Last summer also saw another first—when the number of women in the paid workforce eclipsed the number of men, for the first time. Ever. You might call this trend Rosie The Riveter 2.0. I call it the Rise of the Sugar Mamma. To me, a sugar mamma is a woman who’s in the financial driver’s seat of her life. I realize the term “sugar mamma” may shock the senses, and that’s deliberate: I’m hoping to take a historically denigrating term, “sugar daddy,” and turn it upside-down and inside-out—to reclaim and redefine it in a way that’s empowering to women, men, and families.

The Rise of the Sugar Mamma Why am I not surprised that this drivel is written at a site owned by American Express?

Look, dear writer, ignorance is neither cute nor empowering. A cursory google search would have informed you that the term “sugar mama” has been used for a good while already and for some women, it might already be empowering. Corporate attempts at language or slang appropriation are just sad and even worse, ill advised as they are seen for what they really are: mercenary marketing tactics.


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