As some of you may have heard because a Ban Bossy avalanche fell on your Monday morning, Sheryl Sandberg launched a campaign to murder a word.
If you don’t know Sheryl Sandberg because you’re buried under an avalanche, here’s a brief tutorial: she was always at the top of her class, graduating from college with the highest distinction. She served as Chief of Staff for the Treasury and then Vice President of Operations at Google where she initiated the site’s philanthropic arm. Now she serves as the Chief Operating Officer of a little online project that rhymes with SpaceTook, and has firmly landed on the Time 100 list of influential people, her estimated worth at over one billion dollars owing to various stock holdings.
Compare, if you will, Bossy, who was also at the top of her class, where top equals peering down from her near six-foot frame. And like Sandberg, Bossy graduated from college with distinction, which in this case refers to the distinction of not finishing her Bachelor’s degree until seventeen years after she began chasing those bachelors.
Bossy then launched her own online project that should have been named I Am Boozy, where Bossy also initiated the site’s philanthropic arm, referring specifically to her right arm holding the paint brush that paid for her wine.
Bossy also firmly landed on the Time 100 influential list, by which she means the 100 times Bossy landed firmly while under the influence (see wine).
Like Sandberg, Bossy also served as Vice President of Operations, including one operation to remove varicose veins and one Operation Dysfunctional. And finally, Bossy’s estimated worth is also owing to her various stocks, which mostly boils down to chicken stock, although doesn’t completely rule out vegetable stock.
So what is the Ban Bossy campaign about? According to Sheryl Sandberg, when a little girl is assertive, she is called bossy. But when a little boy is assertive, he is called leader.
Bossy took great interest today in all of the little girls now women who are standing with Sheryl Sandberg in admonishment of having been referred to as bossy, including three world leaders, two Supreme Court Justices, two Presidential candidates, two members of Congress, a CEO, a First Lady, a successful publisher, and Beyoncé.
Looking at the lineup of women, Bossy wondered how many other adjectives they have in common. Because if bossy is a descriptor these powerhouses share — a confidence of personality that propelled them to such greatness — then maybe the more liberating thing isn’t running from a word, but owning the grit in its meaning.
devra says
March 10, 2014 at 9:04 pmI’ve never thought being bossy was bad. EVER. I think of it as being a bad ass. As you are. 🙂 xxoo
joeinvegas says
March 10, 2014 at 9:10 pmSorry, I don’t want to ban Bossy
Ranck says
March 10, 2014 at 9:58 pmYou go bossy! Well, no don’t leave. Stay and yes be bossy. By the way, boss, when applied to the auto is tres chic. Or the music. Or the sophisticate women when viewed from a construction site. Boss is good across gender and grammar.
TracyontheRocks says
March 10, 2014 at 10:11 pmIt’s so true! Strong women are the B word and strong boys are leaders! Buncha bull. Down with “Bossy”—->>> unless it’s our Bossy, she can stay!!
The girl who sits next to bossy! says
March 10, 2014 at 10:19 pmSo well said, my friend, SO WELL SAID!
Cactus Petunia says
March 10, 2014 at 10:32 pmWith all due respect to Ms. Sandberg, banning a word is just plain STUPID. It takes away from the true goal: banning the name calling behavior.
What’s next? Banning the name “Dick” because it also refers to men who behave like assholes?
Personally, when I hear the word “bossy”, the first thing that comes into my head is a lovely, tall, and tremendously talented woman who I admire deeply.
So there.
Mary K says
March 11, 2014 at 12:07 amRemember how well Prohibition worked? Book bans?
I expect nothing more or less from this ban. Don’t ban the Bossy… Embrace her, er, it!
bossy's friend martha says
March 11, 2014 at 7:06 amWell done. Isn’t it the intent rather than a word that causes the most harm? How about we set an example and just be more kind to each other, stop taking things so personally, and not make our sweet kids submit to even more rules. Adults can be weird.
Kate says
March 11, 2014 at 7:06 amWhat I wrote on Facebook about this:
“Let me tell you about banning bossy. If you don’t want girls to be called bossy, find more accurate adjectives to describe them. There are hundreds of thousands of words – nobody is compelling you to use any of them if you feel they are ill-fitting. Making words the enemy (unless they are truly freighted with the baggage of being racist, incendiary, etc.) because we are not willing to really do the work of thinking before we use those words* is not the best idea.”
In other words: Don’t be lazy with language.
dobes says
March 11, 2014 at 12:11 pmWow. Once again, we prove that, as women, we really are our own worst enemy.
