Friday, February 2, 2007
Miss Vs. Ms
I happened to mention at my Stitch n Bitch gathering this week that it bugged me how I was still addressed as a Miss through all correspondence with the Commonwealth Bank. I really should get off my behind and change it, as I have chosen to be a Ms every other time I am asked to choose a title. I think my Commonwealth Bank 'Miss' goes back to when I was about 7 or 8 and my parents set up a Dollarmite account for me to learn all about saving money (unfortunately I didn't learn very much - I've been trying to pay off my credit card for the last eight years but I don't think it helps when I spend more on it than I end up paying back into it! D'oh!) So anyways, the other lovely ladies at SnB all annouced that they have always been Misses (until they happened to get stuck with the old ball and chain that is!) and that they liked being a Miss. I was quite surprised. I've always found the title 'Miss' to seem rather young and girlish (perhaps they are trying to hang on to their youth?) and is basically used as a way of distinguishing unmarried (and thus available) women from married women, unlike the title 'Mr' which can either refer to a bachelor or a man with a better half (Can anyone say 'outdated'?). Not being the marrying kind myself, although for all intents and purposes I am, having lived with my partner (never really like that word, but boyfriend just doesn't seem to cut it) for around eight years, I do not like the way that titles are still genderly (pretty sure that's not a word but I think you get my drift) unequal. A new system of titles needs to be created! Or perhaps done away with all together. But I suppose then people wouldn't have any incentive to spend years working towards a Doctorate if at the end of it all they can't have the satisfaction of being called a doctor. So that's my little rant for today. I guess when it's all said and done I'm just surprised to find out how much of a feminist I am!
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4 comments:
I'm working on my PhD, hence will be able to put the title of Dr. in front of my name, but I doubt I will go around using it as a prestige symbol. Nor is that the reason I did my PhD, although the time and work spent surely qualifies a person to give themselves a title. Perhaps 'grand poo-bah' would be just as good. I agree with your comments about 'partner' not being a favorite term of mine either, but girlfriend seems inadequate also. 'Partner' is at least not heterocentrist. 'De facto extraordinaire' perhaps? I always knew you were a feminist, but just never sure what sort of feminist.
When re-reading this post I also could not help but think of Vince Vaughn's character in Dodgeball where he is trying to indicate that he would be a Ms. if he were a woman. Perhaps this is one of the problems with English, as it is such a gendered langauge? So when is your next post going to be published o-partner-of-mine? Love - your old ball and chain.
But hang on, Princess Alana, I was also saying that even if I did get married, I'd still use Miss, and not change it to Mrs.
Thus (in my case at least) Miss is the same as Ms (only I think it's prettier).
Anyway, I think we should all be called Princess, which doesn't change when you get married, and thus avoid the whole conundrum.
Princess Bek
Ya know... the origin of Ms is a feminist thing. Allegedly, feminists back in the day weren't too keen on being defined by their marital status. And as such, Ms was born.
My parents have called me every prefix under the sun (miss, doctor, princess, queen, weird child of mine). I only think it's awkward when I get called Mrs, because I'm not married and I don't plan on it anytime in the near future...
I agree with Rebekka, however, when she says that we should all be called by the names of royalty. :) I shall be known, henceforth now and forevermore, and Baronness biancasimone... even though baronness is archaic. :)
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