Then Why Shouldn't We Say "Sweetie" to Women or "Boy" to Black people?

@ParaTed2k (22940)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
November 16, 2009 5:13pm CST
Over the last couple of decades there has been a concerted effort to change the way we do things in our society. There has been the meaningless "Political Correctness" that made a power play out of common courtesy, but there was also a much more important effort. The use of words to put others beneath us has come under attack, and rightly so. Words are symbols and only have the meaning we allow them to have, but some of those symbols are wielded like weapons from one person to another. Some of the words can be used as terms of endearment, but only among peers who understand the actual usage by the speaker, and accept it. Even our mosts hateful language can be considered friendly, but only by common consent between the parties. It's nothing new really. In times passed (when people used terms like "in times passed), one would never get away with addressing someone their senior by their first name. To do so would welcome swift retribution and demean the speaker. The shame alone was often enough to make the proper attitude adjustment. Somewhere along the way we lost some of that societal respect, probably about the time we quit respecting each other and insisted it was beneath us. But what has lasted is the remnants of that system of respect. For a man to call a woman "sweetie" without her consent is more than just a faux pas of etiquette. Why? Because the entire use of the word without consent is meant to put the woman beneath the speaker (so to speak). Many of us have heard a lot of Black people refer to themselves in what has become known as "The N Word". But I can't remember a time when a Black man considered "Boy" a term of indearment, even amongst his peers. Of course, it might happen, I don't know, I've just never heard it. When Prs. Obama protrated himself to both the King of Saudi Arabia and the Emporer of China, he was putting himself and the US beneath the station of the royalty. He was doing the exact same as if the King called him "boy" or called Mrs. Obama or one of our female government officials "Sweetie". Would Prs. Obama accept such a demeaning act against him, his wife or any of the woman who represent our nation in official capacities? I doubt it. But he was, nevertheless willing to do exactly that with no prompting, coersion or insistence from the royalty he demeaned himself (and us) before.
2 people like this
5 responses
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
16 Nov 09
hi parated2k I have gotten that term sweetie from a lot of people on mylot and I don't think it was meant to be debasing or any such thing. I am elderly, as you probably know if you checked my profile as so many do I am told, and even my doctor says, sweetie I changed this prescription for this reason and he is really a pretty decent guy so I am confused. Is it because I am elderly? I mean I did not think the people who used it to me were trying to demean me or hurt me. But I hate the word boy used to grown men as it is an insult, and I hate it when you are wor king, and a male worker calls us middle aged and elderly women girls. We have not been girls for years and the man knows that too. Now nobody calls me honey no body,my husband had that right, nobody else does. If someone honeys me I tell them at once on do not use that word. I am not your honey.,Also I detest a stranger calling me mama or grandma, I am not their mother or their grandmother either one. Also maybe you have not thought of this, would you like being c alled old man, or old woman well neither do I I may be elderly but I am not an old woman always said with a sneer.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
17 Nov 09
The specific words aren't as important as the point. We can all come up with words that we don't mind being used in reference to us, and ones we hate. To you Grandma and Mama have specific meanings so the titles shouldn't be direspected by being thrown around at will. The whole "girl" "woman" "lady" thing has always been a bit confusing for me. I mean, I know a grown woman isn't a girl, but I rarely ever hear a group of female friends referring to themselves as "the women" or "the ladies", but often hear them say, "the girls". The main point is though, that when Prs. Obama prostrated himself to royalty, he was demeaning himself and we who he is there to represent... just like calling you "mama" or "grandma"
1 person likes this
@jb78000 (15139)
17 Nov 09
can't see anything wrong with 'sweetie', i use it for both men and women, i know just about all pet names can be used in a patronising way but usually they are harmless. boy of course i don't think would be appreciated by men,and especially black men because of its history. i use another one when i wish to annoy men which is 'sunshine' (a variation of 'son') - this can be particularly annoying when i use it for men older than myself - it has no racial connatotions but is (i hope) irritating. now teddy - i wasn't aware that china has an emporer at the moment, are you sure you don't mean japan? they are not the same place.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
17 Nov 09
Hi sweetie.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
17 Nov 09
Last time I commented to Teddy that he really should respond to the discussions he's opened already before putting more up he got a teensy bit cross, but it's more of the same. What's the point in sticking them up and then ignoring the responses because they are too intellecutual. Is that how you would characterise it too sweetie rabbit?
@jb78000 (15139)
17 Nov 09
and some people use it for men, women and rabbits.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
17 Nov 09
Now Teddy I know you get a bit distracted by American politics to the exclusion of world politics but I'd say the Emperor of China was a pretty big faux pas of your own. Personally I think your country has taken political correctness too far, most men would object to being called Boy if they are actually men but women are often referred to as girls. Race and colour doesn't come into that one. Since when did 'sweetie' become a politically incorrect word? As far as I know women use it equally towards men. This is the third discussion now I've seen which involves the issue of Obama bowing and the simple answer is that no one should be bowing to anyone. I recall though that you still haven't responded to how Obama was happy to consort with an unelected royal philip in your White House when I would have expected you to share your disapproval but you didn't comment there whereas I would have thought that should have been met with equal disdain. So I presume it is less demeaning in your eyes for Obama to prostrate himself to representatives of some countries more than others.
• United States
6 Dec 09
Obamabot! Ted - I have to compliment you on trying to draw an analogy. Calling a girl "sweet cheeks" and saying, "Bring daddy some of that" is not quite the same as bowing down to a leader of a country. Were you up in arms when Senior Bush bowed down before the Queen of England? You rarely mention that. At my job, when I get the phone, I address people as "ma'am" or "sir". It is not self-demeaning when I do that, but, rather, a formality. Perhaps, Obama was being polite?
@qmeyers (42)
• United States
17 Nov 09
Why is it so negative to respect someone else's customs/traditions?? Doesn't make you any less of a person or any weaker. If my family says grace before eating and a friend of one of my children decides to eat dinner with us and says grace along with us it doesn't demean his family- who may not agree with the practice or do it themselves. It is being respectful of our traditions while in our house. That simple.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
17 Nov 09
It is the custom of equals to bow equally. The very custom you are refering to says that the inferior bow lower than the superior. Obama did not meet an equal bow with the emporer, in fact, his bow was far lower than even the emporers subjects are required.
• United States
6 Dec 09
You know what we need? We need our own Zapruder film with the Obama bow. We need to go frame by frame, and measure the angle and trajectory of the bow, and then come up with random conspiracy theories on what that bow really meant. Wink wink. Hunch, and a little too far down. Hunch, and a little too far down.