Poll: Do you think this is sexist?
- Thread starter Mandalore_15
- Start date
Kind of, in the way it was stated it was a bit sexist. You didn't have to correct her and no there was no need to. Period.
But to be more on your topic, it all depends on the situation. You are mentioning that in GERMANY the GERMANS use such terms ALL THE TIME there for are USED TO IT. Just like spanish/latin words can be gender based yet after so many years we get accustomed to using them so it means nothing. Landlord is a title, like Manger. If it a female its not a Womenger (say it out loud, sounds funny doesn't it?), she even stated "My landlord Chole, she said its alright" It was started that she is female, why correct her? It sounded like you were trying to be a smart-ass and ended up being sexist.
I'm just accustomed to using gender neutral titles (Police Officer, Custodian, Receptionist, ect) for many things. In the end, don't let it get to you I guess.
But to be more on your topic, it all depends on the situation. You are mentioning that in GERMANY the GERMANS use such terms ALL THE TIME there for are USED TO IT. Just like spanish/latin words can be gender based yet after so many years we get accustomed to using them so it means nothing. Landlord is a title, like Manger. If it a female its not a Womenger (say it out loud, sounds funny doesn't it?), she even stated "My landlord Chole, she said its alright" It was started that she is female, why correct her? It sounded like you were trying to be a smart-ass and ended up being sexist.
I'm just accustomed to using gender neutral titles (Police Officer, Custodian, Receptionist, ect) for many things. In the end, don't let it get to you I guess.
Gender-specific terms can be a godsend when writing a novel and trying to avoid excessive verbosity when describing someone. Outside that, though, there doesn't seem to be any benefit to having a term that emphasizes the sex of someone. Why? Why should someone's gender be that important, over any other aspect of them?
That doesn't answer the question though. How is it useful? What could you imagine doing differently with your male landlord vs. your female one that would make that information useful?Deshara said:
Oh god not these threads again!. I don't find using a non gender neutral title sexist, because other wise I may as well never use the terms man or woman any more and just start calling everybody human. Which will do wonders when I'm trying to point people out in a crowd 
. The words exist, deal with it (Unless it's derogatory in which case then you have a valid point).
. The words exist, deal with it (Unless it's derogatory in which case then you have a valid point).
Normally I'd say no, using gender specific terms is, in most cases, not sexist. If you said:
"Chloe? Women don't deserve to be called landlords from men like me. They are landladies and that's all".
That's sexist. I'm pushing it but I bet there are a people who say stuff like that.
"Chloe? Women don't deserve to be called landlords from men like me. They are landladies and that's all".
That's sexist. I'm pushing it but I bet there are a people who say stuff like that.
Because the point was made that you were sexist, and right now you are digging yourself in a hole. It really seems like you came here to prove a point that you weren't sexist, the plan is backfiring and you are getting quite annoyed with the fact that not many are agreeing with you and those disagreeing are proving you wrong. To prove this I just had four people read your main post and this little segment I just quoted. You are being ignorant. You had the misapprehension that a landlord MUST only be a man so when a female name was given then a gender that you thought not possible you reacted badly. Besides landlord, what ELSE did your neighbor say or do to prove it MIGHT have been a male? Ask for a manager, get a female, ask for a manager again, female says she is the manager, look dumbstruck. Same thing with landlord. Hell the bloody definition was given to you RIGHT THERE.Mandalore_15 said:
Uh, it's a bit complicated, but "sexist" is a bit too harsh. It's not sexist, the way I understood it, you just "corrected" her because she used the term used for males for a female. I'd call that sexist, rather than the opposite. The word "landlord" is obviously from a time when women couldn't own lands, but now they can, so why not use the term "landlady"? Honestly, in my language, it would have been incorrect to accompany the male noun with a female name (our nouns have gender; male, female and... middle gender. It's complicated. Also, our "my" has both male and female versions (and middle gender version) so it too would have to be in appropriate gender). The owners of my apartment that I rent when I'm in college are a man and a woman; when I refer to the man, I call him the "landlord" and when I refer to his wife, I call her "landlady". It would be weird and senseless to say it otherwise, at least in my language. Just recently I had to explain to one of my friends that my landlady will wait for them in front of the building; if I used the word "landlord", my friend would expect to see a man and would not recognise the person I was referring to and it would be confusing. I had to use the noun reserved for females to avoid confusion and for my friend to know whom to approach. In my opinion, it's perfectly normal to make a distinction, at least grammatical one, like that (if such distinction exists; for example, the word "boss" is used for both genders and doesn't have a distinction. Since both "landlord" and "landlady" are legit words, they are okay to use when you're describing a person).
Honestly, I would've been a bit surprised too if I heard the phrase "My landlord Chloe". What now, "My husband Chloe"? "My brother Chloe"? When there's a specific word for both male and female, we use the appropriate word for appropriate gender. That's not sexism, that's grammar. Sexism would be if you laughed at the fact that a woman "owns a land" and demanded to see a man to talk with about the issue. How is hiding behind old, patriarchal terminology and refusing to admit that a woman is a woman better than acknowledging and accepting that a woman holds a, formerly, exclusively male position? Some people's logic.
Honestly, I would've been a bit surprised too if I heard the phrase "My landlord Chloe". What now, "My husband Chloe"? "My brother Chloe"? When there's a specific word for both male and female, we use the appropriate word for appropriate gender. That's not sexism, that's grammar. Sexism would be if you laughed at the fact that a woman "owns a land" and demanded to see a man to talk with about the issue. How is hiding behind old, patriarchal terminology and refusing to admit that a woman is a woman better than acknowledging and accepting that a woman holds a, formerly, exclusively male position? Some people's logic.
No, though in some military settings female officers have been referred to as "sir" by subordinates. Most women I know prefer the appropriate gender prefix/suffix/whatever, those that are bothered by it are the same people that have taken feminism and ruined things for their gender and everyone else by going too far.