This is off topic but it is important - I agree with your post except for the word “shrieking”. It is a verb exclusively used in ways that (usually unconsciously) are derogatory to woman. It’s like the adjective shrill. You never hear it to describe the speech of men. Shrill and shriek are only used when the speaker is putting women down…
This is off topic but it is important - I agree with your post except for the word “shrieking”. It is a verb exclusively used in ways that (usually unconsciously) are derogatory to woman. It’s like the adjective shrill. You never hear it to describe the speech of men. Shrill and shriek are only used when the speaker is putting women down. It attacks the woman not the argument. It is always ad hominem argument used when a woman speaker is being passionate and forceful, frequently in a legislature. Men when passionate are forceful, strong, powerful. Women when passionate are often described as shrill and shrieking, especially when the writer disagrees with what the woman says. It is a form of subconscious sexism frequently used by people who don’t understand the sexist implications.
I'm a man and I describe men as shrill or shrieking. I recall just recently calling a right-wing Youtube movie critic known as the Critical Drinker increasingly shrill about his constant complaints about wokeness in movies. I just easily found this headline. San Antonio News : Shrill, Combative Donald Trump Jr. Riles Up the Base at San Antonio Campaign Rally. I'm sure people do misuse the word as you say, but I disagree with the idea that no one should say it. That's ceding the term to people who misuse it and I don't care to give them that power over my linguistic choices.
Thank you. I’m a retired reporter in Canada and at one point, I covered federal politics in Ottawa. Back then there were few women Members of Parliament and the women MPs that were there had to be strong to be heard. One such was Sheila Copps. Just about every time she spoke in Parliament reporters used the word “shrill” to describe her speech. As there got to be more women MPs and more women reporters, the use of the word declined. It is refreshing to hear the adjectives “shrill” and “shrieking” are no longer applied just to women. They are good descriptive adjectives. Maybe the time has come when they can be reclaimed for universal use no longer associated with misogyny. I’ll take progress where I find it.
This is off topic but it is important - I agree with your post except for the word “shrieking”. It is a verb exclusively used in ways that (usually unconsciously) are derogatory to woman. It’s like the adjective shrill. You never hear it to describe the speech of men. Shrill and shriek are only used when the speaker is putting women down. It attacks the woman not the argument. It is always ad hominem argument used when a woman speaker is being passionate and forceful, frequently in a legislature. Men when passionate are forceful, strong, powerful. Women when passionate are often described as shrill and shrieking, especially when the writer disagrees with what the woman says. It is a form of subconscious sexism frequently used by people who don’t understand the sexist implications.
I'm a man and I describe men as shrill or shrieking. I recall just recently calling a right-wing Youtube movie critic known as the Critical Drinker increasingly shrill about his constant complaints about wokeness in movies. I just easily found this headline. San Antonio News : Shrill, Combative Donald Trump Jr. Riles Up the Base at San Antonio Campaign Rally. I'm sure people do misuse the word as you say, but I disagree with the idea that no one should say it. That's ceding the term to people who misuse it and I don't care to give them that power over my linguistic choices.
Thank you. I’m a retired reporter in Canada and at one point, I covered federal politics in Ottawa. Back then there were few women Members of Parliament and the women MPs that were there had to be strong to be heard. One such was Sheila Copps. Just about every time she spoke in Parliament reporters used the word “shrill” to describe her speech. As there got to be more women MPs and more women reporters, the use of the word declined. It is refreshing to hear the adjectives “shrill” and “shrieking” are no longer applied just to women. They are good descriptive adjectives. Maybe the time has come when they can be reclaimed for universal use no longer associated with misogyny. I’ll take progress where I find it.