Is anyone else fucked off with the prevalence of the term hysterical at the moment?

[WeBuiltCisCityOnSexistRoles]

Is it just me?! I am getting increasingly peevish with the terms hysteria/hysterical being bandied about. Please could anyone who feels the same help me articulate why this is?

I think (just as women are bossy, men are assertive) it's just such a misogynistic, derogatory word aimed principally at women with very unpleasant origins.

I don't think we see men being told they are hysterical to the same extent. I think generally people use the less judgemental term of "over reacting" towards men, which also implies they have assessed the facts and just have a disproportionate reaction. Hysterical, to me, is so dismissive as though it's an emotional ill thought out reaction aka silly little women bothering their pretty heads about things they don't understand. Maybe they also have PMT, of course.

(Shall we all ignore the giant elephant in the room that this is mostly about coronavirus and prepping For full disclosure I am a total prepper but haven't got a pretty little head. Or PMT)

I’ve started substituting it with ‘testerical’ whenever I see it...

Yes! I was called hysterical when asking about coronavirus precautions. People are scared and some of them are reacting by burying their heads in the sand and lashing out at others who refuse to do so. Both the word hysterical and the lashing out are seriously annoying and unhelpful.

Oooh testerical, I like it!

Not was that on MN or in RL? I have also noticed when discussing it in RL, I get a bit of eye rolling and "God, WeBuilt is so weird" whereas DH (who has been prepping for zombies for about twenty years ) is met with admiration and is asked for advice (of course he is a man doing the household shopping anyway so isn't he good and aren't I lucky in general!

God, I'm so fucking grumpy today

If the word ‘uppity’ is ever used to describe the behaviour of a POC then the woke brigade are very quick to call out racism. The use of ‘hysterical’ goes totally unchallenged.

I mentioned this many times on threads about ‘those royals’ and tumbleweeds could be seen floating by. None of the twitchfork mob replied.

It’s irritating, but not at all surprising.

I'm also getting pissed off at people saying why worry because it's only bad for the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. So nice of you to suggest those people are disposable!

You seem a bit hysterical about the use of a word that is being used in a grammatically correct manner. You can’t go through life offended by every word that has Greek or Latin feminine origins.

What next? Telling people we can’t use the word “impregnable”?

Yes I'm tired of being told to "calm down" no need to get "hysterical" because I had the temerity to disagree with something personal

For example I might have said that my stomach felt so cramped i actually had to take pain killers (rare) only to be hit with people telling me i would be going to A&E next and "oooh shes in paaain" i said umm actually i didn't say that "calm down "hun" stop over reacting" "flouncing are we?"

Fucks sake...they were women too

You seem a bit hysterical about the use of a word that is being used in a grammatically correct manner

ODFOD.

It's bloody annoying and all over the internet with regards to coronavirus.

I also suggested that a child didnt have Coronavirus (the parent didnt think so it was someone else) the child had sickness and a high temperature had seen three different doctors on three separate occasions in the week (over 5/6 days) everyone was suggesting drinks I suggested a uti test (as she wouldn't pee unless in a bath of water) one lady comes screaming on get her isolated immediately why are you taking her out the house! I said it doesnt sound like Corona she tells me to Google it hun kids get sick before they get a temp I said she has a temperature and she has been seen by three doctors I think you should stop scaremongering the abuse she piled on me branding me hysterical uneducated rude nasty she hoped my kids got it because I was clearly lacking in judgment etc etc I was like wow I'm hysterical?

It's becoming a low brow put down when you cant think of anything constructive to say brand them hysterical

I left the facebook group

No. I do not agree that "hysterical" is misogynistic. Its original Latin derivation is irrelevant to its current meaning and usage.

I think a lot of the reaction to coronovirus is hysterical.

The term hysteria comes from the Greek word hysterika, meaning Uterus. In ancient Greece it was believed that a wandering and discontented Uterus was blamed for that dreaded female ailment of excessive emotion, hysteria.

Course it's misogynistic.
It's derived from the misogynistic idea "women are bloody bonkers, enotional and irrational" and it's still used primarily to still say "women are bloody bonkers, emotional and irrational" and the root of the word literally references a female only organ. Hysterectomy, hystoscopy, - we still use these words and we still understand that this is a female thing.

Do you really think posters didn't know the derivation? Still nice bit of feministplaining.

I don't agree it is misogynistic. Language evolves.

What next? Telling people we can’t use the word “impregnable”?

Probably.

And sinister is insulting to left- handed people.

What next? Telling people we can’t use the word “impregnable”?

'Impregnable' isn't used as a derogatory term, particularly in relation to women.

A consultant gynaecologist once threw a box of tissues at me (across his desk, into my chest) and snapped "stop getting hysterical!"

Silent tears, they were.

He was a misogynistic prick with a god complex.

I'm with you OP.

What has hysterical evolved to, that it no longer means "bloody bonkers, over emotional, irrational, like a woman"? Is it a compliment these days? Used equally for men as for women?

I'd say it retains all of its derogatory, sexist meaning still.

But out of interest:
Most people have masturbated at one time or another. If I called you a wanker, and explained I was just using the literal, honest, evolved meaning of the word, and that you should disregard any negative connotations because the word had evolved?

We good with that?

When was the last time you heard a man being called "hysterical" Dido? It hasn't wandered so far from it's origins that is is equally used to describe behaviour of both sexes. It is still a pejorative term aimed almost exclusively at women.

I am also finding "vitriol" annoying currently. Even mild disagreement appears to be labelled "vitriolic" or "bullying"

When was the last time you heard a man being called "hysterical"Dido?

Yesterday as it happens.

Did it sound like he was being complimented with the association with female irrationality?

It is still a pejorative term aimed almost exclusively at women

The response to Coronvirus has been called "hysterical" - how do you work out that that is aimed exclusively at women?

Did it sound like he was being complimented with the association with female irrationality?

What a ludicrous question. He was being criticised for over- reacting and blowing something completely out of proportion. I do not agree the word is used in the way you are determined to say it is.

Do you think a word that pairs female 'hyst' with associations of overreacting and blowing something out of proportion might be misogynisic?
Like calling a man a pussy, or a c*nt?

You can't seem to make your mind up.
According to you, everyone is completely aware of the female roots and negative associations of the word.
And it's also definitely derogatory, not complimentary.
When thrown at women, it reinforces the sexist assumptions of women as overreacting and disproportionate.
When used on men it implies they are 'as bad as women'.

But it's totally not misogyny?

Can you think of another word that everyone knows is associated negatively with a sex/race/orientation etc, that is similarly both derogatory and yet NOT sexist/racist/homophobic?

Hysterical describes a pattern of behaviour that both men and women engage in.

If you take offence to it, you have to also take offence to surly which originates from “sir-ly” as in a man acting too lordly.

What about freedom of speech and the danger of censorship?
It would be a shame to censor out words for such inane reasons as their origin in another language, culture or distant time.