Buckle up - a rant is coming

Though I do try to stick to happy things like beautiful dogs, cats, and wildlife, or gardens and blossoms, every now and then, I must be true to my cranky old lady self. And lately it has struck me, yet again, how thoroughly sexist our language and our attitudes are to women. 

There are so many words to describe women who somehow don't live up to the absurd pristine image they are supposed to maintain (not that men have to). Slut, whore, bitch, cunt, and lately the infamous Karen. The only derogatory terms for men are bastard and Male Karen. Male Karen!?! So they couldn't come up with a suitable male name for jerks who insist on being entitled, racist, or just plain assholes? No, they had to remind people that really it's awful women who should be chastised. 

Some other things to think about:

Why is it the paternal line for babies when women do 90 percent of the work? 

The idea of marriage and taking the male name. Fortunately more women are keeping their own last names (even though that's because Daddy gave it to them), but too often women succumb to the idea of their married name. And don't get me started on the term, "maiden name." And while we're on the subject - why marriage at all? Why not have partnerships without the formality? Yes, the government has made it profitable to marry, but what if you simply had a contract you drew up yourselves. No paperwork, name changes, or status to worry about correcting should you split. Mmmm.

Spinsters or old maids are chastised but bachelors aren't. And why are single women called spinsters/old maids in the first place? Why aren't they just referred to by their names? Then there was the whole thing about childless cat ladies (though no mention of childless dog ladies) as if that were a bad thing. No, it is simply a choice, and frankly, the whole concern of planetary overpopulation should be a huge issue. Instead, governments are trying to shame women into having MORE children. 

The modern "We're pregnant." No dude, you and your partner may be expecting a baby, but only SHE is pregnant. SHE has to go through morning sickness, changes her body never recovers from, and pushing out a watermelon through a hole that was only meant to contain a corn cob.

Trad Wives online are not traditional housewives - they have an online BUSINESS and probably make more than Hubby. Ballerina Farm as an example.

Master bedroom/bath. What master would that be? What if only women live in the house? It has become fashionable of late to refer to those rooms as primary, though I confess I don't know why they need a name anyway. They're just rooms.

On the good news front, what used to be an automatic use of "he" to indicate someone who was of unknown gender, "they" is becoming more common. It's a bit awkward, but at least an attempt is being made to use a neutral term.

Now, before you throw up your hands and say "OK Boomer," I would like to point out that Boomer women, along with Silent Generation women, made many things in life for women much more equitable and easier to achieve. Prior to the 1970s, women couldn't get credit cards on their own. Only married couples had access to birth control. Equal pay for equal work was unheard of (and pretty much still is but that's another story). And, last but not least, women who were forced to wear skirts/dresses in school and at work, can now wear, GASP, pants. Oddly, women wearing pants to classes and work did not end civilization.

And so, those of you who made it this far - rant over. Doesn't mean there won't be more forthcoming on various topics, but for right now you are free to go about your business.