The C word

This thread's just going to be a cultural divide, surely. A split between the North Americans and the Brits/Irish/Aussies.

It's all about the connotations. In North America it's considered sexist because it's been used that way. In the same sense that I've heard North Americans say "paki" before without realising it's offensive in Britain, and just seeing it as nothing more than a shorter version of "Pakistani".

A conversation about "cunt" came up on some hip-hop board I post on today infact. It brought up an interesting point I thought though - if we accept that "cunt"'s not offensive or sexist, how about "cuntrag"? It's got the extra menstrual implication to it, to make it more about females. But, again, it's never used as a female exclusive word as words such as "slut" and "bitch" more often are.

you have no real self awareness, do you jack?

I would venture a guess that the origins of the use of the word are sexist. But then I don't know anyone who uses it as an insult.

double-post

actually this I don't even get, how is cuntrag "more about females" than cunt? Do you know of any fellas with cunts?

All depends on which gender you'd class post-op transexuals.

"More about females" being stupid wording. But it's about vaginas AND periods. So, y'know... more offensive?

i use it as a general swear but i wouldnt use it to refer to another woman when i was arguing with her. thats because historically women have been defined in terms of what they do with their cunts, whether they are deemed whores, breeders, or dried up sexless prudish spinsters. that sort of baggage means i wouldnt call another woman a cunt just like i wouldnt casually use a racist word as a verbal attack.

This isn't what the debate of the use of cunt is about though is it.

You and others use it to mark the board out as one that has to toe a line laid down in Britain. The fact that the word is not used in the same casual sense in North America or often by people speaking English as a second language is a useful demarkation position you like to use two or three times a month.

A proof of sorts is how quickly you banned someone for calling another poster a scab - a word that appears to have stronger connortations in Britain than North America where it appears to be used in a somewhat more casual fashion. The equivalent on a North American owned version of libcom would be banning British posters who called other posters cunts. Both cases representing an insistence that it was claimed there can only be one possible cultural interpretation of the use of a word, although in fact those using scab were at least doing so in a political fashion that appeared to reflect their local useage of the word.

Actually Joe, I don't think that that many 'people speaking English as a second language', know the word 'cunt'. Your basic point is right though. I think a better example would be the word 'fuck'. While English people may use it frequently down the pub in a completly different way, most non-native speakers (especially those who have never been able to spend time in England) regard it as an extremely offensive aggresive word, and when they hear/see it are quite shocked, and one shouldn't be surprised it it deeply offends people.

Oh, I forgot, that is exactly how it is used on Libcom too.

On the word 'cunt' while I may use it in England, I would certainly not use the Turkish version, which I think is absolutly obscene, and unacceptable. If I ever visit the States in the future, I will certainly remember that it is not acceptable there.

Devrim

Much as I hate to admit it, Arf almost has a point. What she's referring to is codeswitching: the innate human ability to realise context, situation and environment and regulate their language accordingly. My Mum doesn't like me to say "cunt" in front of her, but me and my bandmates call each other "cunt" as a sign of affection. Many of my student mates are a bit taken aback when I say it in front of them (apparently I swear quite a lot), and some of the more ridiculous soft feminissssts have attempted to take me to task on it. Most of them won't accept my arguments for why it's acceptable in theory, but in practice they come to understand the way in which I use the term and stop being offended by it. So I win anyway.

Actually my favourite word is cunt.

I love how you hugely overrate your significance to events on here.