n. Modern attitudes and behaviors that mimic or glorify sexist aspects of the past, often in an ironic way.
2003
The most interesting thing about the surge of retro-sexism is how unprepared feminists and other enlightened thinkers are to deal with it. The ironic tone of the material defeats them.
2000
Imelda Whelehan, a lecturer in English and women's studies at De Montfort University, puts on her 'old' feminist boots to give 'new' feminists who trivialise women's inequality a kick up the arse. In her book, she advises people to stop pretending that 'retro-sexism' naked images of women and laughing at sexist jokes in a 'I know it's offensive but I'm not sexist' way don't undermine women's equality.
1991 (earliest)
Henry Allen misses the true reason for the so-called "girl" rule in co-ed volleyball ["The Art of Courting Women Correctly," Style, May 19].
When I was first introduced to the rule requiring that at least one female player hit the ball whenever there are two or three hits on your side of the net, I also suspected some kind of retro-sexism. After all, why should gender rather than ability determine who had to hit the ball?
When I was first introduced to the rule requiring that at least one female player hit the ball whenever there are two or three hits on your side of the net, I also suspected some kind of retro-sexism. After all, why should gender rather than ability determine who had to hit the ball?