Chick

[Amy Speed]

I am beginning to feel that I will always be called "girl," rather than
"woman." Even at my job, women are often referred to as girls. While I don't
find it offensive, I am beginning to wonder what it takes to be called a
woman. As a backlash, I find myself sometimes referring to men as boys.
Which is not always an inaccuracy.

>At 01:15 PM 11/12/99 -0700, you wrote:
>>It seems to me that the word "chick" is regaining popularity, especially
>>among young females. I would be insulted if a colleague called me Chick,
but
>>I would tolerate it from a friend. Perhaps it is an attitude among women
>>that we can call ourselves whatever we like. The popular country music
group
>>Dixie Chicks, for example, picked their own name and even have chick feet
>>tattooed on their feet. Their web site (www.dixiechicks.com) says, "The
>>Dixie Chicks came out of the chute with enough sass and confidence to
adopt
>>slogans like 'Chicks Rule' and 'Chicks Kick Ass.'" Whether the Dixie
Chicks
>>themselves are leading this fad, I don't know. My question is, "Is it more
>>acceptable for women to refer to themselves as chicks than for men?"
>
>Than for men to call women chicks, I assume you mean?  I would hope
>so.  Related terms like 'girl', 'girlfriend', and even 'bitch' appear to be
>OK from female to female but not from male to female--or at least I hope
>so.  However, when I ask my undergraduate women if they mind being called
>"girls," I get an ever-increasing "no, why?"  As Lynne said, they seem to
>enjoy dressing, acting, and talking (with a highpitched squeak) like little
>girls, so I guess it follows that they like the label.  In fact, they tell
>me "women" sounds "old and stuffy"--the last thing they want to be.  My
>cut-off for 'girl' is the end of high school, but these people seem not to
>want to give up that stage in their lives.  Interestingly, they also seem
>to be rejecting 'Ms' as an address term (also old and stuffy)--FN only,
please.
>
>>Amy
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Bradley, Beth M <Beth.M.Bradley at UWSP.EDU>
>>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Date: Friday, November 12, 1999 11:14 AM
>>Subject: Re: Chick
>>
>>
>> >I am in college.  Now and in high school, my friends and I have used
>> >"chick", when we are talking amongst ourselves.  We do not take offense
to
>> >it.  Many other women do, though, and some men are surprised that we use
>>the
>> >term.
>> >What is it about "chick" that is offensive to some people?
>> >
>> >-Beth Bradley
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From: Tom Kysilko [mailto:pds at VISI.COM]
>> >Sent: Friday, November 12, 1999 1:41 AM
>> >To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> >Subject: Chick
>> >
>> >
>> >Further evidence of the rehabilitation of "chick":
>> >
>> >The cover story of the Fall 1999 issue of the Carleton College alumni
>> >magazine tells of a young alumna who took a crew of high school girls
from
>> >SF to Baja and back on a schooner.  The title of the article is "Moby
>> >Chick".
>> >
>> >
>> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> >  Tom Kysilko        Practical Data Services
>> >  pds at visi.com       Saint Paul MN USA
>> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~