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Last month I graced the overground line's replacement bus service to Gospel Oak, north London. Sitting near some posh teens chatting about a party, I heard one boy snicker: "I have never so wanted to slap a girl as I did then." Everyone laughed and nodded.
Cut to a Starbucks in Holborn. Four sleek, Middle Eastern guys, the type who look like sophisticated, multilingual diplomats' kids. They're gossiping about their coursemates. One is laughing so hard he can barely speak: "That Saira, she is the @!$%#ing ugliest girl I have ever seen in my life!" Or how about a tube journey last winter. A group of tracksuited, pimply London "youths". One of them mentions a schoolmate and another replies: "Yeah, but she's a slag though isn't she?" All nod sagely.
Casual sexism is nothing but misogyny
Article Source: Guardian Unlimited- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (6)
This is the casual sexism of strangers – strangers of difference races, classes, ages, cultures. They know that when the conversation flags, a joke at a woman's expense will revive the atmosphere in a twinkle.
Sometimes I don't need to use my supersonic skills to eavesdrop on this toxic matter. My own friends serve it up. An agent pal tells me he had to chase a publisher because "some bloody middle-aged woman didn't read the manuscript". A once-beloved writer friend relates how he Googles his exes, "and they all look like hags". Another man liked a book: "And I was dubious, you know, because it's a woman author." An urbane friend spotted a chic girlfriend of mine at a party: "Who's that whore over there?"
- 5 votes
#1 - Tue Aug 3, 2010 1:58 PM EDTThat's sad...some of the stuff kind of reminds me with my conversation with my friends, especially when I was younger, though can't say whether I used or said a nasty thing in a while verbally. But back then we knew stuff we were saying wasn't the type of thing you said infront of families or others...
Though some of the things above sound like everyday nastiness:
'some bloody middle-aged woman didn't read the manuscript'.....if I was pissed and it turned out to be a guy, wouldn't it be any more or less offensive to call the guy an '@!$%#' or 'douchebag' or something?
Will agree...guys are generally nasty in nature when commenting on stuff...can't say hate, though prejudiced and generally apathetic of the other gender...lol...yea sounds like hating...!
Don't women superficially judge guys as well?
- 6 votes
#2 - Tue Aug 3, 2010 2:17 PM EDTDon't women superficially judge guys as well?
You can bet your ass we do. It's done on both sides.
- 4 votes
The real question is: which sex is most harmed by comments like these?
In a patriarchy, this type of comments are used to degrade and devalue women to the point that respect for them is eroded and their rights are non-existent. That is the point of the article. No matter how much women make similar comments about men, they are not going to be devalued by them to the point where men lose their rights.
We aren't living amid an egalitarian culture yet, although we're trying hard to make strides in that direction. Until we are, women will be disportionally affected by sexism and comments like these.
- 3 votes
Cut to a Starbucks in Holborn. Four sleek, Middle Eastern guys, the type who look like sophisticated, multilingual diplomats' kids. They're gossiping about their coursemates. One is laughing so hard he can barely speak: "That Saira, she is the @!$%#ing ugliest girl I have ever seen in my life!"
Those are the kinds of people I delt with in middle school.
- 1 vote
#3 - Wed Aug 4, 2010 1:37 AM EDTSexism is the outgrowth of centuries of disrespecting women through Islam, judaism and christianity and their male dominated "books" of hatred. All male dominated religions lead to cultures where women are dishonored , excluded and marginalized. When your religions allow for male domination, the culture follows.
- 2 votes
#4 - Wed Aug 4, 2010 1:53 PM EDTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
