Inclusivity and hair color

[EmilyMiller]

I was editing a story recently. Yes, I do that. I know it doesn’t look like I do.

I normally do everything on my phone, using Word. But recently I have been getting occasional headaches. I think I need to have my reading glasses checked. Anyway. I have been using my laptop a bit. I try to keep Lit stuff off of there, but whatever.

So Word has more options on the laptop for spelling and grammar. One that caught my eye was “inclusivity”. Now before I get flamed by one set of people and lauded by another, I’m pro-inclusivity. I’m pro-diversity. But…

They flagged “brunette” as not inclusive and suggested “brown haired”. Could I check with any - pause - brown haired folk out there whether or not they find “brunette” offensive?

FWIW, I don’t find blonde/blond offensive, it’s just a descriptor. In fact I guess there are many more negative connotations with being called a [dumb] blonde than a brunette. AFAIK it’s just the female form of brunet in French, same as blonde is the female form of blond.

Am I missing something?

Em

—
UPDATE: changed brun to brunet - which is what I meant - forgetting my French, how blonde of me

 

[HordHolm]

I've not come across this on my British English set-up, so perhaps it's a US Word thing.

 

[alohadave]

Seems to me that brunette implies a woman from Europe (if you use the gendered forms of brunet and brunette), while brown haired is anyone with brown hair, of any skin tone or gender.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I've not come across this on my British English set-up, so perhaps it's a US Word thing.

It’s the Office 365 version of Word with US English. Don’t have my personal laptop with me on the trip (work one was enough to carry). Will try British English (yes I know that’s just English, tell Microsoft, not me) when I get home.

Em

 

[Kumquatqueen]

A brunette is female, like a blonde.

In UK English, where everyone is expected to remember some basic French from school, the words are never used to describe men, because the e would be wrong.

You do see men described as blond, but 'a blond' is very rare and 'a brunet' is something I've only ever seen in fanfic that reads like a teenager wrote it (see also 'noirette'...)

Word's issue is the words exclude half the population. Also, making a person into a noun based on hair colour tends to be done in an objectifying way.

 

[Booleanean]

"brown haired" functions as an adjective, describing any type of person with brown hair. Brunette is a noun, exclusively describing women with brown hair. The main difference is that a "brown haired woman" is a woman who happens to have brown hair, where "brunette" is seen as reducing the woman in question to exclusively her hair color.

I think the inclusivity flag isn't so much about excluding men, but objectifying women in this context by reducing them to just their hair color.

 

[EmilyMiller]

A brunette is female, like a blonde.

In UK English, where everyone is expected to remember some basic French from school, the words are never used to describe men, because the e would be wrong.

We do somtimes teach French in the US, vous savez?

You do see men described as blond, but 'a blond' is very rare and 'a brunet' is something I've only ever seen in fanfic that reads like a teenager wrote it (see also 'noirette'...)

I was taking about brunet in French.

Word's issue is the words exclude half the population. Also, making a person into a noun based on hair colour tends to be done in an objectifying way.

I’m writing a guy who objectifies women. So I guess I’m getting it right then .

Em

 

[EmilyMiller]

"brown haired" functions as an adjective, describing any type of person with brown hair. Brunette is a noun, exclusively describing women with brown hair. The main difference is that a "brown haired woman" is a woman who happens to have brown hair, where "brunette" is seen as reducing the woman in question to exclusively her hair color.

I think the inclusivity flag isn't so much about excluding men, but objectifying women in this context by reducing them to just their hair color.

Really?

OK I’m coming over all anti-woke - I clearly need to lie down in a darkened room.

Em

 

[Booleanean]

Really?

OK I’m coming over all anti-woke - I clearly need to lie down in a darkened room.

Em

Word's content filters are probably tuned mostly for business and educational use. In a story, especially an erotic story, there's probably nothing wrong with using brunette or blonde to describe a woman, but if you're writing a memo to your colleagues it feels different.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I don't care if it's not inclusive! Brunette is faaaar sexier than a brown haired woman... Words that diminish sexiness should just be avoided, inclusivity be damned!

 

[onehitwanda]

I don't care if it's not inclusive! Brunette is faaaar sexier than a brown haired woman... Words that diminish sexiness should just be avoided, inclusivity be damned!

flange.

 

[Booleanean]

I don't care if it's not inclusive! Brunette is faaaar sexier than a brown haired woman... Words that diminish sexiness should just be avoided, inclusivity be damned!

