Is 'The C Word' Sexist?
- Thread starter Froggy Slayer
- Start date
Depends on why you are pissed off.krazykidd said:
You also need to do that if you want to prove them wrong, rather than just insult them, of course. No matter how wrong someone is, there's always some supporter that could do with having it explained.
The motivation of word relies on the context given by the speaker. I've come to think of **** to be a unisex, and even then I don't understand how an insult becomes "worse" when associated with a gender. It's not like you're insulting someone for being different (like "aspie" or "fag"). You're using a word that has come to mean bad person through association, and is meant to be thrown at those who you considered bad people at the time. If you happen to be sexist, or put it in a sexist context, that's not really the fault of the word, is it?
Always wondered why "****" is considered terrible, yet the same very people likely use the word "dick" in a derogatory way at the same time. Never understood the difference.Shia-Neko-Chan said:
It is literally the best curse word ever, when used sparingly in insults. Also great when adapted as an adjective, like 'cunted' - meaning really really really drunk 
I certainly dont find it offensive, but a few girls I know dont really like the word. I'm English, if that makes a difference. I probably wouldn't call a girl a **** out of respect to them, but I've no fundamental problem with anyone calling anyone else a ****.
I certainly dont find it offensive, but a few girls I know dont really like the word. I'm English, if that makes a difference. I probably wouldn't call a girl a **** out of respect to them, but I've no fundamental problem with anyone calling anyone else a ****.
I think you might be on to something there, it's only got 4 letters, yet two of them are really sharp and annunciated. It's just such a visceral thing to say. Ooooh it's giving me tingles.Quaxar said:
As for if it's sexist, I think it's about intent. I can think of a whole host of words that are commonly used as insults which have transcended their gender connotations in favour of just being insulting, for you to throw around with your friends or launch from a cannon at enemies. Likewise perfectly ordinary words can become sexist, racist or outright derogatory by sheer malice. So unless the intent is to specifically compare someone to female reproductive organs as a slight against women then I wouldn't call it inherently sexist.
It's probably sexist in the most literal sense, since the word is likely to target women specifically on the grounds of being female here in America, but so far as I know, the word is so despised because it's become the most hateful word we can use to describe a woman, not because of its sexism.
Meh, I don't think it's sexist at all. Their is a long tradition of using the genitalia of both genders for derogatory slang. As long as the word dick is synonymous with ****, I'm totes fine with it. In fact, someone called me that the other day, I replied, "thanks and f-you too". Personally, I think it sounds funny to my ears but then I don't get offended easily.
Are you arguing that it's sexist in the sense that there's no equally offensive term that applies specifically to men? If there are gendered insults for both genders and only one word from the whole set of gendered insults gets attributed exceptional levels of offensiveness, then I'm not sure it's sexist as much as unfortunate.
No, I would say being abusive and misogynistic is sexist. **** is just a word.Froggy Slayer said:
yup. **** and fuck are my two favorite words to combobulate into adjectives/verbs/nouns/etc..Wadders said:It is literally the best curse word ever, when used sparingly in insults. Also great when adapted as an adjective, like 'cunted' - meaning really really really drunk
I certainly dont find it offensive, but a few girls I know dont really like the word. I'm English, if that makes a difference. I probably wouldn't call a girl a **** out of respect to them, but I've no fundamental problem with anyone calling anyone else a ****.
i'm american, and while i don't hear it that often, i don't see it being any more sexist than "dick" or such, and once again, it's just a word, the offender and intent BEHIND the word may be sexist, but the word is not.
now i'm going to proceed to use **** for the rest of the day, just so america pulls its own weight in saying **** as much as the UK does for one day
Nope. Hell, In Scotland it's a term of endearment and only the biggest prudes get offended by it. I can't even think of a context in which it would come off as sexist.
A wild stab in the dark here, but my guess is when Jeremy Hunt became the health secretary.ClockworkPenguin said:
It's sexist in the same way that "*****" is sexist: It's an insult that takes an inherently feminine thing (her vagina for ****, the dog's gender for *****) and portrays it as if it's something shameful.
By the same token, calling someone a "dick" is sexist, but towards men.
Is it worth worrying about? If you spread your insults around and don't show a preference for one "gender" of insult, then no, I don't think it's a problem.
If you only select one "gender" for your insults, then you really need to increase your vocabulary, man...
By the same token, calling someone a "dick" is sexist, but towards men.
Is it worth worrying about? If you spread your insults around and don't show a preference for one "gender" of insult, then no, I don't think it's a problem.
If you only select one "gender" for your insults, then you really need to increase your vocabulary, man...
I've never really understood the black/white views on words. It's the context that matters.
I work in a bodyshop, repairing crashed cars for a living. We work in the same building as a bunch of mechanics. Yeah, you can probably understand why I'm not that bothered by it. '****' is probably uttered more times per day than 'hello', it's the go-to insult. The word has zero impact any more, and I have to watch that I don't slip it into normal conversations when not at work!
There are far better ways to offend people than using a totally overused word. But these way usually involve jokes about paedophilia or biscuit tins full of shit (don't ask!).
I work in a bodyshop, repairing crashed cars for a living. We work in the same building as a bunch of mechanics. Yeah, you can probably understand why I'm not that bothered by it. '****' is probably uttered more times per day than 'hello', it's the go-to insult. The word has zero impact any more, and I have to watch that I don't slip it into normal conversations when not at work!
There are far better ways to offend people than using a totally overused word. But these way usually involve jokes about paedophilia or biscuit tins full of shit (don't ask!).