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Midwestern Democrat

(1,029 posts)

42. Acting might be the one profession where having masculine and feminine nouns actually makes sense.

Fri Feb 26, 2021, 06:05 AM

Feb 2021

I know that the trend now is to simply call them all "actors" but the fact is most roles are specifically written as a man or a woman - a male actor couldn't show up for a casting call to audition for a female role or vice versa. I certainly don't think the Academy Awards is ever going to get rid of separate Best Actor/Actress and Best Supporting Actor/Actress categories - I think that's a pretty high profile indicator that the profession itself has always recognized that it is not a gender-neutral profession in the same way that almost every other profession is - such as law, medicine, journalism, engineering, etc.

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'Françaises, Français': Why the French language need not be so sexist [View all] Klaralven Feb 2021 OP

The C-circumflex does not show up in thread titles. MineralMan Feb 2021 #1

Put in a regular C to make the title more readable. Klaralven Feb 2021 #3

workaround for the cedilla muriel_volestrangler Feb 2021 #10

Thank you! Klaralven Feb 2021 #11

Not quite the debate DarthDem Feb 2021 #4

Well, it is sort of changing the language. MineralMan Feb 2021 #6

It's strange to see the somewhat new practice of using "they" and "them" as singular. JustABozoOnThisBus Feb 2021 #19

A lot of it is just using plural nouns, so you can use they and them. MineralMan Feb 2021 #21

To be pedantic (in keeping with many of the replies to this OP!), singular they/them is not new. Emrys Feb 2021 #26

I bow to your pedanticism. Who'd'a thought to look to the 14th century? JustABozoOnThisBus Feb 2021 #31

Impossible to change? Act_of_Reparation Feb 2021 #8

Not in the same way French is. MineralMan Feb 2021 #9

I'm not talking about Modern English. Act_of_Reparation Mar 2021 #59

Languages change constantly, through usage. MineralMan Mar 2021 #60

American "equalization" is simpler and in most uses is simplifying Hortensis Feb 2021 #32

I was wondering when this particular aspect Miguelito Loveless Feb 2021 #2

"Gender" in linguistic terms is just a semantic/grammatical label. Emrys Feb 2021 #5

Yes, but the gendered nature of languages has an unconscious impact. MineralMan Feb 2021 #7

It does, but in modern English, gender isn't embedded in the grammar as it is in French. Emrys Feb 2021 #12

Yes. Writers and editors have to pay a lot of attention to usage. MineralMan Feb 2021 #14

True... did you know that... Happy Hoosier Feb 2021 #15

Add it to the pile of more or less useless facts I contributed myself above! Emrys Feb 2021 #24

As someone learning German.... it's a pain in the ass! NT Happy Hoosier Feb 2021 #13

Recite after me: Emrys Feb 2021 #25

Interestingly, it's not "just" a semantic/grammatical label. WhiskeyGrinder Feb 2021 #27

Yes, there are nuances there. Emrys Feb 2021 #30

Interesting. In Spanish it depends often on treestar Feb 2021 #51

Speaking of language issues, the phrase "tabled a bill" needs to die Silent3 Feb 2021 #16

Funny, I did not realize this until the last year or so, with debates over Brexit legislation. tritsofme Feb 2021 #41

This is like the LatinX thing Sympthsical Feb 2021 #17

It's always that way leftstreet Feb 2021 #22

I love when people get offended *for* me Sympthsical Feb 2021 #33

interesting analyisis Skittles Feb 2021 #43

Just my personal experience Sympthsical Feb 2021 #44

I do understand Skittles Feb 2021 #45

Yeah, we're on the same page Sympthsical Feb 2021 #46

Really interesting, we outsiders struggle to see the toxicity apnu Feb 2021 #48

But the thing is, I don't want you to be quiet Sympthsical Feb 2021 #49

You are fucking amazing apnu Feb 2021 #50

I agree with this assessment Skittles Feb 2021 #58

I know a few who use it, they are all under 30 and skinny LeftInTX Feb 2021 #38

Hey now, I love avocado toast Sympthsical Feb 2021 #39

Acting might be the one profession where having masculine and feminine nouns actually makes sense. Midwestern Democrat Feb 2021 #42

Completely agreed Sympthsical Feb 2021 #47

It's coming though! treestar Feb 2021 #53

You've touched on something I loathe Sympthsical Feb 2021 #54

I agree with the notion that acting is not gender neutral, but ... Staph Feb 2021 #55

I'm reminded of a story from Dark Shadows... Dr. Strange Feb 2021 #56

In the new version of The Stand (2020) Staph Feb 2021 #57

There is a lot of that treestar Feb 2021 #52

Good luck with that. jalan48 Feb 2021 #18

English is promiscuous. It accepts new words and grammars without much friction... hunter Feb 2021 #20

Those who write as a profession have style sheets to follow. MineralMan Feb 2021 #23

:) No editors, but a typist for my reports always changed Hortensis Feb 2021 #34

I'm seeing a lot of experimentation in Science Fiction and Fantasy. hunter Feb 2021 #37

I love reading Murakami translations due to similar Sympthsical Feb 2021 #40

Then one would have to go after most European languages EXCEPT English, Dutch and Scandinavian DFW Feb 2021 #28

The Scandinavian situation seems complicated Klaralven Feb 2021 #35

Kick burrowowl Feb 2021 #29

Well, in German, one can call a little girl "it" and a potato "she." NNadir Feb 2021 #36