Genderlect is the idea that men and women are so dissimilar in terms of the way that they communicate that it is best to view them as possessing two different cultural dialects. Men and women specifically tend to differ most in the following situations: private speaking vs. public speaking, when telling a story, while listening, when asking questions, and in times of conflict.

This concept reminds me of Ari Gold’s relationship with his wife in HBO’s Entourage. Throughout the series they have a fairly tumultuous relationship plagued by constant fighting. In their discourse, Ari and his wife handle conflict very differently. Ari almost always loses his cool and explodes at his wife, while his wife tends to remain calm. Also, in discussion, they have a great problem with listening, as Ari is always so caught up in his work that he never truly listens to his wife, if he even gives her a chance to speak in the first place.