The English Language: Its Deep Rooted Misogyny
Everyday there are phrases used that have meanings that the public may be unaware of. There is casual misogyny buried in phrases and words of the English language that should be publicly known. Culturally we need to change some of the phrases we use in our everyday lives.
Not all are able to relate to this issue. Even for some women it’s hard to understand and see how these phrases are misogynistic because they are so ingrained in our language and culture they don’t feel derogatory. We need to open up our eyes and see these phrases for what they really are. I have been told I “throw like a girl” even though I actually do have a decent throw. It hurts knowing that things I am just as easily capable of, are valued and seen as so much less than if a man were to do the same exact action. Many times in my life I have been told to “smile more”. That is one phrase that makes me furious. Women don’t need to smile for anyone else but themselves. Humans don’t smile to please others, they smile when they feel joy and happiness. Being told to smile will not bring about happiness or joy.
It doesn’t have to be strangers that are telling a woman to smile, it can even be someone close to you, maybe even someone in your family. As a woman it often feels like women are only here on this earth for the pleasure of others or for others to look at and give instructions to. “It makes women feel that we are only meant to be happy and pretty and it’s a passive way to engage into an unwanted conversation,” (Huffpost, 1). In reality, women are here for so much more than that. They are here on this earth to give life with the ability to grow a child and give life. That in itself is extremely amazing.
“Career woman” is yet another one of the many words with a disguised misogynistic meaning. According to an article by Readers Digest, a good strategy to find out whether a word or phrase is sexist, just see if there is a male equivalent. If there is no male equivalent then there is a good chance that it is sexist or has a misogynistic background. When looking at the word “career woman”, the male equivalent would be “career man”, which is not a real word. During the Victorian era, “a woman’s place” was in the home,” (BBC, 1). This kept women away from what is called the public sphere. In this era there were separate spheres for men and women. The sphere for women kept them at home, doing all of the cooking and cleaning, and the sphere for men had them out in the world working jobs with many opportunities. In years after the Victorian era, when women started receiving more opportunities and were finally allowed to pursue their dreams and jobs, they are often called “career women” because they have a job other than being a stay at home mom. This term implies that a woman has a job outside of the home, which many women have. A “career woman” isn’t a thing, but there are women with careers just like there are men with careers.
A further thing women are told very often is that they are “too emotional”. There are many words in the english language used to describe the emotions of a woman, most of which are degrading. “Hysterical, moody, PMSing, crazy: These words have all been used to suggest a woman’s emotions are disproportionate to the circumstances she’s in or that she can’t control how she feels,” (Huffington Post). By exaggerating the emotions of a woman, it can also downplay the emotions of a man and make men feel like if they’re feeling extreme emotions it’s irrelevant or less valid. It’s a very demonetizing thing to hear that your entire gender is seen as “too emotional” or “too sensitive”. It makes women not want to express themselves or show their emotions when showing and expressing that emotion can actually be the most effective way to manage it.
Hysterical/in hysterics is yet another word that has a very demonetizing meaning. One way this word is commonly used is by saying someone is “crying hysterically”. “It’s just part of our everyday vocabulary, but its origin story is probably the best example of the multiple ways women have been silenced and dismissed throughout history,” (Reader’s Digest, 2). The word hysterical originates from the Green work hystera which translates to the womb. “It was originally used in the 1800s to describe a neurotic condition that is caused by the dysfunction of the uterus. Its meaning changed with the centuries to “unhealthy emotions or excitement”. In the 19th and 20th century a way to heal a woman from her hysteria was through a clitoridectomy. A clitoridectomy is the removal of the clitoris. Until the 1950s doctors used “hysteria” to describe multiple mental health issues, though it’s a term exclusively used for women,” (Ted x Vienna, 4). Although this word has gone through many stages of many different meanings, it doesn’t take away the history and misogyny behind it.
Within the English language there are many words and phrases. There are misogynistic words and phrases, racist words and phrases, homophobic words and phrases, etc. While it is important to be mindful of what you say and know what words and phrases truly mean, it’s hard to please everyone. If it were possible to abolish every word and phrase that had a misogynistic connotation our world would have to evaluate the english language as a whole, and recreate numerous words. While this wouldn’t really be realistically possible, it’s important to stay mindful of what you say to and around others.
When looking at the English language in its entirety, there’s a lot you could point out and consider it negative. The unrecognized misogyny hidden behind these words and phrases is what the world needs to be educated about. It is an extremely important issue. The meanings of these words is something that needs to be exposed to the public so that something can be done to make it all right.
