Quote from: Rachel Ray on February 20, 2009, 01:04:55 PMFortunately, most of us (except MA, young'un) are at an age where we really need to start using man and woman, so this conversation is really academic.isn't it?LMFAO!My dear, I'm pretty sure I'm older than you!
Fortunately, most of us (except MA, young'un) are at an age where we really need to start using man and woman, so this conversation is really academic.isn't it?
Quote from: Rachel Ray on February 20, 2009, 12:56:42 PMWhich is really interesting considering that whole (xx/xy) thing.I'm not sure exactly what you're referring to here. The othering issue? QuoteI guess my issue, SBA, is that I am a fairly practical person, and the things you object to don't seem to have solutions. And truth be told, the reason I tried to think about why we use those words the way we do is that it IS germane to understand what the word MEANS when it is used, I give you the example:[image removed for aesthetic purposes]Mostly, that was just for fun, but I think you see my point.How do I differentiate in my everyday conversation between a 20 year-old woman and a 60 year-old woman?Why do you need a specific word to differentiate between a 20 year old and a 60 year old? If it actually matters, then you can and almost certainly will make it clear in other ways than calling the younger woman a girl. As I said above, clinging to a problematic usage because it's easy and efficient is laziness, pure and simple.With respect to the germaneness argument...I say that it doesn't really matter to my point because I'm starting from the position that it does do things that are problematic and offensive to some people, which I think you've agreed with. If that's the case, it doesn't really matter to me where it came from. It's really just not what I'm concerned with.And I am offering a solution: avoid gendered language when it's irrelevant, and err on the side of adult language when it's questionable where a person fits in. It certainly isn't a perfect solution, and nothing will be...language is complicated and full of baggage. But we can make choices that are better than others.
Which is really interesting considering that whole (xx/xy) thing.
I guess my issue, SBA, is that I am a fairly practical person, and the things you object to don't seem to have solutions. And truth be told, the reason I tried to think about why we use those words the way we do is that it IS germane to understand what the word MEANS when it is used, I give you the example:[image removed for aesthetic purposes]Mostly, that was just for fun, but I think you see my point.How do I differentiate in my everyday conversation between a 20 year-old woman and a 60 year-old woman?
I'd love to join this LGBT club. It's the Legos, Gobots, Barbies, and other Toys group, right? I'll show up with an armful of toys.
Sorry, that was HB I get all these beautiful people 'tars mixed up...
F*cking bi+ch drinks a 1 oz bottle of goose and thinks she's French
SBA I think we agree on everything but what to do about it. I just think we need to differentiate between old and young, male and female, because it helps us clarify our referents to our interlocutors. Also, (xx/xy) is about chromosomes, when you were mentioning the cultural lean to see masculinity as the default, when really the feminine chromosome is the more common, the one that EVERYONE has, as opposed to the y.
Cady was right.
Get a sense of humor, Susan B. Anthony!
But can I at least get a lol on my genetics comment? I mean come on!
Quote from: Rachel Ray on February 20, 2009, 02:11:28 PMBut can I at least get a lol on my genetics comment? I mean come on! No sense of humor, remember?!I mean, but really, probably no lol because I...don't see why that's funny? I guess I've spent too much time studying and being annoyed by the way science has relied on erroneous assumptions about women and men that have harmed women (and men, because Patriarchy Hurts Men Too!!!!) scientifically and socially.
Quote from: Dreamy Boss Man on February 20, 2009, 04:02:34 PMAlright, so there's this girl that I like. There I go, already calling her "a girl". Anyways, she works for me so I'm in a position of authority. However, she's quite young and it'd be very odd for me to call her "a woman". She doesn't refer to herself as a woman and would probably find it odd. The thing is, I could keep it strictly professional, but we have a thing for each other (I think). I think that if I added formality, it'd make things even more awkward than it is. So I'm struggling to adhere by business standards or by our flirtatious relationship. She's going to go to HYS, does this change how I should approach her? OH HB COME TO ME! I love you.
Alright, so there's this girl that I like. There I go, already calling her "a girl". Anyways, she works for me so I'm in a position of authority. However, she's quite young and it'd be very odd for me to call her "a woman". She doesn't refer to herself as a woman and would probably find it odd. The thing is, I could keep it strictly professional, but we have a thing for each other (I think). I think that if I added formality, it'd make things even more awkward than it is. So I'm struggling to adhere by business standards or by our flirtatious relationship. She's going to go to HYS, does this change how I should approach her? OH HB COME TO ME!
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