<p>Susan didn’t make the finals.</p>
<p>Susan was listed as being 23.</p>
<p>She can’t have listed the books she read in her application essay!:)</p>
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<p>Yes you are right. But the word similar to “guys” is “gals” not girls. I have no problem referring to 19 year old women as gals. When you are old enough to vote and fight in wars, I don’t think you are a girl any more.</p>
<p>I’ll admit that I have never watched this show and know nothing about it. </p>
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<p>I’ll admit that I am more inclined to refer to my 19 year old as a girl too, even though I realize she is a young woman. It so happens that she was written up in a review by someone known in her field who saw her perform recently, and in the article, he refered to her as a woman and I couldn’t wrap myself around that! (he later refers to her as a “chanteuse” and that he didn’t realize she was just 19). When I read the review to my daughter on the phone (It was sorta a big deal that she was mentioned in this well known column and she hadn’t seen it yet), even she remarked as soon as I got to “woman” and laughed and said, “ya see? I’m no longer a ‘girl’!” :D</p>
<p>Well, I believe calling them “girls” is more respectful than Mr. Jay, when he referred to the finalists as “14 lucky b*****s.”</p>
<p>^^^missypie…LOL. I haven’t ever seen this show. But it seems with my kids’ generation (college aged)…“b—h” is no longer a curse word and they refer to one another that way. It took some getting used to on my part. I haven’t heard my kids use it but it seems like a very common…and NOT derogatory term used among this age group these days…such as, “come on over b—hes!”</p>
<p>razorsharp, Sorry, but “gals” just won’t do! It’s anachronistic and way worse than “girls”. I think, actually, that the pendulum has swung back to “girl” being acceptable, especially for those under 20 or 21. Because that’s what they still are, basically.</p>
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<p>The girls fondly call each other “sluts” sometimes too, for things we sure wouldn’t have ever considered “slutty” - sometimes it seems to mean something fairly innocuous like sexy goofball or flirt - </p>
<p>“You wore those shoes to the baseball game? You slut!” </p>
<p>“I texted him and asked him to come with us.”
“(laughing) Oh you are such a slut!”</p>
<p>The b–h and slut thing is annoying. Sigh. Must be getting old.</p>
<p>I can’t find any Susan from MI in the class of '08. Must be either an extension student or from an earlier class.</p>
<p>I’m eighteen and still refer to a lot of women my age and older as girls - maybe I shouldn’t, but it feels awkward to refer to my friends I’ve known since I was a child as women. Also, it’s kind of the norm to use the word “girl” to mean “youngISH female” rather than “female child” among the people I know.</p>
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<p>What we have here is the making of a double standard. When a group of 21 year old females arrive to work late and the 40 year old male boss says, “you girls shouldn’t be late again”, those young females will yell gender discrimination. If the boss is a 40 year old female, the young females will think nothing of it. I hate double standards. </p>
<p>A female is no longer a girl when she is 18. Yes, it is that simple. It is a matter of law. Everyone should adopt that usage.</p>
<p>If Susan did, indeed graduate from Harvard, it would have to have been 07 (unless they have December graduation.) I think they start filming in what would be second semester. There usually is one 18 year old the group who mentions that she is missing her HS graduation or prom to be there (one local girl was cut on the day that would have been her HS graduation.) So Susan would not have been in school last semester.</p>
<p>“Vapid Yale Girl” is from my town. She was, not surprisingly, absolutely brilliant and accomplished in HS. Not to mention astonishingly tall and slim. She entered ANTM on a dare and, surprising even herself, made it. She figured she’d do it to see how far she could go.</p>
<p>I think she had a tough time relating to some of the other “gals.”</p>
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<p>Maybe we should refer to them as “she-queens” instead.</p>
<p>If you’ve ever watched ANTM (and D is ADDICTED to it, I hate rainy weekends when the TV is doing a Model-thon, because it’s on all day!) then “girls” is the appropriate term for these models. Many of them display all the maturity of a 6th grader. Some are gracious and mature; unfortunately they’re the minority. Although I’m sure the editing - designed to show maximum drama - helps them look whiny. And the show clearly sets up as much drama as possible - why else would challenge winners get to pick one or two friends to share their prize? Drama = ratings. </p>
<p>On the other hand, I watched a little bit of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders tryouts show. Those ladies were models of professionalism. Smiles, positive attitudes, no cattiness allowed. Answered questions with “Yes, ma’am” and “thank you.” When they were cut, they invariably thanked the director for giving them an opportunity, then later told the camera how disappointed they were but what a great experience it had been. Of course, the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are evaluated not only for looks and dance ability, but for the ability to do public appearances - to speak with proper English, answer questions, initiate conversation if needed, etc.</p>
<p>Now that I think about it, the Cowboys cheerleaders were treated with respect as professionals by the show, and they responded in kind. Tyra puts the models into close quarters, deprives them of sleep, sets up drama (winners chosing friends to share a prize), and generally treats them like dummies who need to be taught to walk (literally) and how to look “fierce.” Puh-leeze.</p>
<p>I agree! (D watches both shows.) Last cycle on ANTM, when (at least according to the editing) Katyrzina stayed out of all of the cat fights, Tyra kept saying in panel, “We just don’t KNOW you, Katyrzina.”</p>
<p>I will say that on the first season of the DCC show, not all of the cut girls were super gracious. I believe that they have either been wisely coached, or have wisely learned on their own, that being gracious makes them look so much better on national TV. I hate to admit it, but after watching the DCC show, I have a bit of respect for those young women, where I had none before.</p>
<p>This thread made me think of something my grandmother used to say…You know you’re over fifty when you refer to the women you hang out with as “the girls”!!</p>
<p>I think context is key in the girls, women, *****es, etc. conversation. I think it’s perfectly fine for gradma to refer to her friends as the girls. If my male law partners were to refer to the women lawyers at firm as the girls, they’d wish they hadn’t.</p>
<p>VeryHappy, my d’s friend also is from the same town as the young woman from Yale who was on ANTM last year. In fact, he went to HS with her and was AMAZED that she was going to be on the show…very uncharacteristic. It was obvious as we watched (which we did only to see this young woman) that she was not too comfortable with the situation. More to her credit, IMO. We stopped watching when she was cut.</p>
<p>I also loved watching the DCC show last year and wish it would return. My d is an accomplished dancer and I have great respect for what those women go through to gain a place on that squad/team/ whatever you are supposed to call it.</p>