Why do people see butch women as being mean?

[mickeysaver]

From a report of a bad pin trading experience with a CM thread on a different part of the board.

I'm probably going to get flamed for this but here goes.....you didn't describe the woman CM who refused to trade but my Wife and I have learned (my wife actually first noticed this) to avoid any female CMs who have super short haircuts. I'm not sure if that tends to mean they are former police or military but they tend to be EXTEMELY strict and pretty unfriendly. If you don't believe me then send one family member through the bag check that has a CM not matching this description and then you go through the line with the short-haired woman and see who gets everything short of a body cavity search.

Haha...that's sounds pretty funny. Maybe we'll have to try that next time or not.

This made me laugh! No flames, just belly laughs. I needed that. I am so sending DH into a "short haired female" line!

I will admit I laughed when I read this..It isnt very nice but I just dont feel Andy meant it as bad as it sounded.

Oh please!
There is no such thing as "haircut profiling".
I think it is a pretty funny observation and if it's something that stood out in the poster's wife's mind, then so be it. No one is discriminating against short haircuts.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR​

 

[StitchFan73]

Well I have my theories but don't want to go on a rant

But I would feel more comfortable with a thorough job that is being done by the short-haired woman security guard then the loosey-goosey job apparently being given by other security guards of other hair lengths

 

[SilverSynchro919]

I saw that post and I was very very annoyed by it. My DP is definitely "butch" (I hate those terms anyway...people should just be people, I don't want to be grouped into ANOTHER category) and she is super sweet and kind. I wish people would just quit it with the darn stereotypes and let us be who we are without making assumptions.

 

[spacemermaid]

Maybe because "not traditionally feminine" gets mentally translated by some people (not going to stereotype here ) as "masculine", and "masculine" gets translated as "tough" and "tough" gets translated as "mean", and so on?

I don't classify myself as butch or femme, but I often get classified as butch by...some people; if it makes them think I'm "mean", oh well...less people cutting in front of me in line at Disney.

 

[hematite153]

Ugh!

 

[rocksinriots]

Maybe the short haired female security guards are meaner because they have to deal with ignorant schmucks all day long. If I had to stand there all day being "sir'd" and stared at I'd be pissed off too.

 

[TuckandStuiesMom]

 

[cmpdw4me]

It's ridiculous. My DP is I guess, SOFT BUTCH. Yes, she has short hair, but well, so do I and I'm not even CLOSE to being butch. However, between the 2 of us, the one who wears makeup, jewelry & heels is the STRICTER of the 2. The "Butch" one, is the tender hearted softy. Never judge a book by it's cover. I thought EVERYONE knew that rule?

 

[NHdisneylover]

What an awful post. Is ANYone calling this person out or are they all jsut thinking it is cute?

 

[crimowls]

I'm sure that whoever wrote that knew exactly what they were implying. I must say that though you probably shouldn't judge people by their looks, people do. I have short hair and would be considered butch by most people as far as how I look, but I'm definitely not butch as far as personality, I am quite the softy. I can tell however that people frequently assume I am going to be tough or mean and are sometimes surprised to discover otherwise.

 

[Safari Queen]

I think it's a simple case of assigning negative male traits to butch women, which is a crock, but fits the stereotype. The same kind of assumptions would probably be made about a man with a military haircut, but no one would post about it. Personally, I've usually had trouble with sales people who are tiny women with leathery, immobile faces and bleached blond hair wearing clothes from the juniors department.

 

[brerrabbit]

While it certainly smells of stereo typing I see it kind of as a reverse stereo typing. In other words the world sees women in three categories. Matronly, which includes all mothers, grandmothers, loving aunts, etc. Second type are kids, cute, frilly little girls. Thirdly, they see women as hot babes, someone they would like to get to know (age appropriate of course).

When they see a short haired female they cannot easily catoregize them so they make snap judgements and classify them as mean, men hating lesbians without any opportunity for the individual to show the person any thing about themselves.

It's the true demon behind why people act and treat others the way they do. People are so set in their ideas about people based on their looks that they don't even try to get to know them or interact in a friendly manner. If you are pleasant joke with them and treat them like any one esle you will find that they can be as nice as any one else. Some of the meanest people I have ever dealt with in my life were also some of the most "normal" looking people.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

What amazes me is how often my wife gets called "sir." She doesn't have exceptionally short hair, is a small woman (of height and weight) and has sparkling blue eyes. I, of course think she's beautiful and very feminine in appearance.

I consistently try to get her to respond in the opposite gender (to the person who called her sir) just to point it up, but she never does. I know on some level it offends her greatly.

We don't hate men at all, we just don't want to be a man, or confused for one.

Gender bias is insidious and the only thing about it that shows parity is that each gender pays the same price... victims of stereotyping.

 

[Distraction]

What I really don't understand is how being more thorough is being mean. I grew up next to the Disney Parks and bag checking is no joke. Notice how they never explicitly say what they are looking for? Ever wonder why that is? Safety is the first and most important of the four keys and Safety starts at the bag check. If short haired women do a more thorough job at that, then by all means, get more short haired women.

 

[krhardy]

because they're narrow minded poopy heads! Seriously, in agreement with all previous posters...you simply can't judge a book by its cover. My favorite HAS to be "Master Kathy"...my karate instructor's instructor...she is a little bitty woman who holds a 7th degree black belt-go ahead, mess with her...I dare you to judge that book by it's cover!

 

[Safari Queen]

Brerrabbit is on the right track. When I was younger strangers rarely spoke to me and were startled and less than warm when I spoke to them. Now that my hair is grey and I'm..let's say rounder, I must seem much more grandmotherly and less threatening. Strangers ask for my help and my opinions, share information and jokes, and smile. I'm still the same snippy *****, but I'm a sweet older lady. Pretty bizarre.

 

[JeansG]

It's ridiculous. My DP is I guess, SOFT BUTCH. Yes, she has short hair, but well, so do I and I'm not even CLOSE to being butch. However, between the 2 of us, the one who wears makeup, jewelry & heels is the STRICTER of the 2. The "Butch" one, is the tender hearted softy. Never judge a book by it's cover. I thought EVERYONE knew that rule?

I agree wholeheartedly with you. It's the same thing with my partner and I.

 

[TinkerChelle]

My DP is "sir'd" all the time even just this week and she is 7 1/2 months pregnant.

We couldn't believe it. Apparently, she looks like she is a man with a very large beer gut?

What I really hate the most is when we are in the ladies room and women actually come up to her and tell her she is in the wrong rest room. She never says anything-she just ignores them and goes on with what she was doing. But, I have totally said something a couple of times. I like to ask if they want to see her vajayjay?!!?

My DP is Butch outside and a shy girl inside. She makes me giggle!

 

[Dead Robot]

I hate logic like this. If short hair = Butch, then what the hell was Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby?

 

[Crashdown]

I hate logic like this. If short hair = Butch, then what the hell was Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby?

LOL You have to be a little butch to give birth to SATAN.

Seriously, I agree with what's been said. Just what we need, another category or label. Plus, vague generalities, like people with short hair are a certain way, besides just plain stupid, are never true.