Comments on: Lou O’ Bedlam’s Friday Feature: Meaghan O’ Connell

By: Jessie

Jessie — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:55:28 +0000

To “nickmaynard”:
That’s the point though, isn’t it? “Girl” isn’t the equivalent of “Guy”; it’s it equivalent of “Boy”, and the fact that you don’t realize that you’re referring to a woman as a child with the word “girl” (by definition), is exactly the point.
Recently a man said to me that a woman not shaving her legs is like a man shaving HIS legs. Well, it’s not. It’s the opposite, except for the fact that society has led most people to believe that a woman shaving her legs is the natural thing to do. In the same way, calling a woman “girl” is demeaning if you think outside of what “our society thinks of the term.”

By: joyoussalutations

joyoussalutations — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:06:29 +0000

I refer to women of all ages as ladies. Young old etc. It conveys a certain amount of chivalrousness and respect for the lady that you are talking to. I am a bloke.

By: nickmaynard

nickmaynard — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:12:57 +0000

i’ve definitely given some thought to this same issue. as much as i agree with your logic, i still think it’s important that we have informal terms for things. i totally buy the argument that “girl” can seem like it “frames them as children”, but what word is acceptable then? i’ve always viewed “girl” as the feminine equivalent of “guy”.

if you were to refer to a guy as “boy”, i totally agree that it would have the kind of connotation that you’re talking about here. but i just don’t think our society thinks of the term “girl” that way.

great article, very thoughtful and thought provoking.

By: Dale E. Moore

Dale E. Moore — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:22:15 +0000

“Sweetie” or “Girl” … I notice that I’ve said them and cringe a little. Thanks for speaking out! Maybe I will start to catch them before they become sounds.