Tuesday, October 10, 2006
The complicated nomenclature of gender
Ashamed as I am to admit it, I found myself accidently watching a bit of Hannity & Colmes this evening, which is parsing the patriotism or lack thereof in yet another absurd eruption from Ted Turner. Bob Zelnick, former correspondent for ABC News and esteemed guest commentator, wanted to applaud the wonderful soldiers who are doing our country's work in Iraq. Unfortunately, in his desperation to avoid offending anybody he referred to "the boys and, uh, females" fighting in Iraq. The poor guy, he began his sentence without knowing how it would end. Once Zelnick referred to any soldiers as "boys" -- an age-old term for young men organized into a collective and noble struggle -- he was screwed. He could neither omit congratulating the "female" soldiers nor refer to them as "girls," and he obviously recognized that it would have been quite weird to have said "boys and women," which sounds like an especially bad porno flick.
So I guess we can no longer refer to our soldiers as "our boys," at least not on television. I do not know why, but that makes me a bit wistful.
10 Comments:
By 
Van Helsing, at
Tue Oct 10, 10:25:00 PM:
I guess they're "our persons."
By 
, at
Tue Oct 10, 11:06:00 PM:
As the father of one of our "boys" in Anbar, I find this story of political rectitude to be downright silly. Whatever we ultimately may be allowed to call them, I hope our boys and girls in Iraq continue to GIVE THEM HELL.
By TigerHawk, at
Tue Oct 10, 11:23:00 PM:
By D.E. Cloutier, at
Wed Oct 11, 01:50:00 AM:
I prefer Damon Runyon's "guys and dolls."
By Final Historian, at
Wed Oct 11, 04:25:00 AM:
I would have said "gals" myself. Gives it a southern touch, yet avoids patronizing anyone. And won't tick the feminazis off too much.
By Charlottesvillain, at
Wed Oct 11, 10:01:00 AM:
Let's just call them what they are: soldiers. And yes, let's hope they continue to give 'em hell wherever they are sent.
By skipsailing, at
Wed Oct 11, 10:14:00 AM:
In reference to Paquin let me just say: Hear him, hear him!
I did a slide show of photos taken by guys in my son's unit and set it to a song written by James Hooker for our guys now fighting.
the title of the song?
HANGING OUT WITH THE BOYS!
By ScurvyOaks, at
Wed Oct 11, 11:26:00 AM:
I wish it were possible to say "boys" and be understood to include both genders. I will go to my grave singing the "her sons will give" version of Old Nassau. I am, of course, delighted to have the alumnae of Princeton among her sons.
By TigerHawk, at
Wed Oct 11, 02:13:00 PM:
Scurvy! I had no idea...
Class? Club?
By ScurvyOaks, at
Thu Oct 12, 03:36:00 PM:
'84 -- the Glorious Tiger Inn :)
