I'm cooking at the moment and is my want listening to 'Woman's Hour' (that well known hot bed of fem-nazi ideals and rather good cooking hints)on Radio 4 while doing so. (For the americans among us,BBC Radio 4 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/)).

It seems , apparently, many women now regard the term or job description of 'house wife' offensive. Yet the older generation don't.

I have always refered to my wife as a 'house wife' (or more often 'Hausweib'/'Hausfrau').

So how do you all feel on this? Is it derogatory?



[This message has been edited by jackketch (edited 09-09-2006).]

so...you're cooking...and listening to Womans hour.

I dont think the term 'house wife' is what you really need to be considering at this point in your life. Except in relation to yourself.

quote:Originally posted by SilentMind:

so...you're cooking...and listening to Womans hour.

I dont think the term 'house wife' is what you really need to be considering at this point in your life. Except in relation to yourself.



LOL yes i had realised the dichotomy of my statement!

But i don't like letting women into the kitchen.

Too much expensive technology with pretty lights for them to break .

Too many sharp knives..

You want to self-harm, dear ? Then go buy your own blades!

I consider "house wife" somewhat offensive, but I try to maintain my status as "Rational feminist", which means I understand that it's a viable option in life to stay home and parent the kids.

The only reason it's offensive, is because "Stay-at-home dad" is offensive to the men in my culture. Nothing I dislike more than gender-based double standards.

MEN CAN DO IT JUST AS WELL AS WOMEN!!!

quote:Originally posted by Starflower:

Nothing I dislike more than gender-based double standards.



If a woman hits a man, is it okay for him to hit her back?

quote:Originally posted by SilentMind:

If a woman hits a man, is it okay for him to hit her back?

It's okay for him to knock the bitch out. She instigated the fight, fuck.

quote:Originally posted by Starflower:

It's okay for him to knock the bitch out. She instigated the fight, fuck.

You're okay in my book.

quote:Originally posted by SilentMind:

If a woman hits a man, is it okay for him to hit her back?

If a weak man hits a strong man, is it okay for the strong man to hit him back?

I don't find it offensive, although I prefer the term, "Houseperson.":P

A lot of women (like my sister) find housewives offensive in general. I'm not sure why, but it's like people are always bugging me to get a job, now that my daughter is in school. It's like taking care of a house isn't job enough in their eyes. My husband and I are happy with it, so I guess that's what ultimately matters. I just wish it wasn't considered lazy or something to do what I do.

[This message has been edited by Xiao Mei (edited 09-09-2006).]

quote:Originally posted by Xiao Mei:

I don't find it offensive, although I prefer the term, "Houseperson.":P

Personally, I find it useful to have different words for different genders of things. It makes it easier to describe things. Housewife, house husband. Nothing sexist about differentiating between the two sexes :P

Oh, and I don't see a problem with the term, and I don't think it's any less of a demanding occupation than many paid jobs.

Femi-nazis...fuck em.

If a woman WANTS to stay home to be with her kids and take care of the homefront...isn't that something feminism, being about woman's rights, support? It's just as much a job as whatever the fuck her husband does.

quote:Originally posted by Mr.Happy:

If a weak man hits a strong man, is it okay for the strong man to hit him back?

Yes, yes it is. Natural selection, FTW!

One, the guy shouldnt be weak to begin with.

Two, if the guy is weak, he shouldnt be that stupid to begin with.

If you're 0/2, you're left to the mercy of the fates.

quote:Originally posted by Xiao Mei:

I don't find it offensive, although I prefer the term, "Houseperson.":P

A lot of women (like my sister) find housewives offensive in general. I'm not sure why, but it's like people are always bugging me to get a job, now that my daughter is in school. It's like taking care of a house isn't job enough in their eyes. My husband and I are happy with it, so I guess that's what ultimately matters. I just wish it wasn't considered lazy or something to do what I do.



Most feminists are fucking idiots, and I'm sorry you feel the unecessary and misplaced... dislike-ishness? (haven't slept in a while, sorry) from people that think they're helping to bring sexism down.

You probably get a lot of shit on this website, it seems full of ignorant and biased... people, if you can call them that.

EDIT: I'd kill for someone to stay at my place, keep it clean and maybe do some cooking. Of course, I don't have the cash to support them, but.. heh.

