Yeah I'm losing track of all the words we're banning or trying to ban here.
Do you use gendered insults for the opposite gender
- Thread starter Bleepey
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Yeah I'm losing track of all the words we're banning or trying to ban here.
Link1110
Member
Not all, but there are eqivilants. Such as son of a bitch and bitch. I always laugh when my mom gets ad at me and calls me a son of a bitch.
Agreed.
AbortedWalrusFetus
Member
Exactly, like manchild.
To answer the OP, I favor being gender-neutral whenever possible. I use the word "they" or "them" as a singular, gender-neutral pronoun when I don't know the gender of a person I'm speaking about.
If I am throwing around insults, it's usually in an ironic way because they're rarely effective communication. Given that, I will probably use "gay" as an insult or something else equally ridiculous.
People get all uptight about particular words rather than ideas. I think people are being unreasonable when they get offended by slurs or imagery regardless of their usage. It's not offensive to portray a black guy loving fried chicken. What's offensive is somebody believing or asserting that a person's preferences are defined by their skin tone. Or that their propensity for math or the size of their penis is defined by their ethnicity.
It's offensive that any person presumes something about another person based on unrelated or cosmetic things. For example, if somebody is wearing skinny jeans and you say they must prefer things that are unpopular. That's the same exact logical fault as racism. It's just as offensive. Saying the word nigger isn't offensive; assuming things about a person based on their appearance or any other unrelated characteristic is.
Historically people have used certain words to express their propensity for ignorance. And so your parents or a PSA told you not to use those words. And so you believe the words themselves are racist, rather than understanding ignorance for what it is.
If I am throwing around insults, it's usually in an ironic way because they're rarely effective communication. Given that, I will probably use "gay" as an insult or something else equally ridiculous.
People get all uptight about particular words rather than ideas. I think people are being unreasonable when they get offended by slurs or imagery regardless of their usage. It's not offensive to portray a black guy loving fried chicken. What's offensive is somebody believing or asserting that a person's preferences are defined by their skin tone. Or that their propensity for math or the size of their penis is defined by their ethnicity.
It's offensive that any person presumes something about another person based on unrelated or cosmetic things. For example, if somebody is wearing skinny jeans and you say they must prefer things that are unpopular. That's the same exact logical fault as racism. It's just as offensive. Saying the word nigger isn't offensive; assuming things about a person based on their appearance or any other unrelated characteristic is.
Historically people have used certain words to express their propensity for ignorance. And so your parents or a PSA told you not to use those words. And so you believe the words themselves are racist, rather than understanding ignorance for what it is.
Dog in Cantonese.
Conciliator
Banned
Yeah, context is everything. The word 'bitch' used dead-serious when angry can suck the air out of a room, but quoting rap lyrics or 'What's up, bitches!' is definitely different. That said, I can't recall calling or referring to a specific woman as a bitch in my adult life. And THAT said, I don't use the word 'slut' at all due to disagreeing with its inherent implications.
I do call men and women 'douchebags' though. Which is gender specific in a sense.
I do call men and women 'douchebags' though. Which is gender specific in a sense.
I also remember that mess of a thread where RiskyChris tried to ban the word "tranny" as well (even though it sort of was already), but ultimately resulted in him being banned.
"Retard" and that are the only major movements I can recall, but I normally tried to stay out of these threads, even when I was a lurker.
I prefer child man.
That is the point of any slur though. To demean. If it is applied to one gender, and says they are not the ideal of that, it is a gendered slur. Bastard, dickhead, manchild all would apply. They are pretty feeble, but so are a lot of insults.
cubicle47b
Member
Nah, that's not true. There's also hyper-masculinity which is much worse than being "less than a man".
Does "bastard" imply you're "less than a man"?
(I understand that technically it can apply to women as well, but I see it almost exclusively used to men.)
Same, it's really confusing. Feels like there's random days of particularly strong PC and if you're in the wrong thread at the wrong time saying the 'wrong' thing you're done.
Devolution
Member
Still not the same but if people want those banned too they should just say so. Otherwise it seems like trying to argue the male insults are equivalent (also slurs) in order so that they can keep saying the ones directed at women. Which is it.
notworksafe
Member
Ban them all when used in a gender demeaning context.
Can honestly say I have never heard a woman being called a bastard before. So i agree.
I've seen dick used on both men and women. Any time it's used against women it's not meant that she is displaying masculinity. It means she is being a jerk.
