Something a little different…
I have been ruminating for months (maybe years) about all the ways we use “like a girl” to put someone down. And it kind of pisses me off. For the obvious reason, of course. But it’s also lazy.
Cry like a girl.
Run like a girl.
Bitch like a girl. (Um, no, sorry. I bitch like a full fledged-bitch thank you.) But even bitch is denigrating to women.
There are other words. Worse words.
And once you start noticing, you can’t not notice how many times a day a “female” term is used to put someone down.
Even “girl”– a female child — is a put-down. Until now, perhaps.
Take a look at this.
And the next time you hear someone try to put someone down by saying “like a girl” think about how fierce this little girl is now and just imagine her in 10 or 15 years.
We work in words. Choose wisely.
