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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

What is the Worst Thing You Can Call a Woman?

86 replies

EatsBrainsAndLeaves · 31/08/2012 00:40

Love this quote.

?What?s the worst possible thing you can call a woman? Don?t hold back, now. You?re probably thinking of words like slut, whore, bitch, cunt (I told you not to hold back!), skank. Now, what are the worst things you can call a guy? Fag, bitch, pussy. I?ve even heard the term ?mangina.? Notice anything? The worst thing you can call a girl is a girl. The worst thing you can call a guy is a girl. Being a woman is the ultimate insult, now tell me that?s not royally fucked up.? ― Jessica Valenti

OP posts:

Hullygully · 05/09/2012 20:44

Mavis

messyisthenewtidy · 05/09/2012 20:43

I think the point that Valenti is trying to make is that for men to be considered girls/feminine is demeaning and degrading. An insult I've often heard against feminists is that they are "trying to be like men" ie. they're getting above their station, but I've never heard this vice versa for men, the logic being that het men don't want to become like women, that would be degrading for them.

A weird Brazilian expression my friend used once when talking about a child-killer who had just been convicted was that once in prison he would get his just desserts as he would "virar mulher" / "turn into a woman" meaning that he would be fucked/raped, which is obviously something that is degrading and would put him in his place.

BedHog · 04/09/2012 13:58

The worst insult I can think of is 'Munter', or maybe 'Paedomunter' to give it an extra sick twist.

Munting being something that is hopefully only an urban myth, which should never, ever be googled.

Most people think it means ugly. It doesn't.

namechangeguy · 04/09/2012 13:33

Uppercut - if all you have is a hammer, everything has to look like a nail, (c. Abraham Maslow, psychologist) .

If all the OP has in her armoury is 'look how OPPRESSED we all are, its da menz!', then stuff like this will be trotted out at regular intervals. It's a bit sad really, given some of the real issues that are out there.

Uppercut · 04/09/2012 12:08

Can't help but laugh at the way the OP has ignored the greater severity of 'paedo/nonce/child molester/kiddie fiddler, etc...' insults and just keeps on banging their tin can with regards to insults based on female genitalia.

Who are you trying to kid?

MardyArsedMidlander · 02/09/2012 15:33

I don't think calling a man 'you fucking prick' is going to make him think he has superior social status

TiggyD · 02/09/2012 10:28

I've been called lots of names. I think the worst is "It". Not even considered a human.

Mother2many · 01/09/2012 00:47

squaw

NellyJob · 01/09/2012 00:32

yeh I would rather be called anything than love in that certain tone.....

bonhomiee · 01/09/2012 00:28

"Edna" ? or "Hilda" ?

"love" ?

garlicnuts · 01/09/2012 00:19

Cunt is a harsher swear word because we live in a patriarchial misogynistic society

But, Eats, if that website's correct about Arab insults, the whole 'cunt/misogynist' argument is out of the water!

Why is there never a foul-mouthed Arab on FWR when you need one ... ?

kim147 · 31/08/2012 23:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

EatsBrainsAndLeaves · 31/08/2012 23:24

We dont tend to call women pricks or nobs though. And that is a reflection of womens lower social status.

OP posts:

NellyJob · 31/08/2012 23:18

maybe but....
don't you think that calling a man a 'prick' or a 'knob' is more belittling? (lol)

Original poster

EatsBrainsAndLeaves · 31/08/2012 23:16

Cunt is a harsher swear word because we live in a patriarchial misogynistic society. Insulting someone through the use if female genitals thus has much more power than insulting them through the use of male genitals. Remember women and thus their genitals, have much lower status than men.

OP posts:

kim147 · 31/08/2012 21:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

confuddledDOTcom · 31/08/2012 21:35

I agree, coolragdoll. My brother used to be heartbroken over "Your mum's got no legs" but it didn't bother me. I'd ask him why it did because well d'uh... it's not true, and he said that it's his mum they're talking about. I used to say "but it's not true and it's not hurting her, so what?" The funny thing is I was badly bullied at school (physically and excluded, names didn't bother me when I was getting my head kicked in most days - in primary BTW) and he was the sort you wouldn't mess with, not a bully but he looks scary.

ethelb · 31/08/2012 14:53

When I was about 8 my mother said to me:

"It is awful the way that men can call women all these horrible things like cow and bitch. But its ok because you can always call them a prick!"

I think she was drunk as she hates swearing.

LastMangoInParis · 31/08/2012 14:41

blackcurrants there are so many 'faults' which would generally be seen as very minor, yet for a mother are widely regarded as inexcusable. You're right, 'selfishness' is seen as a cardinal sin, for sure.

blackcurrants · 31/08/2012 14:36

It seems to me that the worst thing you call a mother is 'selfish' mothers are supposed to be entirely selfless.

LastMangoInParis · 31/08/2012 14:33

Isla - that's terrible!

IslaValargeone · 31/08/2012 14:32

Telling me "You're like your mother" would finish me off tbh.

WizardofOs · 31/08/2012 14:30

I was called a cunt a few times in my younger days (by men) and although I was a bit shocked the first couple of times I was far more wounded by a female friend calling me a 'body facist'. It was years ago and the unfairness still stings and at the time I was not confident enough to defend myself as much as I should have.

LastMangoInParis · 31/08/2012 14:28

I certainly agree WRT to teenage girls, Eats, and the amount of lasting damage that can be done by screwing someone up during those very important years is horrific - as is the thought of someone being eroded over years and years by relentless bullying.
But this is why I think misogynistic insults need to be detonated by attention being called to their sheer, utter, surreal buffoonish stupidity rather than homage being paid in any shape or form to their 'power'.

Greythorne · 31/08/2012 14:22

I think 'nonce' is the worst insult I can think of for a man and that is traditionally reserved for men, not transferred as a slur for women.

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