College dorms need maids. I spent $500 on books this semester, and most of that money goes to the school! I deserve some compensation!

[This message has been edited by Starflower (edited 09-09-2006).]

quote:Originally posted by SilentMind:

Yes, yes it is. Natural selection, FTW!

I typed that when I thought the answer to your rhetorical question was "no".



(Incidentally, if a guy who's bigger than you decides to kick your ass, is that okay?)

quote:Originally posted by Mr.Happy:

I typed that when I thought the answer to your rhetorical question was "no".



(Incidentally, if a guy who's bigger than you decides to kick your ass, is that okay?)



Well...I expect guys to be able to defend themselves no matter what. Size doesnt come into play at all for me. It's as okay for a big guy to kick your ass then a guy thats the same size as you to kick your ass.

I'm not sure how okay that is. If it's completely unprovoked, thats a little fucked up...but if you're talking shit or something, expect to deal with the consequences.

All the "housewives" I've met have turned out to be alcoholic, pill-popping trophy wives that couldn't get a real job even if they wanted to. But I guess that's what I get for living in suburbia hell...

I could never be a housewife. It's too goddamn boring. And unrewarding. And I like money.

quote:Originally posted by Demoiselle:

All the "housewives" I've met have turned out to be alcoholic, pill-popping trophy wives that couldn't get a real job even if they wanted to. But I guess that's what I get for living in suburbia hell...

I could never be a housewife. It's too goddamn boring. And unrewarding. And I like money.

My mom quit her job when I was born then my sister was born 3 years later so another reason to have to stay home. She went back to work when we where a little older (3-4yr), on those days my dad took care of me and my sis. She quit her job because she liked to stay home and take care of us. My father works very hard to make money for us and I suppose she likes to have a warm meal at the end of the day for him. OH, and my mom isn't a raging alchoholic, pill popper. I guess thats only in the states? >.> :P



[This message has been edited by Influx (edited 09-09-2006).]

quote:Originally posted by Influx:

OH, and my mom isn't a raging alchoholic, pill popper. I guess thats only in the states? >.> :P



You poor boy, such a deprived childhood. I weep for you :P

*phones social services to report a child 'abused' by have sane and sober parents!*

Disgusting is what i call it!

I think it's a stupid term. It's kinda implying that she's only good for doing menial tasks at the house, and does grunt work. It's not really necessary.

quote:Originally posted by marusushi:

I think it's a stupid term. It's kinda implying that she's only good for doing menial tasks at the house, and does grunt work.

The term doesn't imply that, it just implies a wife who takes care of the house. It's the associations and stereotypes the term has that imply that.

i don't think there's anything intrinsically offensive about it, if the wife likes doing it and finds it fulfilling. although it does seem that in a lot of circumstances there is a degree of subjugation if a woman has not learned to provide for herself and does it simply because she is afraid that if she doesn't, her husband will kick her out and she won't be able to survive alone. in that case, it seems that the gender role is stifling rather than a joy. but to restate my previous opinion, there is nothing wrong in essence with a woman keeping house and raising a child as her job. and so it logically follows that the term itself (housewife) is no more offensive than "baker" or "computer programmer."

[This message has been edited by lauren7249 (edited 09-09-2006).]

quote:Originally posted by Influx:

My mom quit her job when I was born then my sister was born 3 years later so another reason to have to stay home. She went back to work when we where a little older (3-4yr), on those days my dad took care of me and my sis. She quit her job because she liked to stay home and take care of us. My father works very hard to make money for us and I suppose she likes to have a warm meal at the end of the day for him. OH, and my mom isn't a raging alchoholic, pill popper. I guess thats only in the states? >.> :P



I'm in Canada. And I did say, "trophy wives that couldn't get a real job even if they wanted to." You said your mom quit her job, meaning she's not one of those useless idiots. She just changed her priorities, which is respectable.

I just hate women who are housewives because they literally cannot do anything else, except maybe work at Mcdonalds.

quote:Originally posted by Demoiselle:

I just hate women who are housewives because they literally cannot do anything else, except maybe work at Mcdonalds.

People like you are disgusting. There is nothing wrong with people who work in fast food establishments.

quote:Originally posted by niggersexual:

People like you are disgusting. There is nothing wrong with people who work in fast food establishments.

People with severe depression too? People on incapacity benefits? They're not dumb, they're ill.

