The Term Shredita

Eric Chang · Post by **Eric Chang** » 15 Aug 2007 21:14

A word is a word and it depends on how it is used.

For instance. - insert corny 70's educational music here -

"Dude thats the shit" Swearing but used in a term for "props"
Or the joking "Fuck you" now if I were to say that to a random stranger in a bar. In a very very aggressive way, odds are he'd be offended and slug me out.

Anyways point is Shredita is a title, and I really think its never been a problem unless you make it one. I for one never go "OOOOH MAN A SHREDITA BLARGH" its mere "oh she footbags, sweet". So since when has this "shredita" been used in such a horrible manner to make you so angry. Or is life that good that you have nothing else to attend to?

By the way. I am totally offended by being called a shredder, I mean thats like being called the big bag "Shredder" from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I for one always thought the sport to be good and positive. Not some dark alley evil doing sport. No wonder we're not in the x-games and such. You guys disgust me, plus "Shredder" is a term some times applied to guy and thats just TOOOOTALLY sexist. (by the way this part is satire).

Well that is my two cents.

Blue_turnip · Post by **Blue_turnip** » 16 Aug 2007 00:25

acommoncold wrote: By the way. I am totally offended by being called a shredder, I mean thats like being called the big bag "Shredder" from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I for one always thought the sport to be good and positive. Not some dark alley evil doing sport. No wonder we're not in the x-games and such. You guys disgust me, plus "Shredder" is a term some times applied to guy and thats just TOOOOTALLY sexist.
Well that is my two cents.

I lolled.

Juana · Post by **Juana** » 18 Aug 2007 21:37

Funny what happens when I haven't been here in a year or two.

Yes, I came up with "Shreditas" -- it's the name of my website which has been down since last winter due to technical difficulties and lack of time/interest.

About the word:
Love it or leave it.
Don't over think it.
Don't like it, don't use it.

Breaking the word apart into it's various components to analyze for deeper meaning is pointless.

Cracks me up listening to men complain that singling women out is gender discrimination...because you can relate to what it must be like, eh?

Don't consider it to be a latin derivative of the word "shred" (verb, noun, adjective, adverb, ...), if that helps cure any qualms with the 'ita' ending.

ANd in ending, it hardly disuaded more women from joining the sport, in fact, it did just the opposite when the website was live. THe whole point was to encourage women to be shredders and not just floaty flowy easy tricks never pushing the envelop kickers. The women freestylers needed a surge in shredders, not more Sam Conlons. My 2 cents. it's evolved since then, now we've got bad ass shredders like Tina, Verena, Hania, Caro, and, and, and...

ok, I think that's all I have to say for a couple more years. IF you really want to beat a dead horse, there are other threads around on this topic.

Ian Brill · Post by **Ian Brill** » 19 Aug 2007 09:07

Hi Juana,

A quick response to your post. I am not saying that I know what is what, however I felt like sharing this opinion which was impressed upon me by my girlfriend. It seems like a reasonable thing to discuss, especially since I did not know it origins or how other people felt about it.

It seems rather a pity to me that you responded the way you have. It sounds like you would have something useful to contribute on the topic.

As it stands I am sad that I will not have the opportunity to look at your site.

I am still holding back from responding to some of the more juvenile responses later in this thread. Unbelievably infantile. I sometimes forget that there are so many children on this forum.

PegLegHolly · Post by **PegLegHolly** » 19 Aug 2007 13:31

LOFA wrote:It seems rather a pity to me that you responded the way you have. It sounds like you would have something useful to contribute on the topic.

i think what she posted was very useful. it just wasnt what you wanted to hear.

Ian Brill · Post by **Ian Brill** » 19 Aug 2007 14:08

PegLegHolly wrote:
LOFA wrote:It seems rather a pity to me that you responded the way you have. It sounds like you would have something useful to contribute on the topic.
i think what she posted was very useful. it just wasnt what you wanted to hear.

