The Word Housewife.

I need to spell check, for rlz. Over at author C.B. Potts, she’s talking about ‘working from home’ and in their course of discussion, I can’t help but notice that, in most media, the word ‘housewife’ for a woman–is still like a stone about the neck…and yet in recent media: men who are ‘housewives’ are being praised for their ‘diverse’ nature?? 0___o

My reply there [corrected here--I spel badd]:

Somewhat tangential, sorry – [also, I know the gender/role situation isn't the same in my home as it is in 90% of others, but I can at least comment on what I see. ^_-]

Why is it that the word ‘housewife’ does nothing for the status of a mother, yet ‘househusband/stay at home dad’ has all the trappings of a ‘gifted status’?

With all due respect, fathers are parents by default. As the male parent, why should doing what’s expected of you as a parent, get you more status [and a special moniker that's worth something] than what the female does–also as a parent? [the moniker females get, is considered demeaning?] I’ve always been curious about this standard.

Let’s talk in the hypothetical for a bit. You’re writing a news story about investment bankers that work from home. Why do they work from home? Gas prices-commuting; wanting to be at home with the children. If the focus of your story is a female, why is she not called a housewife? Sure, she brokered a 2.5 million dollar meeting today from home–she then turned off the computer, picked the kids up from school, helped prep dinner, got kids in the tub and put the kids to bed. She’s a parent–that’s her job–no mention of the kids in the article because…well, being a mom and doing these chores is all ready a default status for a woman–and so…why label her a housewife! There’s nothing empowering about it, correct? The article would focus on the fact that she’s not an ‘at home investment banker/housewife’ but instead, she’s just an at home investment banker, with kids. Still with me, good–because here comes the punchline/point: Complete opposite semantics apply for an at-home male investment banker–the whole angle of the story wouldn’t be about investment banking from home–it would be about…MR. MOM BROKERS DEALS FROM HOME. 0_o. If he’s home, it’s his job to do the same amount of chores/kid-care, as the other career parent in the home…correct?

Why are men getting honored props [special words] for something that’s all ready expected of them? Why is it that the only way the word ‘housewife’ is empowering or honorably-mentioned, is only when a man does it?

Just wondering.