"Bitch"?

Regenerative Culture Language & Oral Tradition
#1

Hey all, I guess it’s a little early for me to be calling people out on stuff, especially about language, but I really feel the need. I’m forty five hours and forty six minutes into quitting smoking, so bear with me and I’ll try not to use this message board to displace my anger/frustration at not being able to thin my lungs and cut my life short, etc., and I’m not really good at expressing myself well right now, so… here goes…This is usually easier face to face with people.

I really want to bring attention to the word “bitch”. I dunno if this is the right place to do this, if I should just send individual messages or respond in the actual topic with the word in it, but the person who started the topic with the word in it was logged on as a guest and was asking for help, which makes me feel kinda worse because maybe they are looking for a home, but I still feel like I’d like to say some stuff about this word and its use, and get some feedback.

Call me a Eco-Feminist authoritarian, but I really don’t like saying or hearing that word. BUT please READ WHY::: “Bitch” is, yes, a word for a female dog, but a breeding female dog. These nonhuman animals are obviously not really liking having sex when they don’t want to, so, often times, they have to be “coerced”, that is, impregnated against their will, raped, and, they are “difficult” (I would be too I would hope), so they get called “bitch” along with any “difficult” woman or “weak”/complaining man. It’s weird to see that word here in these message boards, when it obviously applies to a really freaking horrible practice that is part of domestication. I don’t know what else to say. I guess I just wanted people to be aware of the origin of the word if they weren’t already. I don’t want anyone to “fall in line” because of community pressure or even out of respect for my own feelings, and I don’t want to be singled out as a “crazy Feminist” on my second post, but it does anger me, even though I love casual language. Just think/feel about it.

Sorry I don’t know you all and I’m already working at this.
t&b

#2

Ha ha ha, the irony…bitching about bitch. I personally have always seen disrespect writen all over the face of the word, even when using it in its traditional sence. And personally I tend to shamanize not calling any body out of their name, especially with hateful and deameaning ones.

Mod = spelling error

#3

The word, like all ‘curse words’, has quite a bit of versatility. For instance, I once heard a song titled -my biznitch is the shiznit- which struck me as quite endearing. Another example, I once knew someone who told me “I have a right to be a real mean bitch” and seemed rather proud of it.

I know when I call someone a bitch it simply acts as a means of letting them know I have rancorous thoughts regarding their personage. Sticks and stones and all that - I easily seperate calling someone a bitch and treating them like a bitch. Plus I’d like to think they don’t care what I call them… if they do they might arouse further rancorous thoughts.

#4

I agree that the word bitch is not a friendly one, and is derogatory towards women that same way the “n” word is towards people of African decent. I don’t mind asking for people to remember this and refrain from using the word on this forum. Thanks for this suggestion, I’m probably prone to using it from time to time and I totally agree with you on this. How do other people feel?

#5

[quote=“thereandback, post:1, topic:599”]…“Bitch” is, yes, a word for a female dog, but a breeding female dog. These nonhuman animals are obviously not really liking having sex when they don’t want to, so, often times, they have to be “coerced”, that is, impregnated against their will, raped, and, they are “difficult” (I would be too I would hope), so they get called “bitch” along with any “difficult” woman or “weak”/complaining man. It’s weird to see that word here in these message boards, when it obviously applies to a really freaking horrible practice that is part of domestication… [/quote] What if we use the word to mean someone getting screwed by civ and not liking it or resisting it…Maybe it’s a compliment.

#6

Ai think we oughta just use it to mean a female dog, adopting ‘butch’ as the word for a male dog (makes sence right :P).

#7

I never once had any desire to use the word here…

until someone asked me to refrain.

:wink:

j/k.

Do we need to make a list of no-nos? I find the word retard in reference to ostensible stupidity more distinctly offensive to a certain grouping of people with a quality beyond their control, as well as any peculiarity thereof (smacktard, fucktard, etc), and I think everyone would agree that cocksucker is indubitably inappropriate.

