Re: Obnoxious "fox" line

[chrisw@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu (chris williams)]

In article <2pns4p$88v@news.csus.edu> you write:
>Albert Steg (Winsor School) (asteg@k12.ucs.umass.edu) wrote:
>
>: {Text Deleted}
>: At any rate, I'd like to second the comment that the "Yes, she is a 
>: fox" line in the FAQ is objectionable.  Sexist, probably; juvenile
>: certainly.  It's the kind of thing that will alienate a lot of people.
>: And does it really tell us anything useful?  Why keep it?
>: {Text Deleted}
>
>I've been lurking on this newsgroup for about a year, and this is my 
>first post. (I tried posting a few months ago, but I don't think 
>it made it)
>Anyways, I find it hard to believe that anyone would find the  use of the 
>word "fox" objectionable. I would think that it is apparent to 
>most lovehounds that the woman is beautiful, so adding that in the FAQ 
>should be acceptable. Perhaps "Yes she is beautiful" would cause less of 
>an outcry?

   Yes. "Beautiful" is a word that everyone understands can mean
different things to different people (...eye of the beholder...)
but is still widely understood. "Fox" is an American dimunitive
that, while less offensive than *many* of the alternatives, is
still offensive. The words seem to be defined by both the persons
who use the words and the what they mean when they use it.
Everyone uses "beautiful" (if they are lucky) almost daily. Lots
of things are beautiful, nature, music, art, people of all sorts,
etc. "Fox" on the other hand refers *specifically* to female
beauty of a limited sort, to women within a specific age range,
weight range and appearence according to the speakers personal
preferences/prejudices. Ninety-year-old women can often be
beautiful, but very few men younger than 80 will describe such
a woman as a "fox."

   This isn't "political correctness." Most people, Kate fans or
not agree that Kate is a beautiful woman. I agree that a portion
of her fame is due to her looks, but that portion of the audience
is vanishing as Kate does less and less publicity and ages out
of the constraining "fox" age-range. I believe that more and more
of her audience will know of Kate entirely because of her music.
She has many listeners who *only* know her looks through her
album covers. She will always be beautiful, and will will remain
so long after she is no longer a "fox."


                          Chris Williams of
                             Chris'n'(the beautiful) Vickie of Chicago
                               chrisw@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu (his)
                                 vickie@njin.rutgers.edu      (hers)