I’ve been defending the Knoxville News-Sentinel a lot lately. Some of my friends are on staff there, after all. But today I read a news article written by their reporter who regularly covers the University of Tennessee, in which he referred to “sorority girls.”
I beg your pardon?
When I went to college, I learned from both professors and peers that the proper term for myself was “woman.” Sure it felt funny at first, and a little thrilling too. The assumption, however, was that I was becoming an autonomous adult, thus making the term “woman” both formative and accurate.
After a little online research (Q: can things really have regressed this much?!?) I discovered that college women these days often do refer to themselves as “girls,” because the word “woman” feels too old. But they also assert that the male counterpart for “girl” is “guy, dude, boy – whatever.” Not “man.”
No one, still, claims that “girl” is the proper feminine equivalent of “man.”
I also doubt that any newspaper style sheet would condone the use of “Fraternity dudes” in a formal news story.
The story was written by a guy/dude/boy whose main beat is the university. Of all people, he should know better. Furthermore, the story itself is about campus security, and the current initiatives to protect female students, in particular.
The only conclusion I can draw from the News-Sentinel today is that women’s vulnerabilities turn women into impotent little girls — while also turning news writers into patronizing old farts.
Women, girls, “whatever.” What do you think, readers?
Update: I emailed the writer, and may not have been the only one. In any case, in the online version of the article, the term “sorority girls” – beginning of 3rd paragraph — now reads “sorority member (sic)” Should we be forgiving??