#8

That’s their prerogative :-\ I’ve been on the receiving end of massive amounts of discrimination. I know how to roll with the verbal punches.

I suppose I’m trying to trivialize the debacle and help redirect the discontent.

Mass extinction, oh no! Someone said something petty and someone else gave it the strength of offensiveness, so? Water off a ducks back. Dislike me? Quack yawn quack.

#9

ya’ll bitches need to chill out.

I for one, would like to make a motion for people to not to refer to their dogs as ‘little people’

#10

I consider myself a feminist, but I’m going to admit right now that I use the words “bitch” and “retard” waaaaay too often. I do feel a pang of guilt at using the word “retard,” even though it comes disturbingly naturally to me (it’s part of my generation’s slang, unfortunately), and I’m trying to stop.

“Bitch” is harder to stop using because although theoretically I know it’s an anti-woman slur, I’ve never heard it used in that way. Or at least I never interpreted it that way when I’ve heard it. I’m more familiar with the comical, Dave Chappelle usage of “bitch” - as a funny word to end a sentence with for no apparent reason. (“I’m rich, bitch!”) As Ben Folds has known for years (exhibit A, exhibit B), “bitch” is an inherently funny word that only gets funnier with repetition. I’m all for reclaiming the word “bitch” and overusing it until all meaning - sexist or otherwise - has been completely obliterated. But I’m open to having my mind changed on the subject and in any case, if it bothers you I won’t use it on this board anymore. If I did use it on this board before, which I can’t remember if I did. I mean, apart from this post where I used it like 20 times.

Er… sorry… :-\

#11

Words are only as meaningful as people believe they are.

#12

i dunno, generally speaking, i subscribe to the Lenny Bruce school of thought on the subject of “bad” words.

on the other, i can’t help but be struck by the absurdity of Randall “taking back” the phrase “porch monkey” in Clerks 2…

#13

[quote=“jhereg, post:12, topic:599”]i dunno, generally speaking, i subscribe to the Lenny Bruce school of thought on the subject of “bad” words.

on the other, i can’t help but be struck by the absurdity of Randall “taking back” the phrase “porch monkey” in Clerks 2…[/quote]
I hadn’t even heard the phrase “porch monkey” until Clerks 2. I guess if I’d heard it without context, I would have thought of it in the same way as “code monkey.” What made that gag in Clerks 2 funny was that Randall wasn’t black. A white person can’t “take back” an anti-black slur. But women can - and some have - taken back the word “bitch.” I like how some gay men use the word in an admiring and sometimes even affectionate way. We need more of that.

#14

I need to? Really? Tell me how… I was so fed up I wasn’t aware of the possibility.

Yeah, that term is property of piskies!

I used to think that guy wasn’t funny, but that is funny. I suppose I would have said something to the effect of “Many of you struggle to survive while I live a life of excess! GLOAT mo’facker GLOAT!” and nobody would have laughed.

Reading over the post which sparked this thread I saw the word ‘emo’. I have my own bone to pick with the word emo, which being a recent label has not deviated much from it’s origin. It seems to me like some people get harsh on others for expressing their feelings. I grew up in this culture, I often felt like shit, I occasionally made that apparent - and I depised the ones who mocked me for it.

Well… looks like my soapbox is rests on the saddle of my high horse which stands on a rockingchair balanced on a highwire… not that I feel like apologizing…

#15
Reading over the post which sparked this thread I saw the word 'emo'. I have my own bone to pick with the word emo, which being a recent label has not deviated much from it's origin. It seems to me like some people get harsh on others for expressing their feelings. I grew up in this culture, I often felt like shit, I occasionally made that apparent - and I depised the ones who mocked me for it.
I think that was more self-deprecation than anything... I don't think the original poster really thinks expressing emotion is a bad thing (especially since one of the things he talked about was how much less emotion he was able to express recently), but was simply making fun of himself for writing such a long post. Although certainly I can't speak for him, that's how I interpreted it, anyway...
#16

Concerning offensive terms, i find a lot of wisdom in examining the simplistic and twisted perspectives of Michael Scott on The Office.

