I never really understood the outrage associated with using this word. I have no problem calling myself male, or being referred to as male even though I just identy as a “person”, tbh. People just want to be pissed off.
I’ve never seen “outrage” about it, mostly annoyance and eye rolling. It’s douchey at best. It’s usually the least respectful people (primarily men/teenage boys, but not exclusively), usually using the term in a derogatory or dismissive way against women, and often dehumanizing or objectifying them. It’s also similar to referring to black people as “blacks”. It’s just reductive, like that’s the defining feature of them. That may not be fair. May not be how you use it. But that is the connotation of using the term in that way.
For me “females” makes it feel like treating them as any other animal. While not factually incorrect, the term fails completely to convey the fact that my feelings towards human girls are substantially greater than my feelings towards any other animal.
Many disagree with me but whenever someone says the word female shouldn’t be used I always refer back to using woman to define gender and female to define sex. Is it the best way to think of it; maybe not, but that’s how I always did.
My cat is a girl, is girl now offensive as it refers to “all species”?
It’s a ridiculous argument, based on some “scientific” basis of a word that doesn’t hold up in everyday speech and seems to stem entirely from Americans.
We use male/female all the time in Australia, it’s not an issue and doesn’t carry negative social connotations. Referring to a group of women as females sounds grammatically wrong, but that’s about it.
I don’t think that’s universally true. Most parts of Australia I’ve been to have the same nuance of “females” often being used by assholes in a demeaning way and seen as somewhat dehumanising in some contexts (but not all).
I never really developed an association with age as it relates to the term “girl” or “boy”. Sure, I’d call a child a boy or a girl over a man or a woman every time, but there’s not some magical age at which it becomes inappropriate.
We have brains and we are capable of interpreting things based on context. Things in the real world are fluid and flexible and rigid definitions are silly in the face of societal, cultural, and personal diversity. Stop trying to find outrage. It’s pointless and you end up being wrong more ways than you’re right.
So then why wasn’t their comment considered ridiculous for the same reason? What was I even conceivably “outraged” about?
Stop trying to find outrage.
Am I supposed to be outraged at myself, for continuing to call women “girls?” I literally had this thought because I do it. It’s hilarious because it’s fucking dumb, but y’all are writing screeds about other people “looking for outrage” who are just cracking dumb jokes.
He was upset enough that he needed to write a comment calling me out for “trying to find outrage.” What a couple of fuckin maroons.
Because communicating facts and ideas is being outraged, I guess. You need to chill out because I’m just here typing words on my phone with basically no emotion associated with any of it lawl.
The only reason I stopped using “girl” as a descriptor was because I stopped using “boy”. And I stopped using “boy” because I learned white bigots use the word in a derogatory and demeaning way against black men, and i didn’t want to accidentally demean a friend or coworker.
I likely would eventually have stopped using “girl” as I began to understand more about relative power dynamics and the implications of using diminutive language on adults. That being said, when you grow up hearing language used a certain way, you didn’t really think about it’s use as an adult until someone brings it to your attention.
Or at least that’s my experience. But I generally think the best of people until contrary evidence presents itself. Like if they use blatant bigoted speech, or drive on the same road I’m driving on. Then I know they’re hateful, awful people that should be eliminated from the gene pool.
Millennial men having the realization they never stopped calling women “girls.”
Still better than “females”.
Your femalefriend never has a females night out?
I can still hear my 89 year old gramdmother everytime i read that word
I never really understood the outrage associated with using this word. I have no problem calling myself male, or being referred to as male even though I just identy as a “person”, tbh. People just want to be pissed off.
I’ve never seen “outrage” about it, mostly annoyance and eye rolling. It’s douchey at best. It’s usually the least respectful people (primarily men/teenage boys, but not exclusively), usually using the term in a derogatory or dismissive way against women, and often dehumanizing or objectifying them. It’s also similar to referring to black people as “blacks”. It’s just reductive, like that’s the defining feature of them. That may not be fair. May not be how you use it. But that is the connotation of using the term in that way.
For me “females” makes it feel like treating them as any other animal. While not factually incorrect, the term fails completely to convey the fact that my feelings towards human girls are substantially greater than my feelings towards any other animal.
It’s like most of these things, the word isn’t inherently derogatory but a certain group of people use it in a way that is derogatory.
If they hadn’t done that I don’t think there would be a problem.
Removed by mod
Many disagree with me but whenever someone says the word female shouldn’t be used I always refer back to using woman to define gender and female to define sex. Is it the best way to think of it; maybe not, but that’s how I always did.
I do get why, woman is referring to human female. Female refers to a female of any specie. Still think it’s dumb to get mad about
My cat is a girl, is girl now offensive as it refers to “all species”?
It’s a ridiculous argument, based on some “scientific” basis of a word that doesn’t hold up in everyday speech and seems to stem entirely from Americans.
We use male/female all the time in Australia, it’s not an issue and doesn’t carry negative social connotations. Referring to a group of women as females sounds grammatically wrong, but that’s about it.
I don’t think that’s universally true. Most parts of Australia I’ve been to have the same nuance of “females” often being used by assholes in a demeaning way and seen as somewhat dehumanising in some contexts (but not all).
We don’t do stupid shit like say “woman athletes ” over “female athletes” like seppos do.
I never really developed an association with age as it relates to the term “girl” or “boy”. Sure, I’d call a child a boy or a girl over a man or a woman every time, but there’s not some magical age at which it becomes inappropriate.
We have brains and we are capable of interpreting things based on context. Things in the real world are fluid and flexible and rigid definitions are silly in the face of societal, cultural, and personal diversity. Stop trying to find outrage. It’s pointless and you end up being wrong more ways than you’re right.
lmao, the only person outraged here is you, buddy. I was literally talking about myself.
Nothing they said signifies outrage, what a ridiculous comment.
So then why wasn’t their comment considered ridiculous for the same reason? What was I even conceivably “outraged” about?
Am I supposed to be outraged at myself, for continuing to call women “girls?” I literally had this thought because I do it. It’s hilarious because it’s fucking dumb, but y’all are writing screeds about other people “looking for outrage” who are just cracking dumb jokes.
He was upset enough that he needed to write a comment calling me out for “trying to find outrage.” What a couple of fuckin maroons.
People want their gotcha ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Because communicating facts and ideas is being outraged, I guess. You need to chill out because I’m just here typing words on my phone with basically no emotion associated with any of it lawl.
It’s not some terrible offense, unless intended as such.
Because there’s literally nothing wrong with using the word?
The only reason I stopped using “girl” as a descriptor was because I stopped using “boy”. And I stopped using “boy” because I learned white bigots use the word in a derogatory and demeaning way against black men, and i didn’t want to accidentally demean a friend or coworker.
I likely would eventually have stopped using “girl” as I began to understand more about relative power dynamics and the implications of using diminutive language on adults. That being said, when you grow up hearing language used a certain way, you didn’t really think about it’s use as an adult until someone brings it to your attention.
Or at least that’s my experience. But I generally think the best of people until contrary evidence presents itself. Like if they use blatant bigoted speech, or drive on the same road I’m driving on. Then I know they’re hateful, awful people that should be eliminated from the gene pool.
lmao