
- "Hormonal"
- "Ambitious"
- "Crazy"
- "Tease"
- "Frumpy"
- "Emotional"
This is often passed off as an observation when, in reality, it's used to pass judgement. For example, it might be said of a woman, "Oh yes, Karen... she's very dramatic." And while the packaging of that remark seems innocuous enough, it is rife with the insinuation that Karen is toosomething: too colorful, too loud, too sensitive, too much.
We all know this trope by now, right? The "high-maintenance woman" is the one with the flawless manicure, the one who wears makeup at the gym, and the one who can't leave the house without every hair in place. Interestingly, men use this term to deride women — yet, at the same time, often expect nothing less from women they date than this type of h...
Logic and emotions are not mutually exclusive, but it seems some people missed that memo. We know this because women are dubbed "irrational" when they try to bring feeling, emotion, or intuition into a conversation or situation.
Bossy has become a bit easier to identify, thanks to the "Ban Bossy" campaign led by Sheryl Sandberg. And let's not forget Queen Bey's infamous clap-back, "I'm not bossy; I'm the boss." Again, like ambitious, this is a term used in a flattering context when describing men but used as a pejorative when describing women filling the exact same roles.
Sometimes, people are annoying. Sometimes, you have a bad day at work. Sometimes, things stress you out. Notice a pattern? These are experiences everyone has — not just women. Expressing displeasure from time to time is perfectly normal and healthy and not an indicator a woman is PMS'ing or anything of the sort. As one of my favorite authors, Glenn...
How can ambition be a a bad thing, you say? The word itself is not the problem. Rather, it's the way in which it is used against women. When men are described as ambitious, this is a positive trait. They are driven! They are successful! But when a woman is described as ambitious, the connotation is that she is shrill or frigid or unfeminine.
Not only is this term insidious in a sexist sense, but it is also a microaggression in terms of mental health. So yeah, just nope. Nopety nope nope.
People (often straight, cisgender men) like to slip this into conversation casually, when it is anything but — if a woman doesn't return your interest or express interest in your, she is not being a tease. She just isn't interested in you, bruh.And calling a woman a tease, even "playfully," dangerously implies that a woman who doesn't return a man'...
I'm going to share with you something that will very likely infuriate you — in some dictionaries, frumpy is quite literally defined as "a girl or woman regarded as dull, plain, or unfashionable." Say hello to the gendered microaggression, everyone! 'Cause only women can be frumpy, apparently.
To be clear, the word emotional is defined as "of or relating to a person's emotions." So strictly by definition, we are all emotional. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US. It's wholly natural to have emotions, so stop telling us we are "getting too emotional" anytime we express them. No such thing, dudes.
Mar 5, 2019 · Words like "ladies," "girls," "sweetie" and "dear" may seem polite or harmless, but they, too, undermine authority and impact perceptions about women's competence, says Son Hing.
Jun 16, 2020 · Many common terms and phrases are actually rooted in racist, sexist, or generally distasteful language. For example, the popular phrase "peanut gallery," typically used to reference hecklers ...
- Henry Blodget
Aug 31, 2020 · For example, the words “modest,” “vivacious,” and “ladylike” are words that are almost exclusively used to describe women. If she’s modest and ladylike, then she doesn’t exert her sexuality. If she’s vivacious or bubbly, then she’s pleasant to be around and isn’t too abrasive.
Aug 26, 2020 · This is already happening all around us. Take, for example, the word “bossy.” Formerly a derogatory term associated with women in positions of power (when equivalent men would be described as “authoritative” or “decisive”), “bossy” is now being used to celebrate women who take charge.
