Spring Break
Language of today is misogynistic
Lonnie Snyder
Issue date: 6/5/09 Section: Ed-Op
I believe that language is one of the most powerful tools in society. I have attended many different workshops about sexism - and one of the things I have noticed is the language that people use. There are words like "bitch," "pussy," and "whore," all of which are used in derogatory ways. I think that these words are meant to demean women, placing them in an inferior position in society - and those who choose to use these words make a conscious decision to be misogynistic. Just because these words have become present in the casual linguistic exchange does not mean the stigma and discrimination behind them have dissipated.
I hear a lot of my friends use these words. It's really hard to change our day-to-day language because we often say things without thinking about what the words really mean. One example is in sports: I love to run and I run competitively in 5K races. At one running practice a few years ago, I was running a grueling pace and getting tired. A teammate told me that I should stop being a "pussy" and finish the run. I took this to heart and I finished out strong, but that really bothered me. Why would someone call me a pussy because I was tired?
In this example, my teammate implied that I was being weak by calling me a "pussy." Embedded within this statement was the message that being tired or weak relates to acting feminine. By choosing to use this word, he implied that women are weaker than men.
Another example occurred at a party. There, I heard guys talking about how a certain girl is such a slut because she was wearing revealing clothing. I always wonder why guys often think that a girl who wears revealing clothing is overtly sexual and therefore a slut. Is there any solid evidence to this? This type of language puts women in an inferior position, which is a huge problem, as it is not only guys who do this; I hear girls call other girls sluts too. The word slut is thrown around so casually, but I think that it is much more powerful than any typical word. I know that when I hear people use the word slut, I immediately think that it implies someone who has a lot of sex. Why are guys who have a lot of sex not called sluts? I think that we need to change our language in order to eliminate demeaning words and harsh double standards.
I hear a lot of my friends use these words. It's really hard to change our day-to-day language because we often say things without thinking about what the words really mean. One example is in sports: I love to run and I run competitively in 5K races. At one running practice a few years ago, I was running a grueling pace and getting tired. A teammate told me that I should stop being a "pussy" and finish the run. I took this to heart and I finished out strong, but that really bothered me. Why would someone call me a pussy because I was tired?
In this example, my teammate implied that I was being weak by calling me a "pussy." Embedded within this statement was the message that being tired or weak relates to acting feminine. By choosing to use this word, he implied that women are weaker than men.
Another example occurred at a party. There, I heard guys talking about how a certain girl is such a slut because she was wearing revealing clothing. I always wonder why guys often think that a girl who wears revealing clothing is overtly sexual and therefore a slut. Is there any solid evidence to this? This type of language puts women in an inferior position, which is a huge problem, as it is not only guys who do this; I hear girls call other girls sluts too. The word slut is thrown around so casually, but I think that it is much more powerful than any typical word. I know that when I hear people use the word slut, I immediately think that it implies someone who has a lot of sex. Why are guys who have a lot of sex not called sluts? I think that we need to change our language in order to eliminate demeaning words and harsh double standards.
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Scribbles
posted 6/08/09 @ 4:56 AM EST
Old news, unfortunately. Sociolinguistics and feminist linguistics have been harping about this for ages. And, it's not something that just happens in English -- many languages 'demonize the feminine', for whatever reason. (Continued…)
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