Now I've heard men called a bitch. Or a pussy. In those contexts, it is always used to make them seem feminine. Being more like a woman IS the insult. Which makes it an entirely different beast.
And I've never heard cock used in that context.
blame space
Banned
where does bitch mob fall into all of this?
Darth Pinche
Member
If you believe that calling somebody bitch is an attempt to make them seem feminine, then you must believe that women are more likely to complain and be selfish.
Devolution
Member
Yes although people quick to use certain words only belie their true feelings sometimes or are generally shit posters to begin with. I can't imagine any context in which people can throw around racist or homophobic slurs even at subjects in articles like they can women, which is the real double standard.
That a popgaf thing?
That's exactly what people are saying. If gendered insults were banned (they are not, context etc) then it should be all those words. Or none. Which I guess is your second point. Same request, different result. So its both. All or none.
I always feel like you could look at calling somebody a "dick" as describing them as over-masculine and aggressive (in a sort of male-dominated way).
At least, that's an interpretation one could come to if we were applying the same microscope that we use while deriding other (female) gendered insults.
cubicle47b
Member
That's the way I look at it.
Head of Vengarl
Banned
Having a gf has made me get really good at not using gendered insults. If she's in a bad mood and is being rude to me, I can't just tell her that she's being a bitch. (I guess some people do, but I'm not into the whole abuse thing.) Instead, I just call her an ass. It's become my favorite insult because it's old school and really mild. I can even say it in front of my family and they'll just laugh. "You're an ass!"
Well said. It does seem like the mods are being overly sensitive compared to the community.
Yes. When I insult people I don't want to be extremely considerate and kind, it goes against the point of insulting people. That being said, due to the fact some of them are quite offensive I don't really recall using them much at all. But if I wanted to really insult someone, not saying words that someone might argue are sexist or have sexist history and will hurt them will not be my priority. But, I don't really often want to insult people that way.
Of course when it comes to Bitch that is different, it isn't that great of an insult so I don't consider it among those insults that there is a very big problem with them, provided you don't call bitch everyone who disagrees with you but those displaying bitchy behavior. That is asshole. A reason I use gendered insults is habit and that those insults are gendered in our language. When I think of the word bitch an asshole woman comes in mind, the word dick a man and so on. We use a gendered insult to refer to the asshole of different genders. Now the word bitch can be used towards a man as an insult of different meaning but I don't use that as I don't like the word having different meaning. I would use the word pussy though, because again it has a meaning and I don't feel responsible to right the wrongs of language if any exist but use it as available.
However even to these there are exceptions. The above example of using the word bitch for men, it just feels wierd to me to use the word with different meanings so I only use it for women. I don't feel fine words gay and nigger as insults and the later should not be referring to a black man by people of other races as it will be taken as a heinous racist insult.
I guess a reason for that is a) greater social opposition, all of us mimmic society so probably my reaction is part of following that. B) More recent more severe descrimination towards those groups c) they are fucking insults of a person's identity and because it refers not to a sexual organ but the identity, and it was used to insult the persons themselves towards them so it is much worse.
Of course when it comes to Bitch that is different, it isn't that great of an insult so I don't consider it among those insults that there is a very big problem with them, provided you don't call bitch everyone who disagrees with you but those displaying bitchy behavior. That is asshole. A reason I use gendered insults is habit and that those insults are gendered in our language. When I think of the word bitch an asshole woman comes in mind, the word dick a man and so on. We use a gendered insult to refer to the asshole of different genders. Now the word bitch can be used towards a man as an insult of different meaning but I don't use that as I don't like the word having different meaning. I would use the word pussy though, because again it has a meaning and I don't feel responsible to right the wrongs of language if any exist but use it as available.
However even to these there are exceptions. The above example of using the word bitch for men, it just feels wierd to me to use the word with different meanings so I only use it for women. I don't feel fine words gay and nigger as insults and the later should not be referring to a black man by people of other races as it will be taken as a heinous racist insult.
I guess a reason for that is a) greater social opposition, all of us mimmic society so probably my reaction is part of following that. B) More recent more severe descrimination towards those groups c) they are fucking insults of a person's identity and because it refers not to a sexual organ but the identity, and it was used to insult the persons themselves towards them so it is much worse.
This
Steve Youngblood
Member
I think part of the problem is that this is often a more dubious assertion than people would like to think it is.
My point still stands that there is no insult that really attacks manhood. Bastard is used mostly against men, but it isn't an attack on masculinity, or a word meant to devalue men. If you called a woman a "bastard", you are not chastising her for being like a man.
Manchild is used exclusively on men, but it only works in the context of a man who is viewed as highly immature, and isn't attacking his manliness, but his immaturity.
I'm not following.
cubicle47b
Member
There are gendered insults that focus on hyper-masculinity. You just don't see it that way, apparently, but others (maybe not many) do.
You're right. It's accomplished through actually banning people who seem likely to change the tenor of the board, and I'm glad.
This is an impressive paragraph, combining as it does three different bad arguments into one unified whole, ala Captain Planet:
* "it's just white-knighting"
* "gay just means stupid"
* "banning words makes them more powerful"
Unfortunately, none of them make any actual sense.
That works both ways though. Bitch is not attacking their femininity, only their perceived self control or manners. That doesn't stop it being a gendered insult, same as man child.
"Stop being such a bitch" is usually employed to tell someone to suck it up and stop whining. If this is to be taken as making them seem femine, then they're also saying that being femine means incessant whining.
Ditto and dick has always been aggressive for no reason.
Douche has always been entitled for no reason.
I don't care if people want to eliminate gendered insults but only one side? lol fuck you
Also banning words does make the more powerful and outside of obvious ones it is rather insane we just keep moving from one to another.
We have burned through 4-5 words referring to people who have a mental disability. It's to the point that even in the office I work in that works to help people with them can't keep straight what term is randomly deemed offensive and what is now ok that seems to change every 6 months.
There was exactly nothing wrong with handicapped (hand in cap origin is a myth propagated by idiots obsessed with being PC) or retarded until people used them for a catch all insult.
blame space
Banned
That is, in fact, the conventional patriarchal conception of femininity, which is exactly why it's a problem.
Guy/Girl: You're such a _____(Insert whatever insult you want)
Me: Wow! That hurt. Hahahaa
Just laughing at whatever they say to you is probably the best method. It turns it completely back on them and pisses them off even more since they didn't get a rise out of you. Since, that's the whole point of insults anyway isn't it?
Me: Wow! That hurt. Hahahaa
Just laughing at whatever they say to you is probably the best method. It turns it completely back on them and pisses them off even more since they didn't get a rise out of you. Since, that's the whole point of insults anyway isn't it?
This sort of dismissive, reductive reaction doesn't really help to enlighten me to the point you're trying to make and, in fact, sort of turns me off to it, even though I'd be receptive otherwise.
It's also putting words into my mouth.
Devolution
Member
The point of slurs is to remind the person that they're inferior.
A woman steps on my foot
"You fucking bitch!"
A woman spills her drink on me
"You fucking bitch!"
In one I'm trying my hardest to be insulting and in the other I'm just generally pissed off but have no intention of insulting the lady on the accident.
It's impossible to tell on here.
(this did not happen, I don't ever use bitch except for when I say bitchin')
"You fucking bitch!"
A woman spills her drink on me
"You fucking bitch!"
In one I'm trying my hardest to be insulting and in the other I'm just generally pissed off but have no intention of insulting the lady on the accident.
It's impossible to tell on here.
(this did not happen, I don't ever use bitch except for when I say bitchin')
Don't know if I agree with this. How about that horrible F word that rhymes with "bag it." For a long long time it was (and still is) used to demean men, whether they be gay or not. In fact, most gay slurs, I would argue, directly attack a man's manhood, because of the misguided and ridiculous notion that being gay some how makes you less of a man.
Oh, you found another one! "I would be feminist if you weren't so rude to me."
You make three different points (at least), and I think they're each fallacious for different reasons. I'd be interested in knowing specifically what you mean by them, though.
Here are my questions:
* What does "white-knighting" mean, exactly? What are you trying to imply here?
* What words do you think have lost the derogatory connotations towards minority groups that they once had? What gives you that idea?
* In what way does banning a word make it more powerful? How can a word become more powerful if you can't use it for fear of getting banned?
But it only works if you get pissed off about it and let the person know it bothers you.
Devolution
Member
Um using terms like "faggot" against a man is similar to using "bitch." You're insulting their manhood as lesser.
It can be used to intimidate and harass, so no, it isn't just kids on the playground taunting each other.
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