DOUGLAS HOFSTADTER IDENTIFIES 'OLD SEXISM IN NEW GUISE'

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- "C'mon, you guys, hurry or we'll be late!"

Sound familiar? It should. The use of the phrase "you guys" to refer to a mixed group of males and females as well as to groups of males is now widespread in American conversation, and it is used by both males and females.

Could that be considered sexist? Surely not. It implies that the males and females are equals, which is the opposite of sexism.

Now consider this example, which actually happened: a female nurse was instructing a class consisting of men and pregnant women. At one point she said, "Now when you guys are going into labor . . . "

Guys? Suddenly something is wrong, perhaps amusingly so.

"If you think that's funny, you betray awareness that the word 'guy' does still have gender implications," said Indiana University cognitive scientist Douglas Hofstadter in a recent (Feb. 11) lecture titled "Old Sexism in New Guise," which he presented at IU Bloomington. Hofstadter noted that the title could also be read as "Old Sexism in 'You Guys.'"

Hofstadter maintains that using "guy" to refer to females is sexist because it means elevating certain females to the same status as males. And that implies a different status for females to begin with, which is sexist. It's just a lot more subtle.

In an effort to purge his own speech of sexist terms, Hofstadter refuses to use "guy" to refer to anyone but males, and he tries to persuade others to do the same, often with frustrating results.

"When I say the usage of "guy" is sexist, I'm not saying anything about the person who uses it," Hofstadter emphasized. "The people I try to explain this to in conversations tend to be liberal and non-sexist, and pretty soon they're saying to me, "You're a sexist!'"

He believes that the word "guy" is attractive to females because they associate it with favorable aspects of masculinity such as the freedom to dress and do as they please, and to think for themselves. Males use "guys" in addressing a mixed group of males and females as a way to let the females know that they are considered part of the group.

And yet, Hofstadter pointed out, this usage is only true in the plural form of "guy."

The word "guy" in the singular still means boy or man 99 percent of the time, he feels.

"For example, I'm a runner, and if I said, 'I saw a guy running up Indiana Avenue really fast, and I was impressed,' what image would you see in your mind? Probably a male," he said. If he said he saw "some guys" running, it could have been a mixed group.

Or if you are out for a walk with a companion and you say, "Look at that guy across the street," and there is only a woman in plain sight, your companion is likely to say, "Where?"

What makes this situation especially significant, Hofstadter feels, is that in recent years the same thing has happened in a number of other languages in other countries -- in France, the Netherlands and China, for example, which are three very different cultures with different traditions.

"It's a disturbing worldwide trend," he concluded.

For more information, contact Hal Kibbey, Office of Communications and Marketing, 812-855-0074 or 812-855-3911, hkibbey@indiana.edu