Female vs. Woman

[mmuhlenkamp]

Is it just me, or does it bother anyone else that "female" has now become an acceptable noun to call a woman, lady, gal, girl, young lady, etc. I'm fine with using female as a descriptive word (the suspect was a white female...) or as an adjective, but NOT as a noun. Female is used when you're talking about an animal or something not a person.

The term "female" used to just be in rap songs, but now it's infiltrated everyday speech and it really irks me. I'm not usually too sensitive about being "politically correct" but this just bothers me and makes me feel that woman-ity has gone a step back.

I'd like to hear if this bothers anyone else or other viewpoints (I'm all up for intelligent debate). Maybe I'm just being too sensitive, but I just don't like it, if I'm the exception to the rule I'll shut up about it, but I kind of wonder if people just let it slide because they don't want to deal with it.

[ronocnikral]

I think the main problem is what one person deems acceptable, others may not. So it become one big guessing game.

I am highly uneducated in the world of linguistics, but here is my take. If we are classifying a group of girls, gals, teenagers who lack a y chromosome, and/or women, what's wrong with saying a group of females? Of course, connotation plays a huge role (and this is what I think you are getting at). But if I said, hey theres a bunch of females over there for us go bag, i don't think it would matter what noun I used. NOTE:I would never say that.

A lot of things are unacceptable to me. The bottom line is I can only control my actions. Would I refer to a woman as a female, no. That is why we all have names. In fact, I work with the youth at my church and I just gave them a rant about how it is disrespectful to say a girl is "hot." my random 2 cents...

[jeffro20]

Originally Posted by mmuhlenkamp

Is it just me, or does it bother anyone else that "female" has now become an acceptable noun to call a woman, lady, gal, girl, young lady, etc. I'm fine with using female as a descriptive word (the suspect was a white female...) or as an adjective, but NOT as a noun. Female is used when you're talking about an animal or something not a person.

The term "female" used to just be in rap songs, but now it's infiltrated everyday speech and it really irks me. I'm not usually too sensitive about being "politically correct" but this just bothers me and makes me feel that woman-ity has gone a step back.

I'd like to hear if this bothers anyone else or other viewpoints (I'm all up for intelligent debate). Maybe I'm just being too sensitive, but I just don't like it, if I'm the exception to the rule I'll shut up about it, but I kind of wonder if people just let it slide because they don't want to deal with it.

You mean like "hey female, you got the time?"

[mmuhlenkamp]

Originally Posted by jeffro20

You mean like "hey female, you got the time?"

Yeah, "lady" would be much better noun in there. Female makes me think I'm someone's dog or something. If someone yelled that at me I'd probably ignore him. Also, I think it's guys/men that say "female" I don't think I've ever heard another woman call another woman "that female" or something to that effect.

I don't call men "males", but hey, if it works one way it should go the other as well.

Most people I associate with don't use "female" as a noun, but I keep seeing it come up more and more in everyday speech.

[jeffro20]

Originally Posted by mmuhlenkamp

Yeah, "lady" would be much better noun in there. Female makes me think I'm someone's dog or something. If someone yelled that at me I'd probably ignore him. Also, I think it's guys/men that say "female" I don't think I've ever heard another woman call another woman "that female" or something to that effect.

I don't call men "males", but hey, if it works one way it should go the other as well.

Most people I associate with don't use "female" as a noun, but I keep seeing it come up more and more in everyday speech.

Then they may call you a bitch

I haven't really been noticing that......but probably will now since you have brought this up.

[mmuhlenkamp]

Originally Posted by jeffro20

Then they may call you a bitch

Touché

[HeatherLou]

Hahahahaha!

I really have not noticed it much either, but I do live in a small town, so maybe that makes a difference??

[Jake]

I like the good ol' days when people were more classy and called women a "broad" or "dame" or "biatches"........

[jeffro20]

Originally Posted by thejakestir

I like the good ol' days when people were more classy and called women a "broad" or "dame" or "biatches"........

Sounds like the days of Humphrey Bogart for sure. Just the way he said it was pure class.

[dmora]

I think political correctness has gone over board.

[photonewb]

I agree it's probably more to do with being PC than anything, but "Hey lady, you got the time" just isn't appropriate IMO either. "Excuse me ma'am, would you mind telling me what time it is?"

[jeffro20]

Originally Posted by photonewb

I agree it's probably more to do with being PC than anything, but "Hey lady, you got the time" just isn't appropriate IMO either. "Excuse me ma'am, would you mind telling me what time it is?"

The method of one's delivery will certainly make a difference in the kind of response one gets. I certainly agree with your comment...but we all know too many people lack class and the proper skills to communicate in a civil and respectful manner.

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by thejakestir

I like the good ol' days when people were more classy and called women a "broad" or "dame" or "biatches"........

Or "wenches." LOL

[jeffkohn]

Using 'female' does seem a bit odd to me, can't say that I've heard it used much. But I don't see anything degrading about it. Then again I'm often puzzled by the reasons people think up to take offense at various words. I don't see how inventing new words/terms to replace of the old ones really changes anything, seems kinda silly to me (eg using hearing-impaired instead of deaf, or sight-challenged instead of blind).

To me the term 'lady' almost seems anachronistic in this day and age where the women's movement seems to be mostly concerned with minimizing differences between the sexes and their roles in in society.

[mmuhlenkamp]

I guess what bothers me about "female" is it seems to be less human and objectifying. At least "broad" or "dame" aren't used to describe livestock. They aren't favorable terms, but at least they are only used to describe HUMANS.

I don't like over political correctness really and it is mostly how it's said in context, but this term just bothers me. I'm not going to go on a rampage or anything, I was just curious if anyone else felt the same way.