The Problem With The Bitch
January 30, 2010 No Comments
I’m a bitch.
I embrace the word. It means I’m strong and savvy. The thing is, this is not how a lot of people use it.
A judge has ruled that “bitch” is offensive, especially when used to refer to a man. She’s right, right?
The Eleventh Circuit of Appeals said about the issue: “[T]he terms ‘bitch’ and ‘whore’ have gender-specific meanings… Calling a man a ‘bitch’ belittles him precisely because it belittles women.”
Like “nigger,” women have tried to appropriate the word to make it less offensive. By making the word ok for us to use, we muddy the waters, giving misogynists an easy defense.
How would you feel if Chris Matthews had called Hillary Clinton a bitch during the election?
Amy Poehler and Tina Fey did just that in an SNL sketch entitled, “Bitch is the New Black.” It’s a brilliant sketch and allowed them to throw their support behind the Senator from New York.
Is the use of bitch another example of feminism’s slide back into servitude?
Or is the new generation of feminists equipped with a better sense of humour and ability to pick battles than their predecessors?
Frankly, bitch, I don’t give a damn.
