It became problematic when misogynists began using the term female as a way to dehumanize women. These men feel the need to blame all of their problems on women while simultaneously believing that a woman will also solve all their problems. It’s an easy outlet to channel their rage while accepting zero responsibility for their own actions.
News flash, every word is going to be used for that. You have use context and intent in every interaction, don’t try to change other people just to make your life easier from a couple bad eggs. Yeesh.
Pointing something out isn’t trying to change other people, but okay.
But it’s good to know there is a new red flag to look out for in interactions with women. Is that word okay? Misogynists use that too, which term is acceptable in this exchange? Nah I’m leaving this lol.
This is gonna have the Streisand effect, trying to pick the term you want is only going to fuel the wrong ones. It’s why it hasn’t taken off and why very few people know or even care. It’s hilarious that it’s a thing.
It’s mainly a problem when it’s the only pronoun they use for women. There are plenty of incel type dudes who only use females when referring to women. There is appropriate context when utilizing female, but it’s typically used to delineate the sex of an animal, whether human or otherwise.
The reason they only utilize females is because it objectifies a person down to their sexual reproduction capabilities. Which within incel ideology makes women second class citizens.
It’s funny to me because I didn’t make the initial comment. I did reply, to offer an opinion, as did another… however you chose only reply to the one person with “girl” in their name.
Editing to add that I see you did make another comment below, so I’ll leave my original comment even though I am now mistaken in my reply!
What’s even funnier is, I replied to the parent comment and you responded to that one… and are now accusing me of only responded to a girl name, when that’s not even remotely the case.
Fuckin red flags every holy shit lmfao. Keep telling people to not use “females” so we can avoid interaction with people like you.
Well you convinced me. There are absolutely incels that when told some women don’t like this, they actively choose to defend it at all costs. Fascinating! Keep up the good fight. Show those women who’s boss!! Defend your masculinity or the English language or whatever it is you’re trying to do
At least 10 or 15 years ago was when I first got informed about it. It’s likely been problematic for much longer. Its really not that hard to use the word “women” instead. Usually when people refer to men they use the word “men”, so it’s only fair to use women also. Females feels a bit icky tbf. Like women are a different species or something.
The problem is when people use “female” and “men”.
Male and female are sort of dehumanizing words. Great to use in science, but awkward to use in casual conversation. It’s like telling someone “Your epidermis looks so smooth”.
When you use “females” in combination with more appropriate word for males (e.g., “men”), you end up sounding like an incel or something.
And since people generally don’t use “males” when talking about men casually, even just using “females” outside an academic context is enough to make it sound a lot like how an incel would speak.
So “females” isn’t a bad word, but incels use it in a way that demeans women. If you use it in a non-scientific context, you’ll probably end up sounding like an incel.
(All the "you"s are meant to be the “general you”; I’m not trying to pick on anyone in particular)
Hence, this thread where someone pointed out that the word choice might have unintentional implications, which triggered a few oversensitive incels who percieved it as an attack on their choice to speak dismissively of women.
I was just giving you some context. It isn’t some new complaint that’s just popped up. It’s also not a huge deal. You do you if you want to keep using the word “females” instead of women.
Re: the Streisand effect. Anyone getting excited that they’ve found a new “trigger” and choosing to use it despite someone else calmly suggesting that a different word is better isn’t really worth any consideration.
This post was the first to be made. I think the other was made to get a rise out of “snowflakes” or whatever.
The thing is that this post isn’t even shitty. The question is both fine and valid, and the OP hasn’t done anything terrible either. I just like pointing out things to improve communication.
Ah, they’re showing as being posted at the same time for me, 2 hours ago, but as OP posted the first reply there, I thought this one was a response.
I only meant that they weren’t being shitty in the way that they used females. I thought that they were using it to bounce off the other post. I think that both questions are a bit weird, but valid.
I’m not always good at communicating online. I tend to forget that other people are not thinking the same thing as me :)
That’s perfectly fine. I didn’t assume OP was shitty. I was pointing out the “females” thing because he would get a better response by using words that made women feel more comfortable.
I suggest not referring to women as “females”. Many find that to be de-humanizing.
The question itself is fine.
My god, is every word going to get canceled eventually?
When did using the term male and female become problematic?
It became problematic when misogynists began using the term female as a way to dehumanize women. These men feel the need to blame all of their problems on women while simultaneously believing that a woman will also solve all their problems. It’s an easy outlet to channel their rage while accepting zero responsibility for their own actions.
News flash, every word is going to be used for that. You have use context and intent in every interaction, don’t try to change other people just to make your life easier from a couple bad eggs. Yeesh.
Isn’t that what you’re trying to do right now?
Pointing something out isn’t trying to change other people, but okay.
But it’s good to know there is a new red flag to look out for in interactions with women. Is that word okay? Misogynists use that too, which term is acceptable in this exchange? Nah I’m leaving this lol.
This is gonna have the Streisand effect, trying to pick the term you want is only going to fuel the wrong ones. It’s why it hasn’t taken off and why very few people know or even care. It’s hilarious that it’s a thing.
Additionally, the use of context would have told you that I was pointing out a well known red flag to benefit OPs conversations with women.
And for informational purposes, an article detailing why using “female” as a noun is a problem: https://www.jezebel.com/the-problem-with-calling-women-females-1683808274
An op-ed on an extremely biased site means nothing to the general public. And is a far cry from being an “article” that should be taken seriously.
