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So, I was pushing checkers around, and discovered that during the chicken plucker, the boys of which ever couple you start with progress one spot in sequence with every call, and the girls go the other way till they meet back where they started. Its really very cool.
I also discovered as I am working through the definitions that callerlab has a real problem with sexist language . Now, I am not a booster for the PC police in any way shape or form, but if you really believe men and women are equal, what ever differences they may have, then it seems to me you should really be using parallel construction when you talk about the sexes. It is Men and Women, Guys and Gals, Boys and Girls, Gentlemen and Ladies, not "Men and Ladies." Yeesh. Is it 1972 already?
That construction always makes me think of guys with lots of gold chains acting real smooth at the Sizzler's bar, "Hey little lady, can I buy you a drink."
**Update**
I realized from some of the comments that I should have said i was talking about the written callerlab materials. I don't think I have ever heard a live caller use anything but "Girls and Boys" which seems just fine to me.
I also discovered as I am working through the definitions that callerlab has a real problem with sexist language . Now, I am not a booster for the PC police in any way shape or form, but if you really believe men and women are equal, what ever differences they may have, then it seems to me you should really be using parallel construction when you talk about the sexes. It is Men and Women, Guys and Gals, Boys and Girls, Gentlemen and Ladies, not "Men and Ladies." Yeesh. Is it 1972 already?
That construction always makes me think of guys with lots of gold chains acting real smooth at the Sizzler's bar, "Hey little lady, can I buy you a drink."
**Update**
I realized from some of the comments that I should have said i was talking about the written callerlab materials. I don't think I have ever heard a live caller use anything but "Girls and Boys" which seems just fine to me.
no subject
It's always great to read when someone stumbles on that [gents/women, boys/ladies, etc] just by reading square dance material! That was certainly one of Kris Jensen's pet peeves for a VERY long time. Everytime I find myself using some weird combination of naming roles, I (mentally) slap my head. It was brought up in a couple of the caller's schools I went to way back when.
For a long time, I used to do an icebreaker on first nights and open houses by having all the dancers paired up in the "ladies/gents" roll in a large circle. Then with lively music on, and as they are circling, I'd say, "All the GENETIC women" jump up to the middle and back.
ALWAYS, there was ONE guy that would wander up amongst the women, everyone would look at them in surprise, and we'd all get a chuckle out of it. Then I'd explain that gay square dancing uses the terms Gents/Ladies etc, but that those are just dance role names and have no bearing on who you are in real life.
THAT is all over now. Our square dance club has so many dancer now of undertermined gender, I dare not take the risk of offending by doing that old ice-breaker!
no subject
That made me realize that worrying about parrallel construction is a pretty small issue in the spectrum of things that can be off-putting for new dancers..
:-)