On the contrary, I would have liked to have heard more. I am upset that she posted so little. Reinforced arguments, etc. It all would have been nice. Instead I feel I received an reactionary statement from someone who had taken a mere concern too seriously.

Could you please elaborate on why you feel it wasn't what I wanted to hear?
I do not start threads to have people tell me I am correct, nor do I do start them to have unsubstantiated statements made towards me. I have communicated a preference and a concern, but mostly I wanted some feedback. There was a lot of feedback. There was also a lot of reactionary responses. I still do not see enough where you are coming from to figure out which category, if any, your response belongs.

This was the first time I started a thread in this area and may be the last. I have not decided if it's worth the effort to try and attain any positive results in this manner. My intuition all along was that it would not be, but I am making an effort to be civil for the sake of civility.

This forum seems to be a crucial element pertaining to the evolution of this art form that I love. It is in all of our interests that we challenge ourselves to act with discipline here as well as in public.

My girlfriend thinks shredita is a wretched term. Of course, she does not shred, nor does she pretend to have any interest in it. Therefore her opinion is objective and fascinates me. I think the term is good so far as it encourages more women than it dissuades. The former poster makes widely unsubstantiated claims and vanishes in a an air of defensiveness. I am sorry if I have rumpled anyones feathers, but I feel anyone who responds so dramatically to such a civil inquiry is acting perhaps even more innapropriately.

So again, if I am upset PLH, it is not so much due to anything said but rather things unsaid.

Ian Brill · Post by **Ian Brill** » 19 Aug 2007 15:54

I'm getting old.

Shreddita is fine with me as long as the ladies are feeling it. I guess I mostly wanted to clarify what the ladies thought. That's all

PegLegHolly · Post by **PegLegHolly** » 19 Aug 2007 17:30

I still do not see enough where you are coming from to figure out which category, if any, your response belongs.

im a girl that footbags. thats where im coming from. i could take the term shredita or leave it. i feel its only harmful if the person saying it means to be rude. lots of people who use the word dont mean to be rude... its just a word.

The former poster makes widely unsubstantiated claims and vanishes in a an air of defensiveness. I am sorry if I have rumpled anyones feathers, but I feel anyone who responds so dramatically to such a civil inquiry is acting perhaps even more innapropriately.

i didnt see what was "widely unsubstantiated". being a female footbagger... i feel im more substantial than the majority of the males who posted in this topic.

LOFA wrote:
PegLegHolly wrote:
LOFA wrote:It seems rather a pity to me that you responded the way you have. It sounds like you would have something useful to contribute on the topic.
i think what she posted was very useful. it just wasnt what you wanted to hear.
Could you please elaborate on why you feel it wasn't what I wanted to hear?

I would have liked to have heard more. I am upset that she posted so little. Reinforced arguments, etc. It all would have been nice. Instead I feel I received an reactionary statement from someone who had taken a mere concern too seriously.

youre using a lot of strong words like "upset" and "concern" and "pity". try looking at the shredita situation from her point of view. there are a lot of people sitting on their computers complaining about a silly word... saying its horrible and degrading... but no one looks at what her motive was when she started the website. if you dont like the word... dont use it. if you dont want to risk hurting a female player's feelings... then dont use it. there is no wrong or right about this debate... however you feel is however you feel. there is no answer to this topic... its a judgement call. how would you feel if ton of people were trying to give you shit for something you made up years ago?

if you werent around for the shreditas site... then you will probably never fully understand the good vibe that women players were putting out there. im not trying to tell you that youre wrong or that youre right... im trying to tell you that it all depends on the situation and the people you are around.

Ian Brill · Post by **Ian Brill** » 19 Aug 2007 17:51

Regarding the substantiated comment, I was directly talking to you about Juana's statement regarding the positive effects of the term Shredita.

I am begining to understand that it is a term that many current female footbag players feel comfortable with. I am glad I know this now.

I never intended to attack any one inventor of the word. I merely inquired.

