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I agree, it's not the same thing at all. There are plenty of women who refer to other women as b*tches, and they are not bringing down the entire female population by doing so, and I doubt any one of them would think so. They are singling out one individual for her personality. Most women I know don't look at the word b*tch as something along the lines of a sexist or racist slur. Now call a woman a c*nt, and you'll hear a collective gasp from whoever is within earshot. The two words probably share the same meaning and are often used within the same context, but one has much more of a gender related association. Like calling a guy a d*ck.
It doesn't matter what the particular word is, it's the fact that it's a gender specific insult. I don't know why some women get up in arms over c*nt, but not b*tch. For the latter, perhaps they're socially conditioned to accept it or desensitized.
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Blacks who refer to other blacks as n*gger are being irresponsible IMO because by doing so they are diluting the meaning and severity of the term that other blacks have fought so hard to eliminate from our vocabulary.
I see women using such terms in the same way. It's ignorant. We have a teen on this board who runs around daily using that word. She makes an ass of herself in the process and that's exactly what the term b*tch has to offer those who use it.
i don't see how you jump to this conclusion, simply because the word can apply to women from "all walks of life." i'm not clear on why that changes anything.
I'm not jumping to anything. I've held this position for years. I'm quite clear on it. The reason it matters is because it's gender specific. People can fool themselves and state that b*tch denotes personality characteristics, but that's wrong. A man can call a woman a b*tch for not wanting to sleep with him. A begger can call a woman a b*tch for not giving him spare change. Any person can call a woman a b*tch for just about any reason. None if it matters. Personality does not matter. If a person is a woman, she's a b*tch...in somebody's eyes at some point in time.
People can fool themselves and state that b*tch denotes personality characteristics, but that's wrong.
ok, so you don't agree with what seems to me to be a universally accepted definition of the word. The definition of the word may be broad, but nobody out there defines "b*tch" as "a really nice lady."
i understand where you're coming from, and i don't agree.
ok, so you don't agree with the universally accepted definition of the word.
i understand where you're coming from and i don't agree.
I'm not sure where my reasoning is off. I know it, because I've either witnessed it or experienced. I was out gardening a couple of weeks ago in my front yard and a group of boys drove by my house quite fast and screamed b*tch out the window, at me. They did so only because I'm a woman. Can a case can be made that they would have called my husband a b*tch, or that I was displaying some kind of universally accepted b*tch behavior? Probably not. How is this situation any different if I were a black man gardening in his front lawn and the same group of boys drove by and screamed out n*gger? Is it only different because it's socially unacceptable in 2011? What if it were 1950? Was it ok then?
I'm not sure where my reasoning is off. I know it, because I've either witnessed it or experienced. I was out gardening a couple of weeks ago in my front yard and a group of boys drove by my house quite fast and screamed b*tch out the window, at me. They did so only because I'm a woman. Can a case can be made that they would have called my husband a b*tch, or that I was displaying some kind of universally accepted b*tch behavior? Probably not. How is this situation any different if I were a black man gardening in his front lawn and the same group of boys drove by and screamed out n*gger? Is it only different because it's socially unacceptable in 2011? What if it were 1950? Was it ok then?
What about when one gay man calls another b*tch?
I also have some trouble understanding this concept of yours. B*tch in this case refers to an attitude, a behavior, not a gender.
And using stupid boys to make your case hardly shores it up.
I've had black men call me "n*gger" - what's up with that? I'm whiter than Casper on a sunny day! I've been called an idiot, although intelligence testing clearly indicates I'm a moron. Why? I've been called a man-wh*re - how is that possible?
it's neither bigoted nor gender-specific. it can be applied to men, or gender confused, or inanimate objects.
bigoted is when you're biased against someone, you hate them, you think you're better than them, or you try and oppress them.
A guy who drives by and yells that, might be more likely to be bigoted, I'll give you that. However the act of yelling it does not make him a bigot, in either of the cases you described. It makes him a punk kid trying to get a cheap thrill by getting a rise out of somebody.
Excellent point. Why does it not have the same insulting weight as when it's targeted at women? That answer is simple enough. It's the same reason as to why I would not be insulted if you called me a n*gger.
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I also have some trouble understanding this concept of yours. B*tch in this case refers to an attitude, a behavior, not a gender.
In the case of gay men? Hey, as long as they're calling other men b*tches it's fine by me.
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And using stupid boys to make your case hardly shores it up.
What does this mean? Does my example bother you? It happened. It's the last time I was called a b*tch. Was I exhibiting a behavior? No. The only reason I was called a b*tch is because I'm a woman. You know it. I know it. Everybody here knows it. It was sexist. Referring to women, no matter how they act, is sexist. Just as referring to a black man, no matter how he acts, is racist.
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I've had black men call me "n*gger" - what's up with that? I'm whiter than Casper on a sunny day! I've been called an idiot, although intelligence testing clearly indicates I'm a moron. Why? I've been called a man-wh*re - how is that possible?
I bet you weren't insulted when you were called a n*gger. So, since you're not insulted by it, does that mean black folk shouldn't be insulted? Of course not.
It's a silly question because alpha and beta describe behavior, which means you have to specify the context. I exhibit alpha qualities when it comes to the pursuit of my career. I'll be aggressive and take big risks if that's what it takes to succeed. But in other areas, like my personal life or investments, I'm more conservative when it comes to taking risk and wouldn't qualify as being very alpha.
For a silly question, you sure answered it pretty easily. You also confirmed my assumptions about your personality.
it's neither bigoted nor gender-specific. it can be applied to men, or gender confused, or inanimate objects.
Would you say the same for n*gger? That word can be applied to anyone/thing, but does it remove the meaning behind it as a racially intended insult? No.
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bigoted is when you're biased against someone, you hate them, you think you're better than them, or you try and oppress them.
It's a sexist term when used against women. I'm not asking for logical leaps here and I'm quite surprised that any of you would argue this.
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A guy who drives by and yells that, might be more likely to be bigoted, I'll give you that. However the act of yelling it does not make him a bigot, in either of the cases you described. It makes him a punk kid trying to get a cheap thrill by getting a rise out of somebody.
Whatever the case, it's still bigoted. I don't know these kids, and who they are and where they're coming from really doesn't matter to the point I'm making, which is to address the real fact that it's a gender specific insult.
Here's something else to consider, which goes beyond phil's gay men example. (And by the way phil, when gay men call each other this term, are they denoting something that is ultimately female?) What if a woman goes up to her man, in all seriousness, and calls him nothing but a little b*tch? That would be very insulting (I figure) first and foremost because she's assigning him with a quality only to be truly had by women. As if there is some physiological root to b*tch.
i would. there is no word in any language that when spoken, automatically makes someone a bigot.
but all this is off topic. it's been real nice.
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