Is 'The C Word' Sexist?

ANImaniac89

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In an American context yes the word **** is a sexist slang. Its a term meant to shame a women for her genital at least that's my understanding of the term.

Having said that as an American I call my younger brother a filthy **** all the time.
 

Absolutionis

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Father Time said:
****
Vagina
asshole
scumbag

Please someone explain explain to me why one of those words is sexist but those other words that mean the same thing aren't.
Those four words don't all mean the same thing.
 

Harker067

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Father Time said:
Absolutionis said:
Father Time said:
****
Vagina
asshole
scumbag

Please someone explain explain to me why one of those words is sexist but those other words that mean the same thing aren't.
Those four words don't all mean the same thing.
Well no but **** mean can vagina or scumbag, yet neither of those words is considered sexist.
If you use vagina as a slur then that would be sexist as well. Asshole isn't sexist since everyone has one they are not unique to half the population. Scumbag refers to condoms of which there are both male and female versions again not restricted to either gender.
 

leethal

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when you get down to it a lot of insults are based on genitals.
prick, dick, cock, twat, ass, asshole, butthole.
 

Harker067

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Father Time said:
Harker067 said:
Father Time said:
Absolutionis said:
Father Time said:
****
Vagina
asshole
scumbag

Please someone explain explain to me why one of those words is sexist but those other words that mean the same thing aren't.
Those four words don't all mean the same thing.
Well no but **** mean can vagina or scumbag, yet neither of those words is considered sexist.
If you use vagina as a slur then that would be sexist as well. Asshole isn't sexist since everyone has one they are not unique to half the population. Scumbag refers to condoms of which there are both male and female versions again not restricted to either gender.
I've never hear semen be called scum before.

As for **** words can have multiple definitions and like i said it's something used against both genders for the same reasons.
Condom is the etymology of the word scum bag. I think it's sexist to use any of the gendered insults including ****. All the definitions for **** come back to women's genitals. Using that term as a disparagement or contempt for an individual shows a contempt for women's genitals and by extension women. It's also has the added layer of gender policing when used on men.
 

Azure23

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Since a lot of people on this thread seem to have trouble removing their opinions from the argument, I'll do the honors.

Any gendered insult is sexist, ****, dick, pussy, whatever, all sexist.
Sexism here being defined in the very simple terms of: any and all terms that attach a negative connotation to a gendered word.
If you're using an insult that offends by comparing the subject to a woman, a man, or any specific anatomy of the two, in a negative way, then no shit it's sexist.

Someone up near the op said that they weren't sure because they had a friend who called dudes cunts too. This is kinda silly, If the main point of the insult is that the insulted (a man) should be offended because the insulter compared him to a woman, then yeah, sexist.

Obviously context means everything, but completely divorced of circumstance or opinion, gendered insults are of course sexist.
 

Harker067

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Father Time said:
Harker067 said:
Father Time said:
Harker067 said:
Father Time said:
Absolutionis said:
Father Time said:
****
Vagina
asshole
scumbag

Please someone explain explain to me why one of those words is sexist but those other words that mean the same thing aren't.
Those four words don't all mean the same thing.
Well no but **** mean can vagina or scumbag, yet neither of those words is considered sexist.
If you use vagina as a slur then that would be sexist as well. Asshole isn't sexist since everyone has one they are not unique to half the population. Scumbag refers to condoms of which there are both male and female versions again not restricted to either gender.
I've never hear semen be called scum before.

As for **** words can have multiple definitions and like i said it's something used against both genders for the same reasons.

Condom is the etymology of the word scum bag. I think it's sexist to use any of the gendered insults including ****. All the definitions for **** come back to women's genitals. Using that term as a disparagement or contempt for an individual shows a contempt for women's genitals and by extension women. It's also has the added layer of gender policing when used on men.
By that logic calling someone an asshole makes you a misanthrope and calling someone a ****** means you hate cigarettes.
Asshole doesn't have a long history of of telling people how worthless they are for having one the way **** does. Nor the larger implications that the only proper way to act is like someone without an anal orifice the way men are policed not to act "feminine".

When the anemones enslave us all I'll concede that you have a point and not the spurious rebuff you've given me.

I do hate cigarettes I'll give you that. Although as you are of the different definitions defense I'm surprised you didn't mention bundles of wood.
 

Bug MuIdoon

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Harker067 said:
All the definitions for **** come back to women's genitals. Using that term as a disparagement or contempt for an individual shows a contempt for women's genitals and by extension women.
I don't know if it's quite fair to say "and by extension women"

It's fairly easy to say that in regards to the word 'pussy' I agree. You're saying someone has the courage of a female.
But ****? I don't think it's stating that someone is a woman, or really has anything to do with being a woman. It's more to do with the fact it's genitalia, which, by and large in the eyes of society, are rude, 'disgusting' and shouldn't be mentioned. It's nothing to do with the fact that the specific organ belongs to women.

