Now I know I am not the first to discuss the topic of language and dirty words, hell, the great George Carlin got arrested for the his "7 dirty words" routine. While I wont be arrested for this piece I may shock and offend. Well that is if anyone reads this. If not I am just cursing to myself, and honestly, thats not neither new or shocking.
For you that aren't familiar with the magic 7 that Carlin laid out it goes like this. Shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker and tits. I only want to touch one of these words and for some reason its become the holy grail of cursing and I really would like to know why.
First let me explain where this is all coming from, and shock of all shocks it comes from a comic movie. "Kick-Ass" is coming out shortly and its a R rated movie based on the comic series of the same name. There has been a red band, aka restricted trailer, that has been released featuring one of the characters called Hit-Girl, a foul mouth pre-pubescent killing machine. And when I say foul mouthed, I mean she could out curse a sailor that got his dick caught in the porthole...again... for the seemingly hundredth time... he knows he shouldn't... but he's lonely... ummm where was I going with this... oh right... lots of cursing...
Here is the trailer:
The major complaint about above trailer isn't the graphic violence, it isn't about her wanting a butterfly knife for her bday, it isnt Nic Cage's pathetic attempt a mustache, it is her use of the word.... wait for it... cunt. Wow I even cringed typing that.
But I shouldn't and thats the point. Its only a word. Now I could say fuck till I am blue in the face and now that wouldn't be a problem with most people now. Twenty or thirty years ago it might not have been as easy to say. Hell, I'd be some crack pot on a street corner cursing till the cops took me away, as I would have no internet to rant on. Gotta love progress.
Anyway, can someone explain to me why cunt (there it is again) is so powerful? I asked a few women I know what their thoughts were. (Only when I was sure I wasnt going to get beaten) Some hate it, some don't care, and others aren't fans but they realize its just a word. However, most agreed that it is a taboo word like (get ready there are some doozies) nigger, faggot, spic, and pretty much any offensive word you can come up with. Which I kind of understand but I have yet to see a female rap star give a shout out to her cunts... which if someone does I'm expecting a royalty cheque...
Believe it or not I wikipedia-ed the word, its one hell of an article if you want to read it all. One of the more fascinating things I came across was the fact that some feminists believe that "use of the word acts to reinforce a dehumanisation of women by reducing them to mere body parts." I will have to remember that the next time I get called dork, dick, boner, dickhead and walking hard on. And believe me, I have been called a dork exponentially more than I have called anyone a, well you know....
I am really trying not to play fast and loose with cunt... I mean... bah... lets start that one over...
I am really trying to find some answers here and yet I am still confused on why this word is the most powerful shy of "the N-word". Hell, the British are notorious for using it all the time, its a throw away insult like dipshit, and somehow the world keeps turning. Yet, I was honestly worried when I asked my female friends about it, hell I used the term "c-word". Even when I personally have no fear of the word I was more concerned about their reactions, and usually I am not one to bite my tongue. The funniest thing to me was not one of them even if they liked it or hated could give me a reason why it was so powerful, other than "it just is".
Or like one put it "Twat is a better word"
and if you arent offended yet... here's a musical number...
Ha! To be honest, I suppose I must be a more aggressive style of the female Canadian than most, because I was actually told by an ex to stop using that word to describe my body as HE found it offensive. Apparently I was, and am according to the majority of men I've been in relationships, expected me to stave off this word, yet continue to call their little fun bits "cocks", which lends it a sense of assertion. I mean, you can't say "cock" without feeling the need to strutt while the consonants give you tongue a little bit of a rise - hell even as you say it your mouth seems to greet the notion! However,as stated before, I was not to give myself this same type of power. Cunt, I distinctly remember being told by one suitor, is not feminine. Apparently as soon as I chose this word to use as a nickname for the otherwise too clinically sounding vagina, I lose my femininity entirely. Although I do agree that the notion of feminity is one which has a definition which is as close to impossible to define without offense, I believe myself to be exceptionally feminine. I feel feminine, yet by taking on such an aggressive word, I offended my partner as he felt I had taken on his masculinity. Instead he would rather I talked about my pussy (the little kitten that purrs when you pet it) or some other drivel. Every suggestion is weak and begging to be conquered. I mean, it's not like he's telling me that my "awesome tiger of might" has him so turned on. No. Instead I'm meak and mild, and only then am I feminine in his eyes. Bullshit. I've never understood the shock of this word when used in a sexual context, and I still don't. I will not, however, ever descend to such pathetic levels as to call my vagina a "vajayjay" and I am horrified that such 'powerful' a woman as Oprah would EVER conceive such a word. Completely insulting.
ReplyDeleteI do, however, recognize that Cunt is also viewed as a huge swear in my dear little culture - which is why I love to keep in deep within my arsenal to lash out at completely inadequate human beings. As I see it, when you use the word Cunt as a swear, you aren't talking about the sexy vagina that every straight guy and lesbian wishes he/she was deep inside, about the great experience that sex would be with such a perfect vagina. No - you are talking solely about the vagina that has no owner to properly care for it, it's overgrown, smelling of rotten flesh, and probably has teeth with which to castrate or tear the face off of any desperate suitors. That is the experience you're throwing into the faces of the person you say 'Cunt' to in these instances. So, Cunt for description of your own body - good. Cunt for a swear word - exceptionally bad (which is why it's so perfect).
And this concludes the rant.
-Dana