Thank you for the feedback. Your second post was useful for me.

Juana · Post by **Juana** » 30 Oct 2007 20:44

Not sure if this is of any interest, but when I first created the site I had a mission statement. Here it is:

Mission of Shreditas.com

To raise the awareness and skill level in womenâ€™s freestyle footbag

Exposure to women freestylers inspires and motivates other women players to push their game.
Exposure to women freestylers increases the general confidence of a womanâ€™s ability and potential.

To increase the total number of women in freestyle footbag

Exposure to women freestylers encourages new women players to participate.
Recognition of women freestylers compels other women players to have more determination and perseverance, resulting in fewer â€œdrop-outs.â€

Ian Brill · Post by **Ian Brill** » 30 Oct 2007 20:53

Hi, I appreciate your post. Feminist debate aside, I like what you were going for and was never trying to personally attack you. I probably would have assumed that the term was made by a male.

Your mission seems like it was or is a good idea. I am more curious now than anything.

All the best.

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 30 Oct 2007 21:26

I feel like a bit of dumbass making this post after all the serious discussion, but I've been thinking this since I first saw the topic, and just wanted to get it off my chest.

The term "shredita" makes me think of Taco Bell, and makes me hungry every time I hear it.

There. I said it.

shredzilla · Post by **shredzilla** » 30 Oct 2007 23:44

Juana · Post by **Juana** » 01 Nov 2007 19:12

me too - but that doesn't make me hungry...
LOL

Stoneman · Post by **Stoneman** » 02 Nov 2007 14:46

Juana wrote:Cracks me up listening to men complain that singling women out is gender discrimination...because you can relate to what it must be like, eh?

its called reverse sexism... and yes, it happens

edit:

Bringerofpie · Post by **Bringerofpie** » 02 Nov 2007 15:12

Stoneman wrote:
Juana wrote:Cracks me up listening to men complain that singling women out is gender discrimination...because you can relate to what it must be like, eh?
its called reverse sexism... and yes, it happens

edit:

No, it's called "sexism."

colefieldhouse22 · Post by **colefieldhouse22** » 06 Nov 2007 18:18

so i feel like i am pretty behind on this convo, but i just saw it today and thought it was interesting.

i just wanted to say that as a female, i love the term shredita and its something i am proud to be. i think that women shredders should claim the word with pride as opposed to being offended by it. thanks juana

just to go a little further on the grammar side, because i am a spanish major and love talking about spanish grammar, the ending -ita is not just used to mean something is small. is also used affecionately. i will add -ita or -ita to the names of some of my best friends as a sign of my affection for them, not because they are small people. and this is common in some hispanic countries.

also, the thing about shred being a verb so you cant add -ita to the end, lets assume the word is shreder. sometimes the end of a word is taken away when -ita is added (ex. Carlos=Carlito). i dont know the rule for it, but i usually go with what sounds best. and shredita sounds better than shrederita. i have no idea if this much thought was put into it when the name was created, but if that makes people not worry about incorrect spanish grammar, then here is an explination.

shredzilla · Post by **shredzilla** » 06 Nov 2007 22:07

Matt Cross wrote:and fer fuck's sake, don't try and even it out by calling me Shredito.

Haha if some girl called me that I would just bust out laughing. Oh man, I really hope that happens some day so I can do like a mexican hat dance afterward.

ashleyd · Post by **ashleyd** » 07 Nov 2007 09:15

I'm glad to see your still surfing the forum Jane.

I'm a proud Shredita.

underooninja · Post by **underooninja** » 07 Dec 2007 10:55

i agree with oliver and juana. i also feel that if you dont like it dont use it. though i dont think a guys opinion is going to be particularly helpful or useful here since its a nickname for girls and created by juana for the girls. i had conversations with scarymary about the nickname and she loved it. so decide for yourselves girls...take a vote and come up with something else if its so bothersome.
shredito is awful BTW!