tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post8857524404465087995..comments2023-11-22T06:35:25.251-05:00Comments on POE'S DEADLY DAUGHTERS: Erasing Women from the English LanguageJulia Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270211923343731659noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-22561844581648425282010-06-17T03:13:03.866-04:002010-06-17T03:13:03.866-04:00In my environs and among editors I know, terms are...In my environs and among editors I know, terms are used, such as "chairperson," "congressperson," and "councilperson," as well as "firefighter, "police officer," and "wait staff," rather than waiter or waitress, and postal worker.<br /><br />Years ago, before usage had changed, friends and I were calling a "Walkman," a "kathy d.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-4029446656757496332010-06-16T20:19:45.282-04:002010-06-16T20:19:45.282-04:00Maybe women who insist on using the same job title...Maybe women who insist on using the same job title as their male colleagues (fisherman, for example) do so because they are in jobs where "acting like a woman" -- this is, weak and in need of protection -- would never be allowed. Crewing a fishing boat is damned hard work, and I doubt it was easy to reach the point where men would accept having women aboard. Same goes for coal mining Sandra Parshallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17403144248962124138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-38860954905237712462010-06-16T19:52:37.801-04:002010-06-16T19:52:37.801-04:00It's not just English. Languages based on Lat...It's not just English. Languages based on Latin are even more gender specific. Objects are either male or female - all objects. For example, beer is feminine (la servesa), wine masculine (el vino) in Spanish. And I do mean everything. Though I would think beer & wine would be the opposite genders than what they are.Dianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14500345360900905162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-29623070158941521662010-06-16T19:05:01.990-04:002010-06-16T19:05:01.990-04:00I think this a toughie and a very thought provokin...I think this a toughie and a very thought provoking post. Some PC terms make sense; some just sound pretentious-server for one. I'm also torn because I think Actress is just as impressive as actor, and I agree with Donis Casey that refusing the female version seems to degrade the gender, but there is also a reality to the perception in our culture that the feminine is somehow less. In spite lil Glucksternhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09288522126331817172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-58277361104876949062010-06-16T18:41:55.403-04:002010-06-16T18:41:55.403-04:00I don't mind "Chairwoman". I don...I don't mind "Chairwoman". I don't think everything should be gender neutral necessarily. There is certainly nothing wrong with being female. The idea of calling all officers "Sir" bothers me. It suggests that women should be "promoted" to men. That being said, if female boat captains want to be called "Fishermen", that is their privilege and I Donis Caseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15207228706777377242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-3579202030920338172010-06-16T17:47:08.268-04:002010-06-16T17:47:08.268-04:00In 1977-78, I worked as an editor at McGraw-Hill (...In 1977-78, I worked as an editor at McGraw-Hill (nothing interesting: accounting textbooks!). They had just published the first editorial guide to nonsexist language, and it had lots of common sense solutions to some of the dilemmas people still seem to struggle with. For example, the graceful way to use the gender-neutral plural "they" is with a plural verb. "The therapist must Elizabeth Zelvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13944424094949207841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-91145980606771901262010-06-16T15:03:02.379-04:002010-06-16T15:03:02.379-04:00KD, I read somewhere that women who captain or wor...KD, I read somewhere that women who captain or work on fishing boats for a living in places like Britain and Canada have angrily resisted efforts to get rid of the term fisherman and replace it with the neutral fisher. The women want to be called fishermen. And if that's what they want to be called, that's what I'll call them.Sandra Parshallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17403144248962124138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-1988190790235422952010-06-16T14:05:00.957-04:002010-06-16T14:05:00.957-04:00JD Robb, in her futuristic police procedurals has ...JD Robb, in her futuristic police procedurals has all officers addressed as Sir. It always makes me smile.<br />I don't like the ...person tacked on to a word. For me, the person that delivers the mail is the mailman, be they male or female. Letter Carrier just sounds boring, but mailman, is cool. When I was a kid I might have said, our mailman is a girl. LOL<br />Someone at work the other Kadi Easleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08567815525192651318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-4835200608879842002010-06-16T14:02:54.203-04:002010-06-16T14:02:54.203-04:00Some years ago the chairperson of the New Jersey S...Some years ago the chairperson of the New Jersey State Board of something-or-other was referred to in a local newspaper headline as "Big Board Head." It might even have read, "Big Board Head Eyes so-and-so's Seat." There's an image for you, and by Georgina, it's gender-neutral.Irene Fleminghttp://www.irenefleming.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-1651385599168435062010-06-16T13:38:01.606-04:002010-06-16T13:38:01.606-04:00Sheila, try as I might, I don't think I'll...Sheila, try as I might, I don't think I'll ever get used to calling a human being a chair. :-)Sandra Parshallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17403144248962124138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-20902801325742908892010-06-16T09:11:40.056-04:002010-06-16T09:11:40.056-04:00As a veteran of the second (or was it third?) wave...As a veteran of the second (or was it third?) wave of feminism, and a graduate of a women's college, I try to use gender-neutral terms consistently--and feel like an idiot doing it. It doesn't sound natural, and looks even worse on the page. Although I do prefer "Chair", but then you've got silly things like, "Madame Chairperson..."<br /><br />Better we should Sheila Connollyhttp://www.sheilaconnolly.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-35394484231282037142010-06-16T08:15:17.198-04:002010-06-16T08:15:17.198-04:00An interesting post. Our language really does have...An interesting post. Our language really does have no graceful way of making genders equal--and this includes the annoyance of having no singular "they" word, necessitating the annoying "he or she." <br /><br />But as writers, I suppose we have to find ways to use the language we have to tell the story we need to tell, and must do so boldly, fearlessly.<br /><br />Thanks for Julia Buckleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10270211923343731659noreply@blogger.com