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Millennial men having the realization they never stopped calling women "girls."
Still better than "females".
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.
It's because the general consensus among progressives is that it's typically used by an asshole in poor context. Nobody cares if it's being used respectfully. I am not activating that the opinion is correct either way.
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 can still hear my 89 year old gramdmother everytime i read that word
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.
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.
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?
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.
People want their gotcha ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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.
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