Blog Post 3: Deviant Blogging And The Importance Of Language; Don’t Be Such A BITCH!
It is amazing to me how much can be assumed about a person by just referring to them with a single word. People will often judge you by appearance or a single encounter when they thrust you into the offensive word category. As a deviant person by societies’ standards, a word I have been called almost everyday for as long as I can remember, is ‘bitch’. More often than not, it is ‘f**king bitch’. Honestly, I have heard it so often that it really doesn’t bother me anymore. I have always figured that if that was the best people could come up with to insult me, then they had bigger problems to deal with anyway, such as lack of imagination and probably more insecurities than I could name. Why is the word ‘bitch’ considered so derogatory towards women? Where did it all start?
The word bitch means female dog (Dictionary.com). How did it become one of the most overrated and controversial words to ever rock our nation? Because it somehow became a slang word meaning “A) a malicious, unpleasant, selfish person, especially a woman. B) a lewd woman. C) Disparaging and Offensive . any woman” (Dictionary.com). How did the meaning become so completely changed around?
The history behind the word bitch is interesting. Depending on its’ use today, it can be a good or bad thing. The history of bitch is not so clear though, just as its not so clear as to why it went from meaning female dog to a horrible loose woman:
“The word "bitch" has had a colorful and busy past in the
English language. The main meaning of bitch is that of the
Female of the species, particularly dogs. I call this the
main meaning because it is the meaning which the word first
had in our language and the meaning from which metaphors
were made. The word's origin is not certain. Partridge thinks
That perhaps it is related to the Sanskrit word for genitals,
bhagas (1961). If we consider this origin for a moment, we
might come up with an association of some creature with exposed
genitals with those creatures we call beasts” (BITCH
AN EXAMPLE OF SEMANTIC DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE
Charles A. Collins, p 67.). So, to sum up, we really don’t have a very clear explanantion as to where the hell this word came from. We have an idea, but nothing concrete.
In society, this word is very, very offensive and so, so bad. Maybe that’s why I like the word so much. It is considered an insult, and definitely mild profanity. People will justify its’ use by downplaying the insult of it. It kind of falls along the lines of what is discussed in the article “You’re Not A Retard, You’re Just Wise”, by Steven J. Taylor. “You aren’t a bitch, you are just outspoken and mean.” That is usually what I hear when someone wants to call me a bitch but doesn’t necessarily want the confrontation that comes along with it. If someone can insult you, but make it sound like criticism instead then everyone is just happy all the way around without saying what they really meant.
I honestly don’t think the word is as bad as society has made it. I think it’s a word that some feminist woman decided to take offensively and cause a huge uproar about, personally. This is just my opinion of course, but I believe if the word bitch is the only thing a community has to ’bitch’ about, maybe you should get a life and look at the real problems in society.
As discussed in the blog post, “What Is Ableist Language And Why Should You Care”, I say what is the big deal? Why do people care so much about a word? Why does it matter so much to others what words are used in different communities? Do other communities really have the right to ask or demand that the word stopped being used? I know that musical artists in the rap genre had a huge backlash from angry bored housewives’ not liking women being referred to as bitches. The way I see it, if one of these rappers walks up and calls you a bitch, then, sure, be angry, demand that they not refer to you that way. If not, get over it and worry about things that really matter.
I wouldn’t say that the word bitch is alright to call someone, however, not saying that at all. I am considered a ‘bitch’ by society I suppose, but that doesn’t mean it makes it acceptable to call someone a bitch just because they pissed me off, and I am someone who often has trouble biting my tongue. In the article, “In Defense Of Fat”, I applauded the point behind it. If someone wants to eat crappy food, and their weight is out control, how is that the concern of anyone else? If someone wants to talk about bitches all day long, why does it matter as long as they aren’t specifically calling anyone else that or saying it’s ok to call someone else a bitch because they themselves or considered one? Maybe I haven’t explained this in a way that everyone can see eye to eye with, but like I said before, isn’t there enough to worry about in the world without caring if someone called me a bitch or not?
