Casual Misogyny: It’s Everywhere

I now pronounce you man and wife.

But was the new spouse not already a man before this declaration? Is the bride the only one in the pair who has changed status? And now they can be introduced as “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”! But was he not already “Mr. Smith” before the ceremony? And what is a “Mrs.” (missus) anyway? The title of a married woman is derived from “mistress,” which is the counterpart of “master,” now commonly pronounced as “mister.” It’s not quite so romantic when you break it down that way.

Marriage terms are just one example of normalized misogyny today. Being called “hysterical” by a coworker after cracking a joke in the break room is one of the highest forms of flattery. But until 1980, hysteria was a formally studied psychological disorder. The term comes from the Greek word “hysteria,” meaning “uterus.” The disease was characterized by uncontrollable emotion and frenzy. This mysterious phenomenon, which could have been anything from postpartum symptoms to endometriosis to a bad mood, was believed to be the cause of either a roaming uterus placing pressure on other organs or a woman’s inability to cope with the loss of her (metaphorical) penis. The cures to these two causes were quite simple. For a roaming uterus, place something sweet-smelling near the vagina to coax the organ back into place. For your phantom phallus, get married and bear children. 

A comical backstory for a now-comical word, but its history furthers the uneducated use of language targeted at women. Arguably the most prominent use of shameful language against women is the term “b*tch”. This word dates back to the 1400s and was used as an insult with a connotation of sexual libel. 

The term has a diverse usage today; it can be used to describe a challenge, “That test was a b*tch,” something to be conquered, “I made that class my b*tch,” or its most common derogatory usage, “She’s such a b*tch.” While many people argue that the meaning has changed to a minor insult that can be used against anyone, the previous sentences prove that this isn’t the case. Take “I made that ____ my b*tch,” for example. The word’s history emphasizes its meaning: something to be dominated and controlled. Without the word’s sexist history, the modern phrase would mean nothing.

It’s not just language that remains outdated in our current society. Many everyday environments, like the corporate and medical world, still use practices rooted in misogyny.

Plainly speaking, the corporate workspace was designed by and for men. The average female metabolic rate is lower than the average male, meaning most indoor environments with standard air-conditioning systems are roughly 5 degrees too cold for women. 

The invention of forceps used in childbirth was groundbreaking, but kept secret for nearly a century, resulting in the deaths of thousands of women. The family of (male) gynecologists who invented the tool kept it secret, wanting to profit from it instead of sharing their findings. 

Women’s history is vast and affects our everyday life. Even the most basic everyday environments — colleges, hospitals, offices — have roots in the dismissal and dominance of women. It would be practically impossible to erase all casual misogyny within our society. Still, it is incredibly easy to learn the meaning and effects that these practices have on the modern woman. 

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