Ms. Sandberg et al. are just trying to make people think before they use negative terms to describe women or girls who are starting to take on leadership roles. Can’t we support the spirit of the thing, if not the way they’re going about it?
Duke Steele says
March 11, 2014 at 1:05 pmSo, this CHICK, wants the word bossy to be banned. And how is she getting her message out? By being bossy. Hypocrite much, Bossy?
Adia says
March 11, 2014 at 1:32 pmwow, how are people so stupid? she never once said to literally ban the word. it’s just the title of the champaign, you’re supposed to read between the lines. it’s just to get the message that there are double standards for women and men and it starts at childhood. girls are discouraged from being assertive while the same is not done to boys. next time, think before you call girls names for doing the same things boys do. it’s really simple people!!!! stop making up your own facts.
Adia says
March 11, 2014 at 1:32 pmcampaign**
kurt says
March 11, 2014 at 1:57 pmOh for crying out loud. Let’s ban the word ban.
Saraspunza says
March 11, 2014 at 2:54 pmHilarious! Thank you Bossy for giving us a fresher and much less “reactive” take on the kerfuffle about the word ban. You hit it perfectly!
Jamey says
March 11, 2014 at 3:47 pmYeh, banning any word seldom leads to anything but trouble. Boss on, Bossy. If Sandberg’s so brilliant, let her find another way to flog her book.
Olivia says
March 11, 2014 at 6:29 pmOlivia has been called “bossy” since the day she was born.
And she wears it like a badge of honour.
GrandeMocha says
March 11, 2014 at 9:24 pmGet your Bossy on!
Lynn says
March 12, 2014 at 1:38 amBossy, I have been periodically catching up to your blog for what seems like eons….but apparently of late I have been living under some avalanche that I wasn’t aware of, because I just read this entire post and have absolutely no idea what the hell you are talking about.
Virginia says
March 13, 2014 at 4:57 amIf they don’t like the word then don’t use it. A for the majority of us women that don’t have ‘issues’, bossy doesn’t bother me at all. It is a word that until now wasn’t a BAD word.
Mike Nelson says
March 13, 2014 at 10:19 am“Ban bossy” > Bossypants!
Miss Spoken says
March 13, 2014 at 12:50 pmI’m envisioning a town hall meeting where slowly, each of us stand in our righteousness and declair, “I am bossy.” This will be proceeded by a smattering of applause that becomes a standing ovation. And then we all dance like we’re at the Footloose prom.
Vicki V says
March 13, 2014 at 3:03 pmWhen I saw the article in Parade, I felt confident that you would comment in your own way. 🙂
Joan F says
March 13, 2014 at 4:37 pmIt pains me to say it, but we all know it’s true: SOME WOMEN ARE BOSSY. And NOT in a take-charge, task-oriented, lets-get-this-done way but in a manner that demeans the women working under them. There is nothing worse than working with a women – especially if it’s in a voluntary position – who, because she has been with an organization longer than you have, treats you like a) you have NEVER had responsibility before and b) you don’t have a brain in your head.
It’s all in the delivery and the sooner these bossy women learn this (which they will never do) the better the workplace will be for all women.
rod munch says
March 13, 2014 at 10:22 pmWhat a menstruational bitch
norm says
March 14, 2014 at 12:13 pmI know I immediately thought of BOSSY when this Sandberg thing started rolling around and I was pretty upset. I am TEAM BOSSY.
I also like the “don’t ban bossy, be pro-assertive” response to the campaign.
mom101 says
March 14, 2014 at 3:02 pmI want you to add a like button so I can like this but then am I supporting the Ban Bossy movement indirectly?
I’m glad there’s some attention being paid to how we use language to define women in negative ways. But can we start with ho or bitch or slut first? How about “gay” for boys? Just a thought.
zidia says
March 14, 2014 at 6:52 pmin the 50’s and 60’s, the brave and brilliant Lenny Bruce taught us that the best way to remove the onus of a word, whether political, pornographic, or scatalogical was to simply keep saying it until it loses its importance and “substance”–unfortunately, in those days he would end up in jail for his courage—but History has proven him to be correct as we all know now that any words are allowed in our Society.I’m with you on BAN!!!
zidia says
March 14, 2014 at 6:53 pmby the way, I’m Bossy,too—–when the fancy takes me!
Ali says
March 14, 2014 at 7:21 pmSounds like a ton of hype by this lady. Not impressed :p
KathyB says
March 14, 2014 at 9:04 pmKnew you would have something to say, and made me smile hard. Keep on educating everyone buried under avalanches as only Bossy can do so well. In charge, as it were.