In the episode “Gay Witch Hunt”, Michael Scott (the boss) calls his employee Oscar “faggy,” not knowing about Oscar’s homosexuality.

It may seem a little off-topic, but I present it in terms of thinking about offensive words and how we generally make a mess of using them.

[hr]

Michael Scott: I need to know who else is gay. I don’t want to offend anyone else.
Dwight Schrute: You could assume everyone is, and not say anything offensive.
Michael Scott: Yeah. I’m sure everyone would appreciate me treating them like they were gay.

Michael Scott: I call everybody faggy. Why would anyone find that offensive?
Toby (the HR guy): I think Oscar would like it if you just used “lame” or something.
Michael Scott: But that’s what faggy means!

Michael Scott: You don’t call retarded people retards. It’s bad taste. You call your friends retards when they are acting retarded. And I consider Oscar a friend.

Michael Scott: Did you know that gay used to mean happy? When I was growing up it meant “lame”. And now it means a man who makes love to other men. We’re all homos. Homo sapiens.

Michael Scott: I am just coming out myself. I am coming out hetero.

Michael Scott: I’m glad that today spurred social change. That’s part of my job as regional manager, but you know what even if it didn’t, at least we put this matter to bed. That’s what she said…or he said.

#17
"Bitch" is, yes, a word for a female dog, but a breeding female dog. These nonhuman animals are obviously not really liking having sex when they don't want to, so, often times, they have to be "coerced", that is, impregnated against their will, raped, and, they are "difficult" (I would be too I would hope), so they get called "bitch" along with any "difficult" woman or "weak"/complaining man.
not going to lie, in this context I'd take being called a bitch as a compliment. you might just want to change one of the words around to strong willed >>
#18

(seriously)

I think it’s more important to have conversations and let people know how you feel, because then you are discussing contexts, not arrangements of letters.

I often remind people of the root of words like ‘gypped’, or that Dr. King more often than not referred to his people as Negroes.

conversations seem more valuable than definitions when dealing with with political and social ‘correctness’.

#19

Here’s something that I don’t understand about those who aren’t willing to check their language.

When you use words that you know could offend someone, you alienate people. No amount of “reasoning” is going to un-alienate them, especially when they have already stated that they find those words offensive. Their feelings are their own and it’s not up to you to say how they should feel. Is it really that important to be able to do things “your way” - so much so that you’d prioritize it over your relationships with other people?

What’s more difficult - checking your language, or undergoing the consequences of not checking it (i.e., losing group esteem)? What’s more in the spirit of rewilding - criticizing someone for expressing that they have taken offense (so that you can justify continuing to doing things your own way), OR acknowledging the relationship between the choices you make and the feelings of other people?

…And in this case, thereandback, who started this thread, did just that - (s)he (can’t remember the gender) let us know very clearly how (s)he felt when people use the word “bitch.” Given the history of the word (and anyone who has read this thread now knows its history), I think that refusing to refrain from using it shows a lack of serious commitment to gender equality.

Yes, words are arrangements of letters … arrangements which carry meaning. I guess you could choose to arrange letters in the shape of a wall separating you from other people or you could choose to arrange them in a more constructive way.

#20

Am I to address your concerns personally, or allow what is said to be said? I wasn’t addressed personally, but I was quoted. Your words addressed my words, but they didn’t address me.

People often comment on the things they are most preoccupied with.

in my (seriously) post, I didn’t use the “B” word at all, to show I have a respectful side, as well as a raging coyote within me.

I would like to request you to ‘check’ the following suggestions and assumptions:

“aren’t willing to check ‘their’ language”

“you alienate people”

“you’d prioritize it(‘your way’) over relationships”

“lack of serious commitment to gender equality”

and of course

the ‘B’ word.

Respectfully,

Me