AIBU in being surprised c**t is used as an insult on MN

[Caitlin17]

Firstly apologies if anyone thinks I'm being twee using asterisks but it's not a word I would use in either of its meanings, but I am surprised that it is used(exclusively?) as an insult here.

This site is largely populated by women many of a feminist and /or liberal persuasion. I'd have expected there to be some(a few?)who would seek to reclaim the word in its biological sense.

Is it beyond redemption in that sense?

Oh yes, I would far, far rather refer to my 'cunt' than my 'pussy'.

Monty I don’t know. What is it you don't get? Or are you saying no one finds this word more shocking than any other?

Let's imagine say Stephen Fry saying dick on Qi, or Marcus Brigstock on The Now Show. Who would even notice? Let's imagine them saying cunt.
What do you think the reaction would be?

Actually, this is something that surprised me about mumsnet when I first came here. I don't feel very comfortable using or writing the word. I've always known it to be an extremely horrendous insult to be hurled at a woman, typically from a man, essentially one meant to reduce them to object of sexual purpose. "You are wholly something to put a penis into, nothing more."

It was a culture shock to see it used so casually, even affectionately on mumsnet. I'm not offended, it simply seems to have a different meaning and connotation than it does for an American. Still wouldn't be comfortable using it myself, but I realize the difference in usage.

Caitlin I agree with you. But I think its wrong, that reference can be made to a male genital or other sexual innuendos but not cunt. That's my point.

That one with the long hair, can't remember his name now on QI is a prize prick by the way. Is it Owen Davies? Can't stand him.

And its ok to say that isn't it unless you really love him

Ahhh its cos its a four letter word

The thing is, a comedy programme on tax/state funded prime time television is never really going to be cutting edge or want to push the envelope too much, it probably isn't worth the hassle. That's what channel 4 and the internet are for.

Some people like to be offended, it's a hobby for them. Why are people particularly offended by the word cunt? Because we are told to be? That probably does come down to wider society being a mans world and deep rooted misogyny that implies being a woman is 'less' than anything else. In the truly modern age though, I think it has been reclaimed within a lot of social groups so that's a good thing I guess. I am troubled some what by the type of woman who is far too ladylike (read docile and submissive) though to even type the word.

Squoosh Pussy ewwwwwww

Nite nite erm... everybody, of course I was tempted to call you all something else but I shan't.

A better example might have been The Inbetweeners, late night channel 4 show, mostly about teenage boys'obsessions with sex which used every word used on this thread(and more)except the topic of this thread.

For all of you saying it's no different, only uptight people are offended that is still not an explanation of why it is the case, although Teeb's post went some of the way

Teeb if the docile and submissive comment is a dig at me, you're so wide of the mark. As I said I don't feel the need to think of genitals as being insults. I didn't want the full word being in the thread title.

We all know there is a widespread phobia around the word 'cunt', people have been asking why you think this is. Why do you think this air of pearl clutching terror has grown up around an unapologetic, in your face, word that describes female genitals?

Maybe it's because our sexist society has not yet come to terms with women referring to their own bodies in unapologetic, in your face ways.

To me 'front bottom' is vastly more offensive in the way it delicately and prudishly refuses to refer to the thing it's meant to be referring to. Bottoms are dirty, my vulva isn't the front of my bottom thank you very much.

Cunt, nigger and faggot are the last bastions of moral outrage to be fully breached iyswim. Their history is so well known that the personal squeamishness factor is heightened by the utterance, as you know it is still offensive to some (who allow it to be).

The power of a word to offend should only be as strong as the venom it's delivered with.

As an American, my feeling on this is similar to OhSoSirius. The word is considered deeply offensive and misogynistic in the US. I can count on the fingers of one hand (with fingers left over) the times I have ever heard it spoken aloud in the US.

men calling women a cunt are probably desperate to be laid by said flaps

women getting offended no idea, it's just a word to me but people go all up in arms about it

sqoosh

Good points psynl

I've noticed it being used more frequently in films - Ted and Wolf of Wall Street for example. Still shocks me. Not all words are equally powerful. Imagine what a dull language English might be if they were!

Personally I find the use of bitch more offensive than cunt, as it tends to be much more gendered in use, rarely applied to men. Whereas although cunt is the 'A' class of swears it's use it seems to me is fairly indiscriminate, much like fuck.

Having said that I try to avoid hard swearing on a regular basis, and I certainly tick my children off when they do so. Old English words do tend to be the best swears, as you can really spit them out satisfactorily. Bollocks is a particular favourite of mine.

'cuntybollocks' takes it up a notch.

Who says cunt is a powerful word?

Hmm, I reckon that would be the people giving it power. So people like the op.

Its just another collection of letters with a meaning or two. And I choose not to be offended or insulted by it. Why would I, I have one of my own...

Just to be clear, I don't think the same of insults such as nigger. Faggot, paki, chinky etc. Those words have been used over time as a weapon against minorities and for that reason they are unacceptable.

Op, have you ever been to glasgow?

I'm with the OP! I used cunt in a thread about sexual health and got this face . I think it says a lot about society's attitude to women that the most unacceptable swear word (according to the BBC's list) is a word for the female genitalia.

In terms of its use on tv, it turns up a lot on Game of Thrones (a joint Sky-HBO enterprise IIRC so as American as it is British). At first it was shocking - "cunt" on prime time - but now it's just part of the vocabulary. And in the context of a pretty violent and sexual programme.

Yanbu, it's sounds so disgusting to hear it from women.

I like it's etymology, from "queynt" which also gave us the word "quim"

It's often pointed out on 'Do you like Quinn?' baby name threads. OK, it's