[rubicon]

I have become very annoyed with the common place description of women being referred to by both men and women as "b------.

This is so disrespectful and degrading. The country goes ballistic if in any shape or form the n word is used but the "b"word is common place.

If one views women today through the lens of movies, television, and through the hearing of music one has to wonder if this was the intent of the feminist movement? Did the feminist movement intend for woman to take nude selfies and post them to their admirers? Or record sex tapes? Or use language that was once relegated to the seaside wharves?

Perhaps I am a romantic but the depiction of civility and the manner of women's fashions in the early 1900's is the epitome of femininity.

I love a woman with a sense of humor and a quick wit who is gracious and where confidence removes the need to be defensive.

[redwitch]

Sadly, I use the B word frequently, but I'm usually referring to a female dog, rarely another woman. Personally, I'd rather be called Beautiful, Intelligent, Talented, Creative, Honest than a girl any day of the week.

I doubt feminists ever dreamt that females would post nude selfies for the world to see but it is their right to do so. That is what we fought for -- the right to use our bodies as we deemed fit, not as others thought we should. Doesn't mean we agree with everything done by another, just that we defend their right to do so.

What bothers me is to see a young woman today still be subservient to the man in her life; the fact that women still don't receive equal pay for equal work; that abuse still exists and is frequently defended; that woman are again being denied the right to choose.

[graciegirl]

I have never had cause to feel anything but equal in my whole life. Our daughter and granddaughter seem to feel the same.

I never needed to prove anything, I felt that nothing held me back from doing anything I set my mind to do. My family didn't have any paterfamilias thing going on. My grandmother was one of the first to drive a car she said. She was a midwife and a really strong and kind woman. My husband has always been supportive of anything I did.

[B767drvr]

Originally Posted by redwitch

the fact that women still don't receive equal pay for equal work;

Hmmm… many, many articles opposing this assertion from varied authors on both sides of the world view aisle:

Mark J. Perry and Andrew G. Biggs: The '77 Cents on the Dollar' Myth About Women's Pay - WSJ

Liberal feminist Hanna Rosin debunks the 77 percent pay for women myth | Wintery Knight

Wage gap myth exposed

It's Time That We End the Equal Pay Myth - Forbes

[redwitch]

Gracie, like you, I was taught that I was only limited by my own actions and choices. However, that is not true for many women, even today. I did march and protest for women's rights (couldn't burn a bra -- didn't own one, had no need). Not because I needed those rights but because there was a true inequality in pay, in choices, in rights and I did feel that I had the right to choose what I wanted to do with my body without subterfuge.

[jblum315]

Maybe the ladies of the early 1900s looked very feminine but they also conveyed the look of helplessness. Imagine trying to walk, move, eat, even breathe with the corsets they had to wear. and God forbid anyone should glimpse an ankle or even mention the word leg in public. Even pianos had limbs rather than legs.

[redwitch]

Originally Posted by B767drvr

Hmmm… many, many articles opposing this assertion from varied authors on both sides of the world view aisle:

Mark J. Perry and Andrew G. Biggs: The '77 Cents on the Dollar' Myth About Women's Pay - WSJ

Liberal feminist Hanna Rosin debunks the 77 percent pay for women myth | Wintery Knight

Wage gap myth exposed

It's Time That We End the Equal Pay Myth - Forbes

You're right, the difference is no longer 77 percent, but there is still a gap -- women still at about 93 cents to the U.S. male's dollar. On Equal Pay Day, key facts about the gender pay gap | Pew Research Center

The Awful Truth Behind The Gender Pay Gap - Forbes

In some white collar professions, the gap is still huge: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/up...abt=0002&abg=0

[Bizdoc]

There are ignorant people everywhere. Now that I have the freedom of retirement and no longer have to smile at ignorant bosses and coworkers, I deal with people who use derogatory terms about people by crossing them off my list and avoiding them. Life is too short to be surrounded by idiots.

[B767drvr]

Originally Posted by redwitch

You're right, the difference is no longer 77 percent, but there is still a gap -- women still at about 93 cents to the U.S. male's dollar. On Equal Pay Day, key facts about the gender pay gap | Pew Research Center

The Awful Truth Behind The Gender Pay Gap - Forbes

In some white collar professions, the gap is still huge: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/up...abt=0002&abg=0

If this gender pay gap truly exists, why aren't more companies saving a bunch of money and hiring a disproportionate number of women versus men? Why hire a more expensive employee (man) to do the same job?

[redwitch]

Why didn't they hire more women in the 70s and 80s when the difference was even higher and there was a large female work force? If you think sexism, ageism and other forms of discrimination don't still exist, think again.

[Halibut]

Well, it feels wrong to refer to a woman as a bas****.

More seriously, I'll usually go with "idiot" under my breath if, say, another driver of either sex does something ... idiotic. I can only think of a few times in my life when I was angry enough to swear at someone I knew, but if I pushed, I will go with f-bomb bitch or bas**** as the case may be. The c-word gives me the shakes and I have never used it, even mentally. I do refer to men as d****, as recently as last week in reference to a person who is suing a friend of mine in an attempt to ruin his business.

"Bad" words are so odd. I have a British friend and I'll sometimes say "fanny" to him, just to watch him cringe.

[sunnyatlast]

Where are the feminists regarding Beyonce's use of Monica Lewinsky in these putrid lyrics--and the fact that they say NOTHING about the male involved with Lewinsky.......

Beyonce - Partition Lyrics | MetroLyrics

I keep thinking this cannot be what MLK envisioned for all the little girls for whom he and the others fought so courageously.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by redwitch

Why didn't they hire more women in the 70s and 80s when the difference was even higher and there was a large female work force? If you think sexism, ageism and other forms of discrimination don't still exist, think again.

Granddaughter hasn't encountered it. She has had two promotions in her job since she graduated college two years ago in June. BUT she came from a family that never felt it was an issue. I think a lot of it is looking for trouble since I have never felt sexism in anything I did in my whole life.

[Kirsten Lee]

In fifth grade I had a teacher in his second year of teaching. He was in charge of the audio visual (AV) equipment for the school. I was the first girl AV monitor the school ever had. This was before Title IV and only boys played sports at lunch. I was the first girl scorekeeper but I was listed as "Bill Smith" on the game sheet so the boys in the other classes did not know until game time who was keeping score. I did not know I wasn't suppose to ask to do those "boy only" jobs because my parents told me I could do anything.

My daughter just graduated with a degree in industrial engineering. She was the top student in her class and yes she has a job! Sad to say some of the males she went to school with did not think females were as good as the males were. Last summer while working an internship, she was warned a number of times about the males on the shop floor and how they treated females differently. The female opinions were not listened to as well and suggestive sexual comments were made. Times have changed but not enough.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by jblum315

Maybe the ladies of the early 1900s looked very feminine but they also conveyed the look of helplessness. Imagine trying to walk, move, eat, even breathe with the corsets they had to wear. and God forbid anyone should glimpse an ankle or even mention the word leg in public.

Imagine trying to swim in a bathing "costume".
I'm so glad that women now feel free to wear comfortable clothing.