Commonly Accepted Sexist Comments In Everyday Life

So, I've encountered this issue more than once, among friends, family, and even in my own relationship. How do you deal with comments that are so commonly accepted in everyday conversation, but are truly sexist in nature?
For example, my boyfriend and I were riding in his motorcycle today, and some lady irresponsibly passed us without turning on her blinker. Right away he said something like 'Of course it was a woman'
Needless to say, this instantly pissed me off. As to not feed my own anger, I told him it was a ridiculous comment, and that it was offensive, and ended the discussion right there. However, it's still ringing in my ear.
How do you guys deal with these types of situations? I don't want to be extremist in my behaviour, but I also don't want to support this kind of comment.

 

I think people are too easily offended these days. It makes it harder to live in peace. We should learn to take responsibility for our upset reaction and not respond with anger or violence, but instead with compassion and understanding.

 

what's even worse is people that aren't truly offended but pretend to be, just to look for trouble. there is enough trouble in this world without intentionally seeking it out

 

Sao Paulo/Brazil/Latin America in general are very different from many other places in the world. Not everyone will be able to relate.

I think that there is more of the traditional male dominance/sexism in Latin America, but it also seems like relationships between men and women are pretty good.

In the US, women have much more political and economic power, to the point of feminist views and women's issues being dominate in the media and in politics. Relationships between men and women have also gone to shit, as well as community in general. We now live in the ruins of a cold civil war. I think that the price paid for power is higher than most women were willing to pay.

You have a right to respond however you want. If it bothers you enough, you can leave him. You can also demand change from him, and you may find a way to work things out with him. You could also accept that there are certain things that you object to about him, and that you speak up when it bothers you, but that it doesn't have to go beyond that.

 

I often think about that, maybe I'm overly sensitive about these issues? I really couldn't help myself though, it made me so irritated.

 

It's tricky, perhaps because I lived in the US for almost 10 years, it's made me more aware and sensitive to this kind of issue. Now that I'm back in Brazil, I feel like not many people can relate, and those who do are a bit on the extreme side. There's a stigma in the word 'feminist' here, whereas in the US it's something that is taken more seriously.

 

of course this thread was posted by a woman...

 

I think the best thing to do is remain calm and point out that it is sexist and you don't want to hear it. It's more difficult in the case of strangers, and I often struggle to gather together the courage to do anything.
But whenever it's anyone close to me, I have to tell myself that its not because they are bad people, but because they were brought up in a bad system. That stops me being personally offended by it and allows me to point out that its wrong, and why its wrong.

 

With a roll of my eyes and humour generally. If my partner gets too sexist I’ll tell him to get back to the kitchen and make me a sandwich. I speak up I can’t help it, it started when I was little and the boy’s told me “Girls can’t climb trees” they ate the bark dust and and leaves as I raced them to the top

 

Educate them. "That was an overtly sexist comment; the type of thoughtless chauvinism that is deeply offensive to women, and demonstrably untrue; 71% of MVA fatalities are men...and then there's Danica Patrick. Such sexism wouldn't be tolerated in the workplace, and it won't be tolerated in my company."
It's not extremist to stand up for yourself and others.
(I'm rather proud of myself for refraining from using the term "ignorant" even once, or pointing out how pathetically insecure someone must be in their own masculinity to feel the need to overcompensate by tearing others down in a futile effort to inflate their flaccid ego.)
If that's what he thinks about women, perhaps it's time for you to trade up.

 

Sexism begins in the classroom and on the playground, with teachers insisting arguing over the definition of stupid is the way towards growth and progress.

 

What I'd like to know is why do women shop for new clothes that accent their good points and body , then spend an hour every day in front of a mirror making sure everything is perfect. Then when a man gives her a compliment it's sexual harassment?

 

It

As you say most of the women try to make up and put on so fashionable and try to sexy in public, so what for all these efforts! Their real impression is to pay more attention to men. And there are no reasons to be upset when they heard any compliments by men in front of them.

 

Dealing with these situations can be tricky, but it's important to stand up for yourself and let the person know their comment is not okay

 

I'm in no way trying to belittle your plight, as it must be horrible to hear such comments but I think sexism works both ways. There's been many a time I've heard women say "Men are all b*****ds", "Men are only after one thing", "Men can only think with his d***" or "He's a mummy's boy" or "you're not man enough" when they don't conform to whatever the standard of machismo the speaker adhears to.

I'm sure women have to contend a lot more this male chauvinistic behaviour but us men get our fair share of it too.