Sunday, January 22, 2006

Once again, God forbid we should ever use the "w" word

In calling the Australian Open tonight, Cliff Drysdale referred to the "lady chairperson." The allergy to the word "woman" is not just an American illness.

3 Comments:

Do you suppose that in his Australian way, he might have been trying to be courteous? I admit that if he's going to have a public forum he should be aware of the sensibilities of his audience, but I would suggest that in this case, his insensitivity might be laid at the feet of perceived decorum rather than malice.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:57 AM  

I actually agree somewhat with broncobob except that Drysdale is originally from South Africa and now has American citizenship. But I think his "lady chairperson" comment was more a reflection of his age. (Not that age should be an excuse for sexism, racism, etc.)
But I think this is a small nit to pick given his overall bad commentary. He seems a little off this year even though his role is apparently to throw easy lob questions to the "experts" like Mary Jo Fernandez and Mary Carillo.

By Blogger ken, at 8:42 AM  

Oh, I agree it was absolutely courtesy. That type of "courtesy" is the oldest form of sexism dressed up to look dashing. That is my point. Using pedestal language is something men still get by with, and the fact that they honestly do not realize that is what it is is a reflection of how little the culture's consciousness has been raised.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:38 AM  

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