In a huge stride for gender parity in the United States, Carlie Long, a Manhattan-based barista, has confirmed from their on-the-ground experience that men and women are both bad.
“Of course, men are bad in uniquely sexist and gross ways,” says Carlie, who has worked in the food and beverage industry for six years. “But what’s remarkable is that women are also rude, entitled, and awful. It’s almost like the culture of the industry and our society sets up people who have never had to work these jobs to look down on those who do.”
That’s right, our culture and society set up all people with relative privilege to dehumanize service workers, regardless of perceived gender identity or expression.
“You really see racism and classism play out in this space, with much more emotional labor expected of Black women in particular to meet the bar of what customers feel entitled to in their experience of buying a cappuccino,” Carlie says. “And then when someone is nice, 50% of the time it’s to distract you from the fact that they aren’t tipping.”
Wow. Racism, classism, and generally bad behavior all being doled out by men and women alike. RGB is doing little flips in her grave – from happiness!
“The combination of America’s ‘customer-is-always-right’ capitalism and the ideological naturalization of class divides really just make for some fucking awful people getting very upset about how their matcha is being made by an undertrained, underpaid hourly employee,” Carlie says. “And that involves but also transcends gender.”
Holy heck! We know that that’s equality, but is it feminist?
“What? No,” says Carlie. “I feel like you’re not listening to anything I’m saying. It’s anti-feminist, it’s men and women both taking part in [this portion of the interview has been edited and condensed for clarity].”
The jury’s still out on the feminist potential of women treating other humans like trash, but at least we’re one step closer to true egalitarianism, according to this essential service worker! We salute you!
