It’s always enchanting to come across a news item that makes you roll your eyes and giggle and want to respond to its stupidity.
That’s exactly what happened to me when I read about Siobhan O’Dwyer, the doctor who slammed Qantas airlines because she was called Miss O’Dwyer instead of Doctor O’Dwyer.
This is her tweet:
Hey Qantas, my name is Dr O’Dwyer. My ticket says Dr O’Dwyer. Do not look at my ticket, look at me, look back at my ticket, decide it’s a typo, and call me Miss O’Dwyer. I did not spend 8 years at university to be called Miss.
Really? Isn’t there something more important in the world to be ranting about than being called Miss rather than Doctor? I’m sure this was not an intentional slight from the Qantas agent.
I know a few doctors and none of them insist on being addressed as Doctor. When I inquired as to why they don’t demand being called Doctor, they explained that they are confident in who they are and if someone doesn’t address them as such, they don’t care. They know who they are and that’s all that matters.
I guess Miss O’Dwyer is suffering from a case of bloated ego.
At university, Miss O’Dwyer should have learned that being a smart person doesn’t mean she has to flaunt it and demand people recognize her as being someone “special.” Maybe she received too many gold stars on her forehead in elementary school and the imprint of the stars entered her head and inflated her ego.
My goodness, what would have happened if they called her Ma’am?
I prefer not being called Mister and I certainly don’t like being called Sir, but when it does happen, and it does happen often, I don’t make a big scene. In the scope of life, it’s not that important.
In response to the twitter backlash she had the audacity to say she was pointing out rampant sexism:
Copping so much flack for this tweet. This was not about my ego. It was about highlighting one of a thousand instances of sexism that women encounter every day. It’s not about the title, it’s about the fact that this wouldn’t have happened if I was a man.
Nice try at a message-spin. I don’t believe her.
Calling Miss O’Dwyer… oops, Doctor O’Dwyer… your ego is prepped for surgery… it’s malignant and needs to be removed ASAP.
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