Posted on Jul 12, 2014
When someone tells you "good job guys", is that offensive to you?
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Yesterday I was corrected by a SFC (EOA) when he heard me say "Good job guys" I was speaking to both male and female.
His comments were I should have said good job guys and girls. Your thoughts.
His comments were I should have said good job guys and girls. Your thoughts.
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 53
Seriously? What if one of the "girls" took exception to that? She doesn't consider herself a "girl", she is a "woman". The term "guys" isn't just male when it encompasses a group of people. This politically correct stuff is really getting out of hand
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CH (CPT) Heather Davis
I know this sounds ludicrous, and believe me I was taken back by the EOA and how not only did he challenge me, he was not in receptive mode. I looked up the regulation and basically it talks about guys as a buzz word. I came in 1984 and to be this is trivial.
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Go to your EO office and get a copy of the "offensive word" list. You will be shocked at some of the stuff off it.
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CH (CPT) Heather Davis
MSGT Copeland: I down loaded the 2007 regulation, and guys was mentioned as a buzz word.
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The terms "guys" and "guys and girls (gals)" has absolutely no difference. The word guy is in of itself gender neutral. While it is commonly used to refer to males, it ALSO accurately refers to females. It is just as accurate to point to a group of gentlemen and say "Those guys" as it is to point to a group of ladies and say "Those guys". It really is just semantics. And maybe feminism, but let's not get our panties in a twist here.
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I've always taken that as a figure of speech and not paid much attention to it, especially in the circumstances you described. It also depends on who's saying it. "Good job guys" coming from a senior means something different than a subordinate. To me, "Good job guys" from a subordinate is an unwelcome term of familiarity and gets my immediate attention.
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Colloquially speaking, "guys" is an acceptable term to refer to both males and females. That's not how it started but that is how it has been used for at least a couple of decades. I suppose if someone is truly offended by this they can tell you about it. I don't see how this affects equal opportunity so I think you're fine and the SFC who corrected you was simply taught to be overly sensitive to not offend the maximum number of people. We do often go too far in this regard as is the military's way.
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CH (CPT) Heather Davis, Ma'am, the terms "Guys" "you guys"and "Y'all" are pretty much interchangeable and accepted almost universally as a form of generic group address, except by only the most ridiculously socially oversensitive among us.
The good news for your SFC is that if that's the biggest thing he has to worry about, his stress level should be pretty low.
The good news for your SFC is that if that's the biggest thing he has to worry about, his stress level should be pretty low.
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SGT Richard H.
I'm with MAJ Derrick J. on this, Ma'am. I'd have perhaps found a way to make his time useful, such as writing me a 5 page dissertation for me to review in order to properly and fully educate me on the use of 'guys'.....but I'm kind of "Old Army" like that.
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CH (CPT) Heather Davis
SGT Hanner: Unbelievable and he went to my senior Chaplain with this nonsense. I just let it go, and stayed on the high road.
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This is what I consider "E-splittiing-hairs-O". Yes, certain words do carry certain unintended meanings behind them but when CH (CPT) Heather Davis said "Good job GUYS", I see it as the collective use of the word. She wasn't trying to exclude anyone from the kudos. It is much of the same as when you use the collective "you" when talking to a group of people. If I'm standing in front of a group of people and say "You did a great job" am I excluding someone because of the word I used? No. It is ridiculous to think that someone would have to be pointed out in order to feel included. When you work as a team, you celebrate or fail like a team. You are included in all the "guys", "you", "them", or whatever wording used.
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It's a generic term, not specifically gender driven. If it will make the PC Police happy, consider using the word "folks" instead. You could point out that by specifying "guys and girls" they are defeating the purpose of the teamwork concept by dividing the group with gender labels.
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This is completely ridiculous, but then again, it should be expected in this new PC military. I say this all the time, and none of my Sailors have ever complained to me about it, and they are pretty open with me.
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No I did it a lot of times. I think the sincerity of the message is what counts.
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