language

On the word bitch

Over on the post that asks folks to vote for which PETA is most offensive, someone says that by criticizing PETA, we at Bitch are just calling the kettle black.

Of course I'm offended by the PETA ad campaigns. As a long-time radical lesbian feminist, I abhor the explotation of the female body and the objectification of women as nothing more than sexual beings.

I would never give a dime to PETA even though I am also strongly in favor of the humane treatment of animals

However, how does its strategy of using "shock" to draw attention differ from your magazine? After all, isn't calling yourself "BITCH" simply a way to show how chic and clever and modern you are, how 'in your face' you can be, and how you like to flaunt convensional standards of language and cultural acceptance

The word bitch (unless applied to certain animals) has always been and is still a derogatory and borderline vulgar term for women. Old fashioned ideas? Sure. But so is not displaying naked women in suggestive poses just to sell products or ideas.

For "Bitch" to complain about PETA is disingenuous and hypocritical.

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And while I'm at it

Bitch on Wheels post by Debbie Rasmussen, Submitted by Debbie Rasmussen on July 8, 2008 - 11:29pm; tagged language, offensive language, violence, violent language.

motherfucker.

Why?

Where did this word come from?

Every time I hear it, a similar jolt goes through my body.

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I really really really can't stress strongly enough

Bitch on Wheels post by Debbie Rasmussen, Submitted by Debbie Rasmussen on July 7, 2008 - 7:18pm; tagged exclusive, exclusive language, gendered language, inclusive, inclusive language, language.

how much it shocks my heart to hear how often the expression "you guys" is used in everyday language, especially in social movement/radical community spaces.

I don't mean to be unsympathetic or humorless or heartless. Yes I understand how difficult it is to replace that phrase with something else. But I promise it can be done. And talking about love and revolution and radical politics and building a movement feels so much better once "you guys" is gone.

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Bureau of Reclamation

Love / Shove post by Miriam Wolf, Submitted by Miriam Wolf on February 25, 2008 - 12:10pm; tagged bitch, Hillary Clinton, language, SNL, Tina Fey.

Tina Fey's return to the Weekend Update chair included a big dollop of support for Hillary Clinton along with an argument for taking back the word bitch.
This could only have been better if she'd held up a copy of Bitch magazine!

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The Common Guy

One Seemingly Benign Phrase Makes a Man Out of All of Us

Article by Audrey Bilger, appeared in issue Transformation & Reinvention; published in 2002; filed under Social commentary; tagged Alice Walker, internalized sexism, language, pc, politically correct, visibility, you guys.

One Seemingly Benign Phrase Makes a Man Out of All of Us

Transformation & Reinvention

Oprah says it. My yoga instructor says it. College students around the country say it. The cast of Friends says it, as do my own friends, over and over again. At least 10 to 20 times a day, I hear someone say “you guys” to refer to groups or pairs that include and in some cases consist entirely of women.

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16 comments

Talkshows

TV's Culture of Categorization

Article by Lisa Jervis, appeared in issue Issue #2; published in 1996; filed under Broadcast; tagged female sexuality, language, popularity, pro-sex, promiscuity, reputation, sex, sexuality, shame, stereotypes, talk shows, teens.

TV's Culture of Categorization

Issue #2

Talk shows are the scariest thing on the planet today. You think I’m exaggerating, don’t you? Think about it: not only are they the lowest common denominator of American pop culture, but they’re also—because they’re in the form of “real” people talking about their “real” lives—taken to be some measure of truth.

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