Not necessarily disagreeing with you, but you don't have to use "brown haired woman".

"He spotted the brunette from across the room and she smiled at him."

can also be

"He spotted her from across the room. She brushed a dark chestnut lock from her eyes and smiled at him."

ETA: Not saying you're a terrible person if you include "brunette" in an erotic story, I don't think there's anything wrong with its usage in what we write on here necessarily, but at the same time restrictions on the words you use don't have to be a negative and can breed a ton of creativity instead of being limiting.

 

[SimonDoom]

"Brunette" certainly is better-sounding than "Brown-haired." As AwkwardlySet noted, it's sexier, and that means something in erotica. It's all about context. This is one of those situations where there isn't one right solution for all cases.

 

[Booleanean]

"Brunette" certainly is better-sounding than "Brown-haired." As AwkwardlySet noted, it's sexier, and that means something in erotica. It's all about context. This is one of those situations where there isn't one right solution for all cases.

100% agree. Word is enforcing HR rules, and will probably have a hissy fit over the use of the word "cock" or heaven forbid "cunt" anyway, and no one is arguing you can't use those in erotica.

 

[SimonDoom]

100% agree. Word is enforcing HR rules, and will probably have a hissy fit over the use of the word "cock" or heaven forbid "cunt" anyway, and no one is arguing you can't use those in erotica.

You make an excellent point. The rules for writing a corporate memo are completely different from the rules for writing an erotic story.

I use Word's editing tools and Grammarly sometimes, and I have to read the suggestions carefully because I often think they are wrong for the situation. They tend to be fussy and if followed too closely they would make writing less fun and colorful -- good qualities in a corporate memo, bad qualities in a sex story.

 

[alohadave]

100% agree. Word is enforcing HR rules, and will probably have a hissy fit over the use of the word "cock" or heaven forbid "cunt" anyway, and no one is arguing you can't use those in erotica.

It's not enforcing anything. It's an optional setting that you can use or disregard at your own discretion.

 

[KeithD]

For starters, "brown-haired woman" should be hyphenated.

I have no problem with using brunette.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Some people need to go down to the mall...

Find the Life Store...

And get one.

'Brunette' is an accepted descriptive term for a range of hair colours. The term is not offensive to anybody but the most ultra-thin-skinned.

Move on - nothing to see here.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Some people need to go down to the mall...

Find the Life Store...

And get one.

'Brunette' is an accepted descriptive term for a range of hair colours. The term is not offensive to anybody but the most ultra-thin-skinned.

Move on - nothing to see here.

What she said

 

[EmilyMiller]

100% agree. Word is enforcing HR rules, and will probably have a hissy fit over the use of the word "cock" or heaven forbid "cunt" anyway, and no one is arguing you can't use those in erotica.

This my personal laptop and my personal O365 subscription.

I’m not convinced using my work laptop for writing porn is allowed under my contract .

Em

 

[AwkwardlySet]

This my personal laptop and my personal O365 subscription.

I’m not convinced using my work laptop for writing porn is allowed under my contract .

Em

You little delinquent and rule-breaker, you!
Administer some self-spanking at once!

 

[EmilyMiller]

You little delinquent and rule-breaker, you!
Administer some self-spanking at once!

I’ve tried. It’s nowhere near as much fun .

Em

 

[Booleanean]

I’m not convinced using my work laptop for writing porn is allowed under my contract .

And even if you could, the copyright would probably belong to your work. It'd end up in a vault somewhere like all the porn Disney artists draw, and no one would want that.

 

[ronde]

Some people need to go down to the mall...

Find the Life Store...

And get one.

'Brunette' is an accepted descriptive term for a range of hair colours. The term is not offensive to anybody but the most ultra-thin-skinned.

Move on - nothing to see here.

I completely agree. It seems as if in today's world, a word that used to be commonly used is now offensive to somebody and if that somebody is in a position to be heard, that word gets added to the list of things no one should say. My opinion is if your skin is that thin, you control what you're reading so just stop reading.

 

[ElectricBlue]

They flagged “brunette” as not inclusive and suggested “brown haired”. Could I check with any - pause - brown haired folk out there whether or not they find “brunette” offensive?

FFS. That is just dumb. The way that's going, I won't be able to say "I've got blue eyes," because that won't include all those green eyed and brown eyed folk out there. Then it'll be, "Sorry, no eyes, because you're not considering noses."

Some things are fucking stupid - that's one of them, right there!