That’s fair. The way I see it, dick, bitch, cunt, asshole, cock etc all mean the same thing. You’re effectively calling someone a jerk. Getting nitpicky over which is ok - and which isn’t - is a waste of energy in my book. Just because somebody else uses the word more virulently doesn’t somehow mean everyone who calls someone a bitch is evil. Part of language is intent and context. If I called a woman a bitch because she was intense or intimidating, that’d be out of line. If I call someone a bitch because they write stupid shit like this and run an account like that, I feel like I’m doing alright.
You raise valid points, and context definitely matters, but I think when it comes to language it should be decided by the consensus within the minority it was originally used to describe.
For example, most of the disabled community agrees “r-tard” is offensive these days, so it’s use has gone down. Just like “gay” before it. And white folks still argue the n-word should be fine for everyone to use if they end it with an a.
I’m not saying minorities can’t reclaim words, and language definitely changes with time. But most women I interact with get uncomfortable when men around them say “bitch” routinely.
That’s fair. The way I see it, dick, bitch, cunt, asshole, cock etc all mean the same thing. You’re effectively calling someone a jerk. Getting nitpicky over which is ok - and which isn’t - is a waste of energy in my book. Just because somebody else uses the word more virulently doesn’t somehow mean everyone who calls someone a bitch is evil. Part of language is intent and context. If I called a woman a bitch because she was intense or intimidating, that’d be out of line. If I call someone a bitch because they write stupid shit like this and run an account like that, I feel like I’m doing alright.
You raise valid points, and context definitely matters, but I think when it comes to language it should be decided by the consensus within the minority it was originally used to describe.
For example, most of the disabled community agrees “r-tard” is offensive these days, so it’s use has gone down. Just like “gay” before it. And white folks still argue the n-word should be fine for everyone to use if they end it with an a.
I’m not saying minorities can’t reclaim words, and language definitely changes with time. But most women I interact with get uncomfortable when men around them say “bitch” routinely.