It's more contempt for genitals than women's genitals
 

Harker067

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Bug MuIdoon said:
Harker067 said:
All the definitions for **** come back to women's genitals. Using that term as a disparagement or contempt for an individual shows a contempt for women's genitals and by extension women.
I don't know if it's quite fair to say "and by extension women"

It's fairly easy to say that in regards to the word 'pussy' I agree. You're saying someone has the courage of a girl.
But ****? I don't think it's stating that someone is a woman, or really has anything to do with being a woman. It's more to do with the fact it's genitalia, which, by and large in the eyes of society, are rude, 'disgusting' and shouldn't be mentioned. It's nothing to do with the fact that the specific organ belongs to women.

It's more contempt for genitals than women's genitals
If you go looking at both official dictionaries (and even informal ones like urban dic) you repeatedly see **** as referring both to female genitals but also just "a woman". As it's been popular enough to make it into the dictionary I'd call it fair to say ****=women is another definition. I agree there is an aspect of genital shameing going on but I think the way **** has been used is also at issue. Dick*/** has very different usage then ******* for example. Far too often I see **** used on a woman to get her to shut up or on a man similar to pussy for doing something "unmanly". Maybe you have a distinctly different experience with the usage of the word but that's what I've seen.

*which before someone say's I'm being hypocritical I've said I also disagree with using it as an insult.

Examples of how they are used from urban dictionary
**Somebody who's purposely treating you like crap or putting you down for no reason or being selfish
***stupid/contemptible person of either gender
 

Bug MuIdoon

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Harker067 said:
If you go looking at both official dictionaries (and even informal ones like urban dic) you repeatedly see **** as referring both to female genitals but also just "a woman". As it's been popular enough to make it into the dictionary I'd call it fair to say ****=women is another definition.
Oxford English Dictionary:

****
noun
vulgar slang

1. A woman?s genitals.
2. An unpleasant or stupid person.

Nothing untoward there in regards to being a female.

I read a few other 'unofficial' dictionaries too, and yes some of them pointed towards: Usually disparaging & obscene : woman

I don't really see where it's set in stone as **** = Woman. So jumping on that theory and defending it skin and teeth seems a little odd to me. I'm sure people believe that definition, and some unofficial sources may state that, but that's just different people opinions on the word. Which kind of leads me back to the argument of many other posters, The word is only sexist to people who feel it's sexist, and the way the word is used.


Harker067 said:
Far too often I see **** used on a woman to get her to shut up or on a man similar to pussy for doing something "unmanly". Maybe you have a distinctly different experience with the usage of the word but that's what I've seen.
Ah, I see. I'm not sure where you're from, but (from my experiences) in the U.K I've never heard it said to mean the same thing as pussy, It's just an insult towards someone you find unpleasant. It has no gender specific connotation.

So, if it doesn't have an official origin towards sexism, and over here in the U.K it has no gender attachment but over in the U.S (Sorry, I'm just guessing you're from the U.S?) it does, then which is correct? Surely it just falls back to the argument that it depends on where and how it's used.


One thing I did find quite interesting that I wasn't aware of, which maybe most feminists are (I don't know), is the origin of Vagina.

While **** (Cunnus, Coynte, Kunta, kunte, con, coño, cona) was just a name given to the entire female genitalia with no further meaning, Vagina actually means 'Sword-sheath'! I find it weird that the far less "offensive" word is surely the far sexist.


Please poke me if none of this makes any sense, It's very late and I'm tired, ha ha
 

WOPR

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Well I guess it depends... If you say "color" then yes it is sexist and you should be horribly ashamed. If you say "colour" then it's about as fine as any other curse word I guess.

(This is a sarcastic observation. Some people find this to be appropriately funny.)
 

Troublesome Lagomorph

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I don't see how it is. Its not any more sexist than calling someone a dick or prick, which I don't consider to be sexist at all.
 

FalloutJack

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Nov 20, 2008
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Father Time said:
Azure23 said:
Since a lot of people on this thread seem to have trouble removing their opinions from the argument, I'll do the honors.
Ok how exactly is your argument devoid of your opinion?

Ah whatever, there are no bad words it's all a matter of how and why they're used. The message is the message, and if the message isn't sexist then it doesn't matter what profanity they spew.
I don't understand him either. Anyway, I'll do you one better. The message isn't sexist. Only YOU can decide to interpret it that way. The rest is about the speaker in particular. To whit, he can be all the sexist he wants, but only YOU can give a damn.
 

Aesir23

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No more than calling someone a dick is sexist. Personally, I do think it is one of the worst insults that you can use although I know that's due to my upbringing. My mother has outright told my siblings and I that she will smack us if she ever catches us using that word. We're all in our 20s but she's still quite a scary lady when she wants to be.
 

Strazdas

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May 28, 2011
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So glad to see that censorship is still very prominent even among escapist users. they are willing to punch people becasue someone said a word they dont like. its not like we can ever allow freedom of speech right?