Very Smart Brothas &
Buzzfeed and others have brilliantly covered this subject (click the the names to read the articles. I've shared & re-posted them.
But I guess no one was reading these articles because the misused of Female keep being disgustingly increased by more & more people. So, now you have to read a blog post based on my know-it-all chatter.
So here are some definitions (And we thank Google):
Female: of or denoting the sex that can bear offspring or produce eggs, distinguished biologically by the production of gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes
Woman: the female human being, as distinguished from a girl or a man.
Girl: a female child from birth to adulthood
Lady: a woman (used as a polite or old-fashioned form of reference)
Male: of or denoting the sex that produces small, typically motile gametes, especially spermatozoa, with which a female may be fertilized or inseminated to produce offspring
Man: an adult human male or a human being of either sex; a person
Boy: a male child from birth to adulthood
Gentleman: a polite or formal way of referring to a man
People referring to woman as just female is not a new phenomenon to me. I grew up hearing numerous butt hurt, cynical men loitering around various stores, riding public transportation or loudly talking in barbershop or coed salons saying, "These females", "Females can", etc. It went along with all the other disrespectful activities including street harassment that they engaged in.
But now since that behavior is now a part of accepted pop culture (What's Cool), it is strangely easing into everyday conversation in the misuse of female is growing. About 4-5 years ago, I had to have this discussion with Alura, my niece. She was in high school and that was how she talked about girls she didn't like. She's grown age (18-20), now and she curbs the word around me most times but she still says it. Yes, I have hope in her. But the moment that made me type this post happened this past weekend. The star of a web show I really like, referred to the woman that he is in a committed relationship with as his female.Yes, he said "I Am Loyal to My Female". Previously in the interview discussion, the male co-host and he were already misusing female in their opinions about certain behaviors of women. But when he called the woman he’s dating that term, my mental brakes engaged. I almost reached through my phone to clamp his lips. Now, to my calming, his co-star, who is a woman verbally nudged him into saying lady or girlfriend. And he did.
Dear Future Boyfriend(s) and/or Husband,
Take heed! You get one time to refer to me as “My Female” or “The Female I am Dating or Married to” & I know about it. I’ll correct you once. The next time, be ready to verbal spar.
When you refer to a woman no matter how she is behaving to just a female, you have just reduced her to her biological reproductive parts. You don’t think crap about her but not confuse this person’s gender, her sex is her description. As if that woman doesn't have a heart or brain.
In the Buzzfeed article, the author makes a point. "Because nobody casually refers to men as males." What if men were talk about, mentioned based on having penis, scrotum, & testicle? That is what not only using female as the adjective (descriptive word) it says. Female can describe a human, an animal, or a plant. The proper (non-slang) definition of bitch is female dog. When alluding to a woman as just female, you may as well call her a bitch. Some of you all are using that word not to call a woman the slang version of that word anyway. So, recognize the negative take on this word.
I’m not trying to hit anyone of the head with respectability politic. I speak slang. I’ve also had screwy opinions about life that have changed. This is just my know-it-all opinion on how it makes many of us feel. Again I’ve basically heard the “female” used negatively my whole life. It is basically used to complain or disagree with the actions of a woman. When have you ever heard “These females can cook up a storm” or “Females are taking over that company”?
Record it when you do and send that to me. It’s like the attitude is Female are bad but Women are good. Make That Stop, now. Think about who all you are actually talking about when you use the word female. You are not talking about who you disagree with, but also who you agree with also. Oh and ladies if you use the term, you are included yourself, too
So, put some respect & respeck on Female. LoL It’s the disrespectful tone that is hurting us. It hurt us when it was just used in the streets. It is hurting us more since it didn’t die there. And until we stop inflicting pain on each other, I am Not finished, I am Not done.
As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms
