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History of Feminism
In reply to the discussion: (HOF THREAD!) SO is the word "BITCH" still acceptable on DU... [View all]cheapdate
(3,811 posts)63. Good Lord. People use the word in casual,
private conversation. It shouldn't come up that often, unless you're a cynical asshole, but the word gets used. And it doesn't automatically make the user an asshole.
"Asshole" by the way, is almost always, but not quite, exclusively male. "Bitch" is almost always, but not quite, exclusively female.
Other male gender specific terms for boorish or repugnant behavior include jerk, cad, or schmuck.
Apart from gender, there is one crucial difference between an asshole and a bitch. In short, a working theory of the asshole has three main parts.
In interpersonal or cooperative relations, the asshole:
(1) allows himself to enjoy special advantages and does so systematically.
(2) does this out of a sense of entitlement
(3) is immunized by his sense of entitlement against the complaints of other people.
- Assholes - A Theory. By Aaron James
(1) allows himself to enjoy special advantages and does so systematically.
(2) does this out of a sense of entitlement
(3) is immunized by his sense of entitlement against the complaints of other people.
- Assholes - A Theory. By Aaron James
James contrasts this with a bitch as follows:
A person counts as a bitch, we may say, when, and only when, she systematically takes special advantages in interpersonal relations out of an entrenched sense of entitlement that leaves her open to the voiced or expressed complaints of other people, but immunized against their motivational influence.
The only difference between the asshole and the bitch, in this proposal, appears in the italicized phrase "leaves her open to the voiced or expressed complaints of other people, but immunized against their motivational influence." In other words, the bitch listens to the voiced complaints of others, making at least a show of recognition. Nevertheless, what is said makes no motivational difference to what she does: once your face-to-face encounter is over it is as though you never talked.
The only difference between the asshole and the bitch, in this proposal, appears in the italicized phrase "leaves her open to the voiced or expressed complaints of other people, but immunized against their motivational influence." In other words, the bitch listens to the voiced complaints of others, making at least a show of recognition. Nevertheless, what is said makes no motivational difference to what she does: once your face-to-face encounter is over it is as though you never talked.
We can't ignore the effect these people have on our lives.
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personally, I find the word ... acceptable on DU3 for only two reasons =
Tuesday Afternoon
Jan 2015
#58
You can't if it's a female elected official. I got censured for that in the past.
TheNutcracker
Jan 2015
#6
I've used the expression "life's a bitch." You sayin that's not acceptable?
InAbLuEsTaTe
Jan 2015
#29
Wow...I'm coming in late to this thread, but I have to tell you that I agree
whathehell
Feb 2015
#130
A DU-er who's entitled to an opinion about a 'greatest' post, that's who.
ColesCountyDem
Jan 2015
#38
Is flame bait better or worse than groveling for other people's money numerous times?
LanternWaste
Jan 2015
#97
Voted #2 sarcastically. Here's the icon just in case that's not clear why I voted that way:
freshwest
Jan 2015
#22
It's just slang where I live. It's just another word to play with and the craic is mad!
mackerel
Jan 2015
#26
I oppose the use of vulgar language on DU because it reduces the level of conversation from
JDPriestly
Jan 2015
#25
My problem with the B word and other similar epithets is that they don't really mean anything
JDPriestly
Jan 2015
#35
I'd like to see how many DUers are upset with the word. I don't use it (anymore) because it...
BlueJazz
Jan 2015
#28
of course it is sexist, and being used on a progressive democratic board with a lot of justification
seabeyond
Jan 2015
#50
Many of these people are not allies, not progressives, and oftentimes, not Democrats
YoungDemCA
Jan 2015
#61
yes. everyone is aware enough to know, when they make the choice to use these words, they are
seabeyond
Jan 2015
#52
yui, we have had OP after OP in GD. in Meta. in ATA. i know for a fact there was one in ATA
seabeyond
Jan 2015
#66
i pretty much quit talking. i fave finally about gotten all my hide off. prior to that, i was kicked
seabeyond
Jan 2015
#69
here is hte hide i am talking about that luminous brought to HOF. the OP was hidden. what she was
seabeyond
Jan 2015
#67
they gained control on du3, since it was set up for their success. but... thru out the net our
seabeyond
Jan 2015
#76
the poster has plenty of posts in this thread, to educate him about the harm, in the use of the word
seabeyond
Jan 2015
#100
what is being called out has nothing to do with any type of friendly social greeting.
seabeyond
Jan 2015
#103
Yes, please stop alienating all of the people who use "Bitch" as a friendly social greeting.
A-Schwarzenegger
Jan 2015
#104
That is one of the strangest justifications for calling a woman a bitch I've ever heard
ismnotwasm
Jan 2015
#114
and this is the attitude you suggest for a progressive, liberal, Democratic Web Site?
Tuesday Afternoon
Jan 2015
#115
Even once one parses out the varied implications, and comes to a solid conclusion
ismnotwasm
Jan 2015
#118