# "Sexism" vs "Misogyny" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 14, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951 "2011-07-14T00:35:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951/21 "2011-07-14T13:52:28Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > “Feminine daintiness”? So the women in your office claim that they’re unable to lift boxes because they’re women, and/or that all women can’t lift boxes? > > Because you see, there are a number of women in my office whom I’d offer to lift things for, because they are physically smaller and less strong than I am, even though we both have vaginas. I don’t lift boxes for them because they’re women. I lift boxes for them because I’m not an asshole. No, I know exactly what he’s talking about, and I’ve seen it myself. A perfectly strong woman, with a man around, suddenly decides she can’t lift that box and fetches the man from whatever he is doing, even interrupting him. I’ve even been told by other women, “There’s a man, let him do it. It’s a man’s job.” I always reply, “Work never cares who does it, it just needs to be done.” ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951/22 "2011-07-14T13:57:36Z")
Oh, I’m certain that woman exists. It’s just that attributing her assholism to _all_ women would be… wait, there’s a word for that… it’s right on the tip of my tongue. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951/23 "2011-07-14T14:12:30Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > No, I know exactly what he’s talking about, and I’ve seen it myself. A perfectly strong woman, with a man around, suddenly decides she can’t lift that box and fetches the man from whatever he is doing, even interrupting him. > > I’ve even been told by other women, “There’s a man, let him do it. It’s a man’s job.” > > I always reply, “Work never cares who does it, it just needs to be done.” I always reply, “What do we need a man for? If we have to stand here wasting time waiting for a man to get around to this, we’re going to be here a looooong time.” ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951/24 "2011-07-14T15:38:48Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > Oh, I’m certain that woman exists. It’s just that attributing her assholism to _all_ women would be… wait, there’s a word for that… it’s right on the tip of my tongue. > > 😉 Was he attributing to all women? I missed that part. No sarcasm, I genuinely didn’t catch it. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951/25 "2011-07-14T15:57:13Z")
> [@Sierra\_Indigo](#): > > No. Misandry is analagous to misogyny. Sexism is a gender-neutral term. I think **Red** was wanting to know what the word was for “man hater”. His articulation was a little off. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951/26 "2011-07-14T18:18:03Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I think **Red** was wanting to know what the word was for “man hater”. His articulation was a little off. I’m surprised there was room for interpretation. I suppose I could have added an “only” but I assumed (perhaps falsely) the context would have sufficed. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951/27 "2011-07-14T18:46:08Z")
Sexism refers to actions, misogyny to attitude. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951/28 "2011-07-14T19:40:56Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > Which raises the questions: > a) Is it sexist if it’s true, and > b) Is it sexist if the “victim” of the sexism is the one saying it? > > Because whenever I’m at work, and heavy things are to be carried, there is a sudden appearance of feminine daintiness. I believe in equality, however, so I allow them to continue carrying the heavy boxes. I get that at work regularly. “you’re a guy, you can do (task)”. It’s really annoying. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951/29 "2011-07-14T19:50:03Z")
If only some men somewhere would create a video to apologize to women (womyn?) for all of the sexism we’ve committed against them since the dawn of time. [Oh wait…](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_uRIMUBnvw) ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951/30 "2011-07-14T20:52:40Z")
Sexism has to do with a selective process where sex (gender) is a positive or negative bias factor, either consciously or unconsciously, with the implication that the gender distinction is unfair or unnecessary. A person can be sexist, or an institution, or a procedure. Usually only brought up by Those Who Make It A Cause when the bias is negative. Misogyny however is by definition \*only \*a negative factor. It means the person actively dislikes women and things associated with women, and when combined with sexism (e.g., “sewing is women’s work”), transfers that disdain (“therefore, I hold the very act of sewing in contempt”). Nowadays misogynists tends to stay out of the light, keeping to dark, damp corners, but don’t be fooled -they remain as numerically strong as ever. Or as I like to think of it, _mycology recapitulates misogyny_. (Sorry) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951/31 "2011-07-14T22:21:32Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Mostly, I agree, but I’m wondering if it’s at least theoretically possible to be misogynist (or misandrist) without being sexist. Can a person have a general hatred or contempt for women (or for men) without believing stereotypes or behaving in a prejudicial manner toward anyone? It’s theoretically possible, just as a racist might never be discriminatory. Anecdote is not data, but I’ve known women who hate women, and you have to observe them pretty carefully to see it. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951/32 "2011-07-14T22:45:59Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > I’m surprised there was room for interpretation. I suppose I could have added an “only” but I assumed (perhaps falsely) the context would have sufficed. What context? You asked for the term for “sexism” aimed at men, after I’d specifically posted saying sexism can be aimed at both, but misogyny is a specific hatred of women. If you wanted to know what the male equivalent of misogyny was, you should have said “What’s the male equivalent of misogyny?” ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2011, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951/33 "2011-07-15T06:41:55Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > “Feminine daintiness”? So the women in your office claim that they’re unable to lift boxes because they’re women, and/or that all women can’t lift boxes? > > Because you see, there are a number of women in my office whom I’d offer to lift things for, because they are physically smaller and less strong than I am, even though we both have vaginas. I don’t lift boxes for them because they’re women. I lift boxes for them because I’m not an asshole. I don’t work in an office, but there’s one particular girl who, whenever performing any sort of carrying will always say “you’re a bloke, you ought to be doing this”, as a result of which I make a point of not carrying anything if she could do it instead. She can’t carry as much as I can, but she’s no seven stone weakling either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-vs-misogyny/588951.md?page=1)