I've come across many examples of some men and some boys showing their low opinion of women and girls. I've often wondered how they could have formed their views. Perhaps I found a clue when I was shopping recently.
One of my relatives is learning a foreign language. I was browsing in a bookshop, looking for a textbook as a gift. I found a book that teaches words and phrases of that foreign language. It was published only a few years ago. The book was written by a man who appears to be a native English speaker. Each chapter has some grammar and vocabulary, which can be practised using the common technique of conversations between people in typical everyday situations e.g. chatting at a party, hiring a taxi, travelling on a train etc.
I was shocked to discover that the book taught the foreign language versions of the following phases:
"You're running your mouth off bitch, because you're drunk."
"That's it bitch, you asked for it!"
There was also a phrase something like "nice boobs and legs, shame about the face."
The book did not teach any anti-male phrases.
I did not buy the book.
Yes, I know that words are how we communicate ideas. Yes, I know many ideas in our patriarchal society are expressed with anti-female language, but this example, teaching how to express such anti-female opinions in a foreign language, stuck me as shocking and depressing. I shudder to think under what circumstances those phrases would be used in any language.
I think a lot of anti-female sexism is actually rather predictable and unsurprising, but have you experienced or heard about any examples where the attitudes were just so surprising that you had to do a double-take to even get your heard around it happening?
I'm interested in hearing examples about mainstream society, not insane people or anti-feminist extremists.