(no subject)

[ikyrian]

My brother and I got into an interesting discussion yesterday. He made the statement, "There's one word that all women hate and will hate you forever if you say it to them. It begins with a C."

Me: Cunt?
T: AAAAGH! I can't believe you just said that!

And I thought about it, and really, the word "cunt" doesn't bother me in the slightest. He also said I'd feel different if someone screamed it at me, but I don't really think so. I mean, I'd probably be upset that someone was calling me names (and God, that sounds so juvenile) but I wouldn't place any more special meaning on that instead of say, bitch.

One word that would bother me, and if someone ever called me it I'd probably hate that person for the rest of my life, is "whore." I can take it in a joking manner between friends, but if someone ever seriously said that to me I'd probably go ballistic on their ass.

"Cunt," however, not so much. I guess it's because all women have vagina's and that is, technically, what people are referring to when they say that. (Yes, I do realize there are A LOT of negative connotations to the word, but still. Doesn't bother me.) "Whore" is different - not every woman in the world is a whore despite what some people might think. And seriously, I'm Prudie-McPrude-Prude (in some ways). I highly doubt that I would ever exhibit whore-ish tendencies, which would make the insult all the more grating.

So my question to all of you is: Do you think "cunt" is the ultimate insult toward women? Discuss.

Comments

[selenityk.livejournal.com]

I was never bothered by the word "cunt". In fact, it's one of my favourite words (right after "carnal" and "prick", but I never called anyone by the epithet). The BBC did a special on the history and use of the word "cunt". I can send it to you if you like; it's quite interesting.

However, I will go batshit crazy if someone called me n-----. I don't even like the use of "n---a" and I don't think that anyone of any race should use it.

[esthompson.livejournal.com]

If someone said cunt, bitch, slut, or whore to me, in anger, and especially if the person who said it to me was male (because it indicates underlying misogyny), I would never fully trust that person again.

I think anger is a strong term (too strong to use for simple name-calling).

I hate slurs of any kind, whether they are directed towards racial minorities, gay men, lesbians, or women. It isn't the word; it's the fact that the word indicates a state of mind that stands in opposition to my own worldview.

[ikyrian.livejournal.com]

Anger does tend to make the most sensible of people completely batshit insane. I've always thought that things spoken in anger tend to reveal a hidden side of a person that you may have never seen before, as the things said tend to be that person's truth, no matter how much they want to deny or erase that a belief or feeling from themselves when they're in a more rational state of mind.

[ikyrian.livejournal.com]

You know, I, too, rather like the sound of "cunt." I wouldn't go so far as to say it's my favoritest of favorite words, but I do like it. I actually would like to the the BBC special, if you don't mind...:)

[lenozzedifigaro.livejournal.com]

I think the worst insult to a woman is when people call men terms such as the above. Seriously, what are they implying? That to be a woman is a terrible horrible thing if you're a man because a woman is less of a person? Less intelligent? Less capable? Honestly.

[ikyrian.livejournal.com]

I know, what is up with that? I've never understood why kids say, "You fight like a girl," or "You throw like a girl." Have they never seen girl trying to kick the crap out of each other? Have they never seen a softball game?

[flolikewhoa.livejournal.com]

"Cunt" doesn't bother me either. I don't know, it just doesn't. I'd be more offended being called stupid or worthless, to tell you the truth.

Then again, I take insults very lightly. I use the word "cuntface" because I heard it from an Irish friend of mine, and thought it was hilarious. Would I call anyone that? Only if I were joking - and they'd know me well enough to know that I was joking.

Generic insults don't really bother me. If "cunt" is the best they can do, then it says a lot more about them than about me.

[ikyrian.livejournal.com]

I guess it would be because we don't define ourselves with only one good quality such as being just a woman. We define ourselves in other ways with our other qualities, as having intelligence or worth, that's not based on our gender. So female specific insults wouldn't carry as much weight as insults that attacked our other qualities that we hold dear.

Cuntface...I like. And you're right, if they can't come up with something a bit better than "cunt" why take it seriously?