People use those sources in closed groups to validate each others biased opinions.
It’s a few people making a mountain out of a peanut.
I stand by my yeesh.
When I googled it, I found nothing but similar op-Ed’s. This isn’t a thing.
It’s mainly a problem when it’s the only pronoun they use for women. There are plenty of incel type dudes who only use females when referring to women. There is appropriate context when utilizing female, but it’s typically used to delineate the sex of an animal, whether human or otherwise.
The reason they only utilize females is because it objectifies a person down to their sexual reproduction capabilities. Which within incel ideology makes women second class citizens.
It’s funny to me because I didn’t make the initial comment. I did reply, to offer an opinion, as did another… however you chose only reply to the one person with “girl” in their name.
Editing to add that I see you did make another comment below, so I’ll leave my original comment even though I am now mistaken in my reply!
What’s even funnier is, I replied to the parent comment and you responded to that one… and are now accusing me of only responded to a girl name, when that’s not even remotely the case.
Fuckin red flags every holy shit lmfao. Keep telling people to not use “females” so we can avoid interaction with people like you.
Well you convinced me. There are absolutely incels that when told some women don’t like this, they actively choose to defend it at all costs. Fascinating! Keep up the good fight. Show those women who’s boss!! Defend your masculinity or the English language or whatever it is you’re trying to do
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Lol
When people started having so little going on in their lives that they began manufacturing reasons to get outraged for other people.
At least 10 or 15 years ago was when I first got informed about it. It’s likely been problematic for much longer. Its really not that hard to use the word “women” instead. Usually when people refer to men they use the word “men”, so it’s only fair to use women also. Females feels a bit icky tbf. Like women are a different species or something.
The term women is used in derogatory ways by misogynists too. No word is safe. Yeesh.
Trying to change this is only going to make it worse, Streisand effect kind of thing.
Dude you have a dozen people saying “use a different word” and you just keep fighting back that you want to keep using it and they’re wrong.
Go ahead buddy, keep using “females.” I can guarantee they won’t be using you.
The problem is when people use “female” and “men”.
Male and female are sort of dehumanizing words. Great to use in science, but awkward to use in casual conversation. It’s like telling someone “Your epidermis looks so smooth”.
When you use “females” in combination with more appropriate word for males (e.g., “men”), you end up sounding like an incel or something.
And since people generally don’t use “males” when talking about men casually, even just using “females” outside an academic context is enough to make it sound a lot like how an incel would speak.
So “females” isn’t a bad word, but incels use it in a way that demeans women. If you use it in a non-scientific context, you’ll probably end up sounding like an incel.
(All the "you"s are meant to be the “general you”; I’m not trying to pick on anyone in particular)
I have a female friend group and male friend group.
Men and women sounds weird there, boy and girl can be taken wrong.
Lots of people use the terms in every day use, I don’t know why it’s being claimed it’s not. People slip up, make mistakes.
This just seems like an entire reverse white night scenario. People getting mad over nothing or just wanting to be angry about something.
The gendered terms there are adjectives which describe the two friend groups. Sounds fine.
But using “female” by itself to refer to a woman should be avoided unless the speaker actually wants to sound like a Ferengi.
No moral conflict or language policing necessary, just an awareness of the tonal implications of one’s word choices.
Right people are human and make mistakes, so to accidentally use the term interchangeable is perfectly acceptable.
People are trying to make an issue out of nothing, the only op-Ed’s on this is a decade old at this point.
It’s not a thing, and never will be. Use context to help you instead of just deciding a word is suddenly derogatory.
Hence, this thread where someone pointed out that the word choice might have unintentional implications, which triggered a few oversensitive incels who percieved it as an attack on their choice to speak dismissively of women.
I was just giving you some context. It isn’t some new complaint that’s just popped up. It’s also not a huge deal. You do you if you want to keep using the word “females” instead of women.
Re: the Streisand effect. Anyone getting excited that they’ve found a new “trigger” and choosing to use it despite someone else calmly suggesting that a different word is better isn’t really worth any consideration.
It is linguistically problematic to use adjectives as nouns AFAIK.
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It’s always a bit sus, but I try to give the benefit of the doubt at first. I haven’t creeped their post history yet to see if they’re misogynist yet.
I generally find that a gentle reminder helps people who are not a problem, and quickly reveals those that are the problem.
It’s definitely an effective tool!
I think it’s a tongue in cheek response to this post, rather than being shitty:
!https://lemmy.world/post/12482467
This post was the first to be made. I think the other was made to get a rise out of “snowflakes” or whatever.
The thing is that this post isn’t even shitty. The question is both fine and valid, and the OP hasn’t done anything terrible either. I just like pointing out things to improve communication.
Ah, they’re showing as being posted at the same time for me, 2 hours ago, but as OP posted the first reply there, I thought this one was a response.
I only meant that they weren’t being shitty in the way that they used females. I thought that they were using it to bounce off the other post. I think that both questions are a bit weird, but valid.
I’m not always good at communicating online. I tend to forget that other people are not thinking the same thing as me :)
That’s perfectly fine. I didn’t assume OP was shitty. I was pointing out the “females” thing because he would get a better response by using words that made women feel more comfortable.
The suspect is a six foot, white male