I don’t know what it is about the word “female”, but it sets my teeth on edge. Perhaps it’s because it’s typically delivered alongside some sort of contemptuous statement: “I can’t stand females who don’t know how to cook” or “It’s too many females out here trying to get chose when they not even all of that.” It sounds animal-like and hateful. And you never hear women or men say “males”. What’s the deal?

Marcus, a 28 year old account exec, agrees: “That’s not a word I’d use to describe a woman. It sounds low-class, like something the brothers who hang on the corner all day would say. I just was raised to respect ladies a bit more than that.” He says that he never used the word, even when he was younger, but “I know a few guys who do. The same guys that don’t usually have that many dates,” he laughs.

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