Works Cited
“Bitch.” Dictionary.com. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bitch
Collins, Charles A. “BITCH:AN EXAMPLE OF SEMANTIC DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE.”p.67.http://soar.wichita.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/10057/1784/LAJ _16.1_p69-86..pdf?sequence=1
Fierce, Tasha. “In Defense Of Fat.” http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2011/09/in- defense-of-fat/
“What Is Ableist Language And Why Should You Care?” http://mymuffinroared.tumblr.com/post/3446600140/what-is-ableist-language- and-why-should-you-care
Taylor, Steven J. “You’re Not A Retard, You’re Just Wise”. p. 173.Readings in Deviant Behavior. Alex Thio, Thomas C. Calhoun, Addrain Conyers.
Word Count: 975
Disagree/Do better
ReplyDeleteI disagree with this post because I feel it too quickly dismisses the value of language in a society. The connotations of words reveal quite a bit about the values (or lack of values) placed upon certain people in a society. In the article “OK, I give up, you're right, I'm just a "tra**y", sorry for thinking I was a human being”, Ashley Love writes that when people are use the t-word, they are implying that trans people are “subhuman, [a] joke, [an] object” (Love par. 2). Similar negative connotations are implied when a woman is called a “bitch”; she is being associated with a dog, less than human, easily replaceable, and dirty. These negative undertones matter greatly, because they prove that the word is used to dehumanize women; once someone is dehumanized you have reason to take away their voice, liberties, and rights.
Love, Ashley. "Trans Forming Media (TFM)." OK, I Give Up, You're Right, I'm Just a "tra**y", Sorry for Thinking I Was a Human Being. Blogger, 16 Dec. 2010. Web. 6 Feb. 2012. .
I disagree with this post because I think you could have made a stronger point by explaining how it could be viewed as negative and the history behind how/why the words definition may have changed, instead of so much opinion based information. The article, What is Ableist Language and Why Should You Care states, “When women who differ from that assumption by pursuing a career or being aggressive or strong in the workplace are both labled "cold" and "bitchy", this both labels them as different than women are supposed to be and penalizes them for that difference by characterizing it as negative,” and I think that this statement shows how being labeled a bitch is considered negative because woman may go against societies preset ideals about women. In a way, the word bitch dehumanizes a woman, and has very negative connotations which show that a woman labeled bitch. Although you may embrace the word and do not see anything wrong with it, I think society still places an importance on the use of language, and the disvalued implications that come hand in hand with this word.
ReplyDeleteReference: "The Transcontinental Disability Choir: What Is Ableist Language and Why Should You Care?" Bitch Media. 11 Nov. 2009. Web. 04 Mar. 2012. .
I disagree with a few things you said in this post. I think that you sort of blew over the fact that calling somebody a bitch is a big deal. If we're not okay with calling people who are lesbians "dykes" and calling people who are overweight "fat" why would be okay with calling a woman a bitch? Often, woman are referred to as this name, not because they were being rude or selfish or pushy, but because they did something as simple as stand up for themselves. For this reason, I do not believe it is okay, and do feel that it is acceptable to be offended by it.
ReplyDeleteDisagree
ReplyDeleteI don’t agree with your assessment of the article “What is Ableist Language and Why Should You Care?” You mentioned in your post what is the big deal if people use this language and who has the right to ask people to stop using it. This article laid out however that ableist language affects society as a whole by objectifying and dehumanizing people. As far as who has the right to ask people to stop using offensive language - everyone has the right and duty to do so. I think if you wanted to use this article in your post it would have better been cited when you wrote ‘You aren’t a bitch, you are just out spoken and mean.’ Towards the end of the article “What is Ableist Language and Why Should You Care?” the author comments on how doing away with ableist language will actually force people to say what they really mean and that there are over 6,000 words in the English language to help us with that. Also, you mentioned that women shouldn’t be offended by being called bitch’s in rap/hip-hop music unless that artist is talking to you specifically. However, I feel that calling women bitches in hip-hop music perpetuates stereotypes and the objectification of women in general. This is done in a covert way but a very powerful way that just teaches our youth that women are objects to be displayed, sexualized and demeaned. These covert messages are more powerful and damaging than I think you realize. Also this term is not the only thing feminist have to bitch about. Feminist also see this word as not only personally degrading but as perpetuating stereotypes and objectifying women in the work place, in education, in health care, criminal justice system and in all aspects and institutions of society.
REFERENCES
Bitchmedia Blog “The Transcontinental Disability Choir: What is Ableist Language and Why Should You Care?” Posted 11/11/2009.