Author Topic: What does "bitch" mean now?  (Read 60610 times)

Offline milomorris

  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *******
  • Posts: 6,428
  • No crybabies
Re: What does "bitch" mean now?
« Reply #40 on: April 15, 2012, 04:58:16 pm »
Sure, if you take the two situations out of all other real-life contexts, the words are equivalently offensive. But when you add three real-life factors -- that black people are in the minority, that as a group they hold less power, and that historically they've been severely oppressed by people who openly used those very slurs against them (whereas a black man using slurs against a white person would be taking an enormous risk) -- they acquire different weights.

So A is less offensive than B. Fine. But both A and B are still offensive (in this case racist). Different people will be offended by both A and B to varying degrees. To bring this back to the original topic, "dick" is less offensive than the "c-word," yet both are offensive, and different men and women will have varying reactions to them.

P.S. Oh, BTW, Bermuda is indeed only about 1/3 white. But keep in mind that they are still one of the last British Crown Colonies. That means that England is actually in charge. So my handsome, young, white victim was part of the power class. In the situation, maybe not. But in general, certainly. And black Bermudians were all to happy to remind me not to be fooled by all the black faces I saw. They knew who called the shots.
  The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Offline ifyoucantfixit

  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,049
Re: What does "bitch" mean now?
« Reply #41 on: April 15, 2012, 08:53:08 pm »
Non-white people use "cracker" or "redneck" as a slur for whites. That is racist. There is no difference between me sitting in a barbershop in the hood complaining about "crackers" with other black men, and a bunch of white men sitting in a barbershop complaining about "niggers." No difference at all.   


   My point was, which you obviously did not get.  I don't know of anyone of the white people I know.  Are either very upset, or very insulted by that name calling.  Redneck is a name that many who are called that.  Are proud to envelope.  Same with calling someone a "Cracker."
It would make me laugh, more than be angry.  I think it shows the ignorance of the one using the word.  More than it being a hurt to the one being called that.  I would only shake my head and laugh.  Realizing how stupid and hopeful an insult that they were throwing.  An how it had held no reaction that they were hoping for.  Earning them a laugh, rather than a epithet returned.  Or worse, to start acting injured.  While laughing..."Oh oh no, not that.  please don't call me that."   meanwhile laughing.



     Beautiful mind

Offline serious crayons

  • Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 22,712
Re: What does "bitch" mean now?
« Reply #42 on: April 16, 2012, 08:01:16 am »
So A is less offensive than B. Fine. But both A and B are still offensive (in this case racist). Different people will be offended by both A and B to varying degrees. To bring this back to the original topic, "dick" is less offensive than the "c-word," yet both are offensive, and different men and women will have varying reactions to them.

Agreed.

Quote
P.S. Oh, BTW, Bermuda is indeed only about 1/3 white. But keep in mind that they are still one of the last British Crown Colonies. That means that England is actually in charge. So my handsome, young, white victim was part of the power class. In the situation, maybe not. But in general, certainly. And black Bermudians were all to happy to remind me not to be fooled by all the black faces I saw. They knew who called the shots.

Agreed here, too. But that's little comfort to your "whitey."




Offline milomorris

  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *******
  • Posts: 6,428
  • No crybabies
Re: What does "bitch" mean now?
« Reply #43 on: April 16, 2012, 08:07:18 am »
Agreed here, too. But that's little comfort to your "whitey."

I know. It was one of those moments where you just look in the mirror and say "idiot."
  The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 31,165
  • "He somebody you cowboy'd with?"
Re: What does "bitch" mean now?
« Reply #44 on: April 16, 2012, 09:24:33 am »
I know. It was one of those moments where you just look in the mirror and say "idiot."

We all have them.  :-\

"Open mouth. Insert foot. Bite down hard. ..."
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline delalluvia

  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,289
  • "Truth is an iron bride"
Re: What does "bitch" mean now?
« Reply #45 on: April 28, 2012, 01:16:18 pm »
Good discussion.

I agree that many people who ARE 'rednecks' don't consider being called one a put-down.  Many are proud to be rednecks.

I heard a man once - who considers himself redneck call another man an extreme redneck by calling him "ghetto redneck".  Which just goes to show how words used specifically become more generalized for use, like 'bitch'.

I agree that 'breeder' isn't an insult to many straight people.  If someone called me that I'd probably just blink and think, "Well, in context, yes I am."

I think, in many areas, the word 'bitch' has not so much been 'reclaimed' as been overused and thus its impact lessened.  My close friends and I were calling each other bitches jokingly years before it became popular to do so.  We noted that outside our very tight group, other women were offended when we called them that.  In the years since, it's come to have a myriad of meanings, but mostly I only use it in the context of referring to a mean person - male or female.

Most of our insults are gender based and sexual and mostly geared toward being someone on the receiving end of being fucked (hence women and men who like being penetrated).  So you can see who dominates the insult development.

Hence, why asshole, pussy, 'being someone's bitch', c--t and whore are worse insults than being a prick, dick or ball-breaking bitch.  
« Last Edit: April 28, 2012, 02:46:41 pm by delalluvia »

Offline serious crayons

  • Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 22,712
Re: What does "bitch" mean now?
« Reply #46 on: April 28, 2012, 02:31:29 pm »
Most of our insults are gender based and sexual and mostly geared toward being someone on the receiving end of being fucked (hence women and men who like being penetrated).  So you can see who dominates the insult development.

Hence, why asshole, pussy, 'being someone's bitch', c--t and whore are worse insults than being a prick, dick or ball-breaking bitch.   

Excellent point. It even gets as basic as "fuck you" and "go fuck yourself." The imply that being fucked is bad, whereas presumably fucking someone else would be OK.

Offline delalluvia

  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,289
  • "Truth is an iron bride"
Re: What does "bitch" mean now?
« Reply #47 on: April 28, 2012, 02:47:16 pm »
Excellent point. It even gets as basic as "fuck you" and "go fuck yourself." The imply that being fucked is bad, whereas presumably fucking someone else would be OK.

Exactly.

And being told to 'stick that up your ass", "Up yours".

Offline ifyoucantfixit

  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,049
Re: What does "bitch" mean now?
« Reply #48 on: April 28, 2012, 07:45:32 pm »
Exactly.

And being told to 'stick that up your ass", "Up yours".

  Hence all such words, are ultimately basically homophobic in derivation...  not wishing to be penetrated, at all!  Therefor, can I then
make the logical conclusion, they are saying in essence, stay celebate?     :-\
« Last Edit: April 28, 2012, 11:21:26 pm by ifyoucantfixit »



     Beautiful mind

Offline delalluvia

  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,289
  • "Truth is an iron bride"
Re: What does "bitch" mean now?
« Reply #49 on: April 28, 2012, 09:48:09 pm »
 Hence all such words, are ultimately basically homophobic in derivation...  not wishing to be penetrated, at all!  Therefor, can I then
make the logiical conclusion, they are saying in essence, stay celebate?     :-\

Or misogynistic.