Margaret says
March 15, 2014 at 9:43 amI don’t want anyone telling me what I can or can’t say. That’s just BOSSY!
barry buchy says
March 15, 2014 at 8:34 pmGo, Bossy!!! Just heard the radio piece – intelligence, grace, wit delivered with focused , ASSERTIVE confidence. Proud of you! Proud to know you too! Very happy that there is a real person out here ‘mongst us all, defining just what it means to live Bossy!!! xx
Jenn @ Juggling Life says
March 16, 2014 at 2:37 pmThis just seems like a lot of energy that could be better spent elsewhere. I’ve been bossy since I was born and it’s worked out pretty well. I could get behind reframing what “bossy” means, but I’m not a big fan of banning things–in fact, I think that’s bossy in the wrong way.
amyp says
March 16, 2014 at 4:21 pmI heard Bossy on NPR this morning, and loved what she had to say. I’m not a fan of banning things. Perhaps, if we want to ban words that are damaging to girls, we could ban the words PRETTY or NICE or the phrase GOOD GIRL. I think that women have been more hurt by the culture of these words than being called bossy.
I can admit to a little pang of hurt when someone compliments my appearance rather than trying to engage in a real way. I feel like saying, “I’m more than that.”
How about “Love Bossy” or “Be Bossy” instead?
Helena says
March 16, 2014 at 9:15 pmGo Bossy! What a great analysis. And a great interview on NPR today.
George says
March 17, 2014 at 9:38 pmTrying to set the table for Shrillary, that’s all.
Ally says
March 18, 2014 at 9:58 pmI disagree, Bossy. The word is used as a perjorative; it’s used only when describing females, and usually as an allusion to the take-charge girls of our youth. I understand that we’re trying to do a flip on the word by using it as a badge of honor (I myself have been called ‘bossy’, usually by men who worked for me, but that was to see if I would back down. nope.) It’s like being called ‘uppity’, as if we don’t ‘know our place.’
Even you, yourself, Bossy, likely call yourself that because someone said it snidely to you.
Jeff J says
March 19, 2014 at 2:13 pmBoss is a term in the Military that engenders a lot of respect in the Military. I heard you on the Radio today . I agree with you if Sandberg has a problem with one word it’s a reflection of her insecurity.
Stacey says
March 19, 2014 at 4:53 pmI am reminded of a news story many years back when a woman started a campaign to change the word “hello” to “heaven-o.”
I am not making this up.
I think bossy and hello are here to stay.
Thank god.
Meg at the Members Lounge says
March 19, 2014 at 8:19 pmShe reminds of the Tiger Mom. Rowr. Hiss.
Annmarie Kelly says
March 21, 2014 at 12:44 pmI so agree with you! Wrote about the same thing: http://www.examiner.com/article/bossy-ban-it-or-embrace-it
I wasn’t bossy growing up. I was a true “good girl”…I’m better now…a recovering good girl!
A lot of us – like you and me – worked hard for the title of “boss” and we didn’t get there by being passive or complacent.
Talking about this on my radio show today…posted a link to this page on my website.
I’m embracing Victorious [bossy] Woman!
bossysMom says
March 21, 2014 at 5:52 pmThere was a great piece on this very controversy by Martha Raddatz on March 20. (I believe on HuffPost.)
She is someone to be admired in every way. She is on the front lines and in the trenches.
She says, “Embrace Bossy”. Of course.
grumpygramma says
March 23, 2014 at 2:15 am‘Bossy:given to ordering people about; overly authoritative; domineering.’ There is nothing assertive about an overbearing man or woman who treats their workers as slaves.Sounds like she needs to learn the difference between aggressive and assertive…
Marinka says
March 23, 2014 at 10:03 pmTeamBossy here
Freddy mgtow says
April 2, 2014 at 12:10 amFeminazis Trying To Ban The Word “Bossy”
http://mgtow1.blogspot.ca/2014/04/feminazis-trying-to-ban-word-bossy.html
Lorinda says
April 3, 2014 at 9:38 pmNobody likes bossy people, even though we all love Bossy! Bossy people are obnoxious.
I HOPE I have raised my children (both genders!) to be good LEADERS.
Lorinda says
April 3, 2014 at 9:40 pmAd FYI- the latest Little Rascals movie that just came out on DVD had a whole story line about Spanky (BOY!) being bossy and getting booted from the group, then the gramma figure gave him a talking to about how nobody likes being bossed around. So let’s stop the “it’s only the girl” ridiculousness.
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