Few are the occupations that change the word based on gender.
Even in the arts it is one of few (only?) occupation titles that gender sorts. Dancers, Vocalists, Musicians, Designers, Directors, Bassoonists, etc . . none of these and more identify the gender of the performer.
We (he and I) have spoken often of the ramifications of words, the import of terms and how they are wielded. My son, the actor, decided long ago to cease use of the word actress to describe a female actor.
Can you think of any profession in which the word for same is different depending on the gender of the performer?
#MicroBlogMonday
Waiter/waitress is all I could come up with. Steward/stewardess, my next thought, seems to have gone to flight attendant.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed when female actors refer to themselves they almost always called themselves actors. But the Academy Awards still uses best actor/actress categories. Interesting.
I feel waiter/waitress has become the gender neutral, "server" in the same way flight attendant has for steward/stewardess.
DeleteOne of the reasons I prefer the Screen Actor's Guild over the Oscars, generally.
A well-raised young man, your son! Yes, language does matter.
ReplyDeleteHandyperson doesn't sound right, but handyman is in accurate around here. Maybe it should be shortened to 'handy', as in 'I need to call a handy to replace that house part.' What do you think?
Handyperson doesn't sound right, but there is a 2012 article in a British journal embracing the term to replace handyman. That one is a sticky wicket, I admit.
DeleteThere are apps (one in particular, TaskRabbit) that corrals "do-ers" who will do for you (for a fee) what you need done. You describe your tasker and you are presented with an array of folks who tout themselves as capable taskers. Well beyond the parameters of "handy".
(Thank you re: the youn man.) :-)
inaccurate. Bah!
ReplyDeleteI love your son's thoughtfulness. I feel like so many gender-specific occupations have been changed, like fireman to firefighter, policeman to police officer... I just saw a whole thing on how the Richard Scarry Busy Book has slowly been updated over the last few decades to be less gender-specific and stereotyped. I love it all!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThank you.
DeleteWomen gaining access and having a presence in occupations normally held exclusively by men forced the specific and obvious need to change fireman into firefighter. Odd, given that paramedics were always, paramedics. (?) Anywho... happy that there is more immersion overall, yes.
The other day I was watching a discussion on You Tube where the all women panel consisting of 3 actors, a director and a producer were discussing the usage of the prefix 'Female' to the words actor, director and producer. And they were not happy with this prefix attached to their roles and profession. They just wanted to be known as an actor, a director and a producer. I appreciate the thoughtfulness of your son.
ReplyDeleteAs well they should. When describing a director, producer, writer, or actor who is male, "male" isn't used.
DeleteThank you.
The only other one that springs to mind is sculptor vs. sculptress.
ReplyDeleteWhich reminds me of another thought bouncing around my head, is there an male equivalent for seamstress?
DeleteGood question, and I went looking for an answer. Apparently, there is a such thing as a seamster (the male equivalent of seamstress). Kudos to your son for being so sensitive to this.
DeleteI think your son has it exactly right. Unless it's the Academy Awards. And then I believe that women need their own special category because if we just voted for one "actor", the men would get all the awards......
Deletetailor is the male equivalent to seamstress. and that says a great deal, doesn't it. They should all be tailors.
Delete35jupe
I started using actor when I lived in LA, as it is common in H'wood, so you and he are on trend, for the LA crowd.
ReplyDelete35jupe