Sorositute

[MandyPepperidge]

This discussion reminds me of Tina Fey in Mean Girls when she tells the junior girls they need to stop calling each other bitches and whores because it just makes it okay for guys to use the terms.

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Gotcha - is it usually used more to describe a group, or an individual? I am quite sincere when I say I started this thread to gauge whether or not I was completely off-base with my reaction, and later to figure out how the "young uns" were using it.

Hmm, I would say it's used more frequently to describe an individual.

I can see how outsiders looking in would find it offensive, just as I can see it being far more derogatory in nature depending on the campus.

[DSTCHAOS]

<---has only heard of this word on GC. Doesn't know why it exists off of GC.

I blame PhiGam's ill-advised attempt at defending himself for this discussion.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

i would say that generally speaking, i would think women love being called "Sororsitutes" about as much as guys like their fraternities called "Frats"... except for maybe PhiGam... he likes the word "fratty".

You mean guys in certain types of fraternities. "Frat" isn't universally offensive.

So the only way that could be an analogy would be if we acknowledge that "sorostitute" isn't universally offensive and move on.

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

ETA: why do you elect to make things personal. I'm not accusing any particular users of anything, and yet you take my comments very personally, and then respond in kind. I find it kind of weird, actually.

I don't "make things personal", I respond to you. You don't seem to recognize it and you make a point of saying you don't make personal references but you will pepper your posts with statements like "it's foolish to..." or as above, "I find it kind of weird..." -- you do make it personal. And as I said to you in response to the PM you sent me, I find your posts exhausting after a point and just don't enjoy your style of "banter" so will opt more often than not to just stop reading/posting in threads you get bogged down in. Like this one now. Plus this horse has already been beaten to death.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

I don't "make things personal", I respond to you. You don't seem to recognize it and you make a point of saying you don't make personal references but you will pepper your posts with statements like "it's foolish to..." or as above, "I find it kind of weird..." -- you do make it personal. And as I said to you in response to the PM you sent me, I find your posts exhausting after a point and just don't enjoy your style of "banter" so will opt more often than not to just stop reading/posting in threads you get bogged down in. Like this one now. Plus this horse has already been beaten to death.

I see a critical difference between addressing a given idea and a specific person. "It's foolish to believe" is different that "you are a fool," particularly when it's not even establish who might hold a particular belief, as was the case in this thread.

I'd encourage you to stop reading my posts. We'll both be happier. I feel comfortable with my own behavior for the most part.

Please just make yourself happy; you can't really expect to change me.

I'd be happy to learn what you think about any particular idea I have, but I'm not interested in your unsolicited observations about how I post, rather an actually addressing or refuting the content of what I post.

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by MandyPepperidge

Mmmm, it's really the opposite. It's an adjective. If one is deemed a sorostitute, more often because of her image, rather than her conduct.

Women who are labeled as such are the popular girls. They are decked out in the big sunglasses, the designer jeans & bags, cute shoes, and so forth. These are the girls who put out an image of class. They are fun to be around and are popular. Most importantly, they exude confidence.

so sorostitute=class? puh-lease, Lord, give me strength! the fact that you young'uns do not see this word as a slam mystifies me. either the perspective of class or prostitutes, or both is askew. i don't care how many times "pretty woman" is viewed,the fact is few prostitutes are swept off their feet and out of a life earning $$ on their backs. it is not glamourous, and sorostitute is not a compliment. and by giggling when you or one of your sisters is called a sorostitute , one allows oneself or ones sister to be objectified.

would it be funny and fill one with confidence if your male boss called you a sorostitute after you have earned a college degree and are in your first job or would that then be sexual harassment? and if the latter, what makes the situation different?

anyone want to storm off into the night with me and burn a few bras?

[SWTXBelle]

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

i'll bet they are singing "i am woman" as those bras are burning!

oh and ugalum94, many on gc are chapter advisors and when we are with the collegians and hear them using "sorostitute" we can encourage them to use other terms of endearment.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

so sorostitute=class? puh-lease, Lord, give me strength! the fact that you young'uns do not see this word as a slam mystifies me. either the perspective of class or prostitutes, or both is askew. i don't care how many times "pretty woman" is viewed,the fact is few prostitutes are swept off their feet and out of a life earning $$ on their backs. it is not glamourous, and sorostitute is not a compliment. and by giggling when you or one of your sisters is called a sorostitute , one allows oneself or ones sister to be objectified.

would it be funny and fill one with confidence if your male boss called you a sorostitute after you have earned a college degree and are in your first job or would that then be sexual harassment? and if the latter, what makes the situation different?

