[kupoartist]

Originally Posted by missingno

guys and gurls are diffrently..

yes they are different, but nowhere near as different as Society makes them different. Platonic same sex relationships (i.e. not Homosexual) are often seen as different when male and female relationship groups are compared. Girls are co-operative and Boys are competative. Yet in other societies, guys actually express themselves and their friendship for one another in what we may term a femanine way. Two guys walking down the stree holding hands whilst walking down the street in one society may be labbled "******s". In another, they may just "be good friends". A guy calling a girl "babe" is just part of this wider picture of western society - to emphasise social distance by using common "macho" phrases. And frankly, I think it's pathetic. By being rude they intend to be non-conformist, yet ironically, all they're doing is conforming to society's expectations of them. To appear macho and verile. It's part of a basic almost animal-like dance of courtship - The male peacock shows off his elabourately coloured feathers. The human male draws upon hidden reserves of brain-power to string together a supposedly flattering sentance in the hope that he'll get laid. You may be made to feel like meat, but you should at least take pride in the fact that you haven't got a deluxe-sized tin of spam between your ears ^^.

The sad truth is simply that, despite the actions of feminists since the late 19th Century, Men and Women are unbalanced in terms of social position. Men hold the power of the sexes, often by institutionalised elements in society. The english language itself is deeply institutionalised against women - The equivilent of "Master" is "Mistress", but the later holds far more negative connotations than the former. Job titles are traditionally male-biased: Milkman, Fireman, Policeman. Even an innocuous word like "History" contain's "His" - why not "Herstory" or "Ourstory"? Unless you're white and male, you're statistically unlikely to lead a country. If you're one of the few women in power, you're rarely "a great leader" but more likely "a battle axe", regardless of your political views or prowess. Margaret Thatcher forcibly adopted a deeper vocal range because female voices just aren't believed to be "authorative" in the way that males are. Sexism is firmly rooted in every influential movement that ever existed.

With time, hopefully it will change. The last 200 years have seen a lot of change in that respect. But I doubt it'll be in our lifetimes - your grandaughters and maybe even their grandaughters may have to endure the same derogratory statements. Just don't let it get to you, and remember - so long as inequality exists, a guy can't hit you back when you kick him sharply in the groin