Last night, I was listening to NPR on my way home from work when I heard one of those stories that is so captivating, it seemed to make traffic move more quickly. It was about two missing American soldiers and the platoon that will soon be returning home to the states without them. Their fellow soldiers, the report said, are heartsick at the idea of leaving their comrades behind and angry with local sheiks who they believe could have done something to help find them. Their colonel is angry, too. Says the report “He lashed out at the sheiks, calling them women for not standing up to al Qaeda.”

See my issue? I threw my hands up in the air, whilst driving, at yet another instance of someone insulting someone else by calling them something female.

In the past few months, I’ve noticed that this seems to be a growing trend. I don’t know if it’s just my own sudden insensitivity to it or if it really is on the rise, but whatever the case, I’m not cool with it. It brings out my super bitchy feminist side. And I like it so much more when she doesn’t have to make appearances.

A few weeks ago, GTB and I were watching a TV show (I can’t remember which one now) where one guy was giving his friend a hard time for not screwing up the courage to ask the object of his affection for a date. Know what he called the fearful friend? Yep, a “woman.” Oh, how horrible! Because, you know, any guy worth his salt would rather risk humiliation at the hands of his crush than be called a woman. Shudder at the thought. And women NEVER ask guys out. No.

Before they kicked Patty off the Biggest Loser a few weeks ago, she was working so hard in the gym she made herself puke. Bob, her trainer (whom I used to LOVE, by the way), said of the ralphing, “My team was working so hard. I mean, there’s Patty: puking in the corner like a MAN.” Evidently women don’t puke. Or when they do, it’s not because of hard work and likely due to morning sickness or something far more ladylike.

I’ve heard or seen several other instances of this overt but for some reason perfectly acceptable form of sexism (maybe it’s because we’ve been watching so much football and playoff baseball). And then this story of the two missing soldiers. I understand that there are cultural differences in Arab countries. And that to call a sheik a woman would be incredibly demeaning to him. But, colonel, sir, you’re not Arab. And subscribing to their beliefs about what is insulting about being female takes us down a road I don’t think we want to go.

Besides, the last person you’d want to fuck with after you’ve kidnapped, and likely tortured, two of her friends is a woman.

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