I think the difference is that they've moved past the point where the term was applied pejoratively by outsiders and have now taken ownership of the term themselves to make fun of it.

Personally, I would think any young women would find it strange if her male boss called her anything related to her Greek affiliation or her youth or her gender.

We have different standards for our employers than we do our friends or social peers, I think.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

i'll bet they are singing "i am woman" as those bras are burning!

oh and ugalum94, many on gc are chapter advisors and when we are with the collegians and hear them using "sorostitute" we can encourage them to use other terms of endearment.

I think that's a great idea and the best way to handle it.

For the record, I don't think I ever identified it as a term of endearment, just that it was a word used in jest as often as it was just to insult by users today.

[macallan25]

Lots of good cry and dumb in this thread.

I'll just repost this from the other thread.

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

Then those girls are either playing along to curry favor (which is sad) or they haven't been raised well with self-confidence.

Yeah, that's it. Girls who joke around about the term "sorostitute" are all devoid of self respect, self-confidence, and they were all raised poorly.

Are you kidding me?

You say you respect women, but will you tolerate someone calling your future wife (or mother or sister or daughter) any derivative of "prostitute"?

....because your immediate family and wife are exactly like a bunch of college aged people who are comfortable with using some crude humor around each other in friendly settings.

It's almost as if some of you think guys just call random girls they don't know a derivative of "prostitute" in order to be malicious, mean, "tear someone down" ( I think I saw that one in here), etc. etc.

One day when your daughter comes home from high school and says "Hey, guess what, Daddy, all the boys on the football team call me a cheer-whore, isn't that funny and cute?", will you tell her that yes, sweetie, that's a term of endearment, you should roll with it and let the boys call you that adorable, demeaning term. Or, will you tell her that she is better than that and worth more than that and she shouldn't accept that kind of diminution for someone else's entertainment?

Does this need to be done again?

.......because a random high school football player calling your daughter a whore is obviously the EXACT same situation as you joking around with a group of PERFECTLY GOOD FRIENDS who understand that the term "sorostitute" is a joke, used in jest.

[SWTXBelle]

Actually, there's been a good bit of thoughtful discussion here about why some might find the term offensive, and why others don't.

What I don't understand is why, if you know that a term is offensive to some members of a group, you would still argue that you should be able to use it. Or, to be more precise, to be able to use it and not incur the negative opinion of those members of the group who are offended. My example from the other thread - "frat". I don't understand why it is so important to some fraternity men not to use the term, but I know that those men do exist, and so I simply don't use the word.

(I'm not advocating a law against it or anything - I fully support your right to free speech, including things I don't like.)

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Actually, there's been a good bit of thoughtful discussion here about why some might find the term offensive, and why others don't.

What I don't understand is why, if you know that a term is offensive to some members of a group, you would still argue that you should be able to use it. Or, to be more precise, to be able to use it and not incur the negative opinion of those members of the group who are offended. My example from the other thread - "frat". I don't understand why it is so important to some fraternity men not to use the term, but I know that those men do exist, and so I simply don't use the word.

(I'm not advocating a law against it or anything - I fully support your right to free speech, including things I don't like.)

No, I'm not necessarily saying that. If someone is offended by something I do or say......then I'm going to cease whatever it was I said or did.

If I'm around a group of people who share the same types of humor and are not at all upset by or taken aback by the collective use of a word then I don't really see a problem. Sure, you should exercise discretion.......especially if you are in public or your group is around a bunch of people........because even though I consider the term harmless, I know there are people who probably don't.

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

Then I feel sorry for those women and their lack of sense of self-worth. I really do. And I question the values the men are being raised with if they think it's ok too.

Sorry, I HAVE to butt in on this. It always irritates the heck out of me.

My parents were damn good parents. My mom is pretty feminist herself. She gets really upset at any curse words and can't stand "skank", "ho", or even "whore", used correctly.

I have an extremely good sense of self-worth as well. Just because I don't think "ho" is an evil dirty word doesn't mean I think of myself as one or behave like one. I'm pretty happy with myself, personally.

Just because I don't have the exact same set of values as you or my parents does not mean that they didn't do their best, that I am a bad person, etc. We're all individuals and we can all make our own decisions as to what is "ok".

[SWTXBelle]

The point isn't that the word is dirty or evil - it's just that some of us find it insulting when applied to greek women. You obviously don't. I'm really curious - if you were referred to as a sorositute, you wouldn't be offended? Or would it depend on who did it? If you wouldn't be offended, why not? The word is a combination of "sorority "and "prostitute". "Ho" is short for "whore". The prostitution connection doesn't strike you as demeaning?