73 Comments
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Miriam Greenspan's avatar

You lost me at "the girls are fighting." Are you kidding me? Two of the MOST PATRIARCHAL powerful men on earth--one the richest and the other the fascist leader of the U.S.--and you want to call them "girls"? Is this the best put-down you can find? Because it places you squarely in the category of sexist pigs. If you are serious about addressing these two power-players, try harder to leave your own sexism out of the discussion.

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Stefan Smith's avatar

You are not even coming at this from a place of curiosity. But this is a queer reference phrase popularized by a Black woman and ubiquitous in AAVE. Your attempts to police this language is the sort of pedantry that keeps us from broader appeal.

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Miriam Greenspan's avatar

So let me get this straight: calling you on your sexist language "keeps us from broader appeal"? Who is the "us" in this declaration? Certainly not women, who are more than 50 percent of the population. Why not outlaw women altogether and you can confine your "broader appeal" to anyone who goes along with the misogynistic use of language? Calling people on sexism is now in the category of "pedantry"? Oh my! Pardon me for being so pedantic.I am not policing language (don't have that power)--I am commenting on the sexism reflected in currently acceptable speech.

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Stefan Smith's avatar

Queer**

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Stefan Smith's avatar

I heard you on the accusation, I’ve explained my point and the decision behind why I used that phrase, and I’m moving forward since my behaviors and actions don’t track to the accusation and my degree in race and gender tells me that explaining to you intersectionality and the limiting nature of your overly broad definition of sexism and the ways in which is excludes less mainstream but crucial language evolutions in communities we need to reach won’t be successful. And you’re liable to react by doubling down and entrenchment rather than curiosity and expansion. As you did by mentioning 50% of women but ignoring the BLACK QUEET woman who coined this phrase and that we used DURING PRIDE MONTH.

TLDR: I hear you, I disagree 🤷🏽‍♂️

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Tori lawson's avatar

Ur kidding right?!?!how about the 2 smallest bitches on earth???

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kit's avatar

Agree fully. Guys just won't own it. The bs between trump/musk IS what men are like.

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Patty Parks-Wasserman's avatar

In the big picture, we are aligned, and I appreciate your work. I did not know about the origin of the use of the phrase “the girls are fighting”, which is interesting, and I”m glad to be informed. I don’t think I’m alone, though, about not knowing the origin, and I imagine like me, those who are uninformed, men as well as women, may very well take exception to it’s use, and never come to know this history. In that context, there is a reflection on your thinking, unwarranted as it may be, that still exists. It would be great for everyone to be informed by including that history in the story, so it’s clear, everyone is included, your reputation is held high, and there isn’t this mistaken, confusing and ouchy feeling idea hanging out there in a headline.

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tina's avatar

THIS! Do better, Mike Nellis!

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Bill Ewing's avatar

Title is totally sexist.

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Sandra Dangler's avatar

Exactly. It makes me furious acting like "girls fighting" is a funny thing and used as an insult to 2 horrible men.

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Deborah Teixeira's avatar

Yes! My first thought…ew!

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Ann's avatar

Your title is an insult to women! Hard to know what to call it. Don't want to insu;t babies or toddlers, though toddlers seems about right.

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Michael Voy's avatar

Ann I agree with you; however, I am sure they didn’t mean for it to have the response it is receiving.

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Deborah Teixeira's avatar

Mike I’m disappointed! Do not compare D&E to us women! Please

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Dina's avatar

These are two grown men fighting, stop with this.

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Margaret's avatar

If girls were fighting, they would find a solution. Find an insult that fits, not one that disparages women.

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joe alter's avatar

this is why people like AOC are so important to the party

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Una's avatar

Do not compare this to girls! This is 100% dick measuring!

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Marilyn Rossa's avatar

What a blind, mindless headline. Really? This is the first time I've listened to you.

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A2theG's avatar

This is the last time I’ll be listening and I’m sorry Pete has hired you because this is a major blind spot. Do better.

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Karin Bryant's avatar

Your title is insulting to girls. Think about it guys!!

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Bitsy Jennings's avatar

Hey, leave us out of it. 😅

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Marka Peterson's avatar

Please don't use "girl" as a shaming insult. It is really demeaning for women and girls. Your daughters will thank you.

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Caroline Pompizzi's avatar

No to this headline, yall.

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Joanne M Sanders's avatar

Ah, the moment...two egomaniacs trying to claim their's is bigger. And yes I agree - I hate "the girls fighting" - misogyny is alive and well and living in the WH.

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LeeAnnCastillo's avatar

Stefan please get a scrunchie.

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Mb's avatar

The girls! Seriously. So insulting to women. Change the title

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