Chauvinistic co-worker

[Minnesota!]

It would not have crossed my mind to think anything offensive or rude about that. No matter the age.

 

[DopeyDame]

Again, I do not always think that chauvinistic is always a 'slur' or derogatory.

I did mention 'semantics', and not just the work 'black'.
I wasn't wanting to jump right into using some of the actual words or semantics, for the obvious reasons.

I also understand how we could have a difference in views on whether this would be an attitude of superiority!

As a petite, and once younger, female.
I'll stay with my own personal viewpoint on that!

Like you, I'm very short. At one point in my life I like to think I was also cute. I've always been a gal.
When I was in my 20s, I looked veeeeeery young. I was often mistaken for an intern even after years on the job. I was on an airplane on a business trip and one of the flight attendants commented to me that "this is a really long trip for you to take all by yourself." Yeah.
Point is... I'm sure I've been referred to as the cute gal more than once. And I just can't fathom getting upset about this.
It's not offensive, it's not vulgar, and it doesn't make a comment one way or the other about my capabilities as a professional (unlike assuming I was an intern when I was actually there to lead the meeting...)

I'm guessing there's more to the story here, or some background about the people that we don't know.

 

[DisneyChula]

Some women take any type of compliment from a man as offensive or an assault on their intelligence.

I agree. I think some people go out of their way to find something that they can be offended by. It has to be exhausting to constantly be waging wars against invisible demons. I'll let those people thrive on their imagined drama and try to stay as far away from it as possible.

 

[Jennasis]

Had some 50ish year old man today at work hand me something and say "here you go young lady."

The jerk.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Had some 50ish year old man today at work hand me something and say "here you go young lady."

The jerk.

The nerve!!

 

[Planogirl]

What if a woman mentions the "cute guy down the hall"?

 

[Disneylover99]

What if a woman mentions the "cute guy down the hall"?

Who ever calls it first, gets first dibs.

 

[JanaDee]

Had some 50ish year old man today at work hand me something and say "here you go young lady."

The jerk.

I hope you slapped him! The nerve of that guy!!!!!!!

 

[OZMom]

I don't know if chauvinistic is the word I would use, but it is kind of unprofessional. It's hard to make assumptions without background info, like is this something he does often, the tone he said it with, what the work environment is (more casual or are they strict about rules and policy) etc.

However, given the man's age, it could be a generational thing and most likely innocent enough. Gently pointing out that it is inappropriate might save him a trip to HR the next time he uses the phrase, or something similar though. There is a woman at DH's job that has had people fired for less. She actually contacted the union about DH bringing cookies in to work to share, because apparently him offering her cookies = him calling her crazy

 

[Monoxide]

As I'm sitting here working, I overheard one of my co-workers talking to a mailroom person. The mail clerk was trying to locate a person on our floor and I heard co-worker ask him, "Oh, is that the cute gal down the hall?"

Normally, I don't comment on anything people talk about around me, but I couldn't help but say something on that one. I asked him if we suddenly went back to 1950 or something. He had no idea that it was even remotely offensive to refer to a colleague as a "cute gal".

As tempting as it may be to eavesdrop in the office, a restaurant, or a public space, it’s important to try to tune out the conversations of others.

Sometimes it is absolutely impossible to not overhear a conversation, but if you do, do not interject yourself in the conversation or comment on it to others or to the individuals having the conversation.

In simple terms, mind your own business.

 

[kaytieeldr]

"A hot piece of tail" is derogatory and chauvinistic.

"Cute gal" doesn't even make the radar.

Hot piece of tail is sexist and offensive/derogatory, but really neither term is chauvinistic. According to the Free Dictionary, chauvinism is "Prejudiced belief in the superiority of one's own gender, group, or kind". Referring to someone as a cute gal doesn't really qualify.