I dont mind about it either way. If people chose to describe themselves like that, that's fine. You are a special and unique flower, jacketch, and you can describe yourself as you wish.



Sometimes I get depressed. I'm doing all the tidying up, all the washing, all the cleaning, all that crap that's associated with being a housewife, only without the security of owning my own house or the joy of being a wife.

quote:Originally posted by yoyobek:

You are a special and unique flower, jacketch,





True, so very true that.

Many want to but few, so very few, are called.

quote:Originally posted by Demoiselle:

I just hate women who are housewives because they literally cannot do anything else, except maybe work at Mcdonalds.

How can you say that? Are you a housewife? Have you raised children? What do you find more important: working, or rasing your children so they don't grow up to be asses who generalize everyone by what their employment is?

Would you work if you didn't have to, so you could raise your kids yourself, instead of sending them to a daycare where there's thirty different kids so nobody gets the attention they need at that time of their life?

[This message has been edited by Dextros (edited 09-09-2006).]

I don't find the term "housewife" offensive at all. I think it's pretty lame to get all uppity about something like that. Like women who go psycho when you say "cunt". Fuck off, you cunt!

If you get offended by something like that then you take life way to serious.

[This message has been edited by Aseren (edited 09-09-2006).]

A woman should be able to do as she pleases. Since the dawn of time women have been pleased to stay at home cooking and taking care of children. Recently many women have decided that they don't want that life, and have berated women who have chosen the more traditional path. Not all people of the same gender have to make the same choices. Wasn't that the whole point of feminism to begin with? Some women work outside the house; some work inside the house. That's how it goes.

The only thing that bothers me is when a woman works full time and is the primary breadwinner for the family, but is still expected to do all the household chores. This is how it has always been in my family and it fucking kills me. My poor mom.

But anyway, getting back to the real topic here, what the hell would be offensive about the term "housewife"? I understand being bothered by the concept (as some women are bitches), but what's wrong with the word?

quote:Originally posted by niggersexual:

People like you are disgusting. There is nothing wrong with people who work in fast food establishments.



Yes, yes there is.

It's just a descriptive term. As with any term, it depends on its use. I could use the term housewife as an insult, or I could use it as a compliment.

quote:Originally posted by Starflower:

It's okay for him to knock the bitch out. She instigated the fight, fuck.

Now you just have to convince the judge of that i doubt he will see it the same way

quote:Originally posted by SilentMind:

Yes, yes there is.

No there isn't, don't be ignorant and prejudiced.

Who cares if she's a house wife or not, she just has to be able to make a sammich an suckadick.

If someone ever refered to me as a housewife they'd get a punch in the face.

Oh man I HATE that term!

I think it's an outdated word.

One thing I can't stand is feminists telling women they can't be/shouldn't be happy with being a "housewife".

My mother also quit her work to have children, and likes keeping the house. She puts in as many hours working as my father does, just in a different sense. My parents have an arrangement which works for both of them.

I would probably wish to balance my home life with a job, but that's just me. I respect people and their right to choose. If they're happy staying at home, it doesn't make them weak or inferior in any way.

Housewife seems like an ok term to use (hausfrau sounds good too!), but if I stayed at home and had kids, if I was just passed off as a housewife as in "Oh, what does Flock do?" "She's a housewife." I might be a bit disgruntled. Only because of where our culture places things like that.

My thoughts are all over the place, but I try!

but it is still a very relevant term, but it depends on the context. But at the end of the day its just a job description. If you dont use housewife to denote a stay at home mother/caregiver how else are you supposed to

Derogatory?...Not at all...Why should generations of history and terminology be changed because of the new "polictically correct" idiologies?

If a woman stays at home, looks after the sprogs and cooks dinner while the man is out working, she's always been referred to as a "Housewife".

Why should the whole world change because of the views and opinions of man-hating dykes who keep talking about men beating women even though they've never given it a chance to see that not all men are wife-beaters?!

Fuck it...I'd call my missus the same if she stayed at home doing the housework instead of grafting!

It's just the way it's always been...Change is bad!

I don't mind it if you're referring to someone who is actually a stay at home mum or something, but if it's used harshly or with intent to insult someone i absolutely hate it..

quote:Originally posted by Demoiselle:

All the "housewives" I've met have turned out to be alcoholic, pill-popping trophy wives that couldn't get a real job even if they wanted to. But I guess that's what I get for living in suburbia hell...

I could never be a housewife. It's too goddamn boring. And unrewarding. And I like money.

A lot of the housewives I know are lazy alcoholic pill poppers as well. It sucks, because it makes GOOD housewives look bad. In my house I take care of all of the cooking/cleaning/laundry and most of the childcare, but it goes beyond that. I balance the checkbook, do our taxes, budget our money, do all of the shopping. I make all of our soap, crochet or knit all of our blankets and when I say COOK, I mean I cook everything. The only packaged food I buy is canned tomatoes and I buy milk and half & half. Everything else I make myself including condiments and bread and cheese and butter. I probably spend more time keeping house than most people do at their outside jobs!

I'm not trying to brag or get acclaim with this post, BTW. I love what I do and the only reason I posted all of that was to illustrate how a housewife might spend her day.

*raises hand*

Ooh, I fucked a feminazi once.

Not the stereotypical mannish butch hair lesbo raging against her daddy.

One of the buisness type ones.

Shut up and make me a sandwich!

quote:Originally posted by kAtE-:

If someone ever refered to me as a housewife they'd get a punch in the face.

Oh man I HATE that term!

I think it's an outdated word.

Well, what would you rather be called? 'stay-at-home mum'? 'dole bludger'? Against either of those, especially the second, 'housewife' seems quite civilised

Its like calling a computer programmer a 'creator of technological laws and outcomes' because he thinks the term programmer makes him sound like a nerd.

After a quick whereis of this thread (or '/' for all you old sk00l lynx fans), I was dissapointed to see no one had responded "Aroused".

i would LOVE to be a housewife. be able to stay home and have babies. take care of my home. have little projects. become a good cook. of course i would probably hsvr s psrt time job when the house was empty, but still. it would rock while it lasted.

unforunatly i know that will never be. unless i find a rich guy to marry i will have to work or else i would not be able have the kind of home and prvide the kind of future i want for my child. its just too expensive to live these days, i swear...

anyway, i like the terms housewife and stay at home mom. i find them to be nice and too the point, nothing else. its no worse than scientist or janitor. they aare all just words. unless you think what the word represents is bad (a woman who does not have a paying job)is a bad thing, you shouldn't think the word is bad.

I stay home and believe me my husband and I aren't rich. We just live carefully and it all works out all right. I'd rather have less money and be able to be there for my daughter than more money and divided priorities. My husband makes about $48,000 per year, BTW, so as you can see, we're not poor, but we're not living large.:P

It's a very common misconception that a family needs two incomes to survive...And an unfortunate one.

No vision of my future involves kids. So a "hosuewife" would be out of place. I want a life partner(in a heterosexual sense), not a maid or a baby factory. I have no respect for "housewives" who continue to go jobless after all the kids are in school and/or grown up. I do understand wanting to care for the kids in the first 5 or so years of their life but there is no excuse to sit around all day and wait for the little loaf(or loaves) to get home from school for 13 years.

When I say partner I mean we both bring something to the table, 50-50 is an unreasonable expectation of course. I want to enjoy eachothers' company, have a social life, a decent place to live and be able to do anything we want whenever the time arises.

I don't see bearing children as the pinnacle of exsistence and happiness. I see to many dreams never realized because of children and too many children born because its expected of a couple or to try and salvage a relationship.

I don't have a job and my only child is in school. I still do a lot of work, though and more importantly, I now have a lot more time to persue my own interests. There's a lot more to being a housewife than raising kids...I mean I love to cook, so I'm always trying out new recipes and I make all of our family's soap and I crochet all of our blankets. I recently learned how to make lotion, so I've been experimenting with that a lot and I'd also like to learn how to sew...But so far I suck at it.

It's nice for my husband to not have to worry about cleaning anything and to always have good things to eat without him having to cook. He works long hours, so I like it that he doesn't have to stress out at home, too. If I had a job, I wouldn't be able to do everything around the house and we would both be more stressed out.

It's judgemental to assume that a housewife has nothing worthwhile to do once the kids aren't home all day. I never intend to have a job outside the home...And my husband has no desire for me to work either.

quote:Originally posted by Mr.Happy:

If a weak man hits a strong man, is it okay for the strong man to hit him back?

I support this brilliant statement.

there is nothing wrong with the term housewife and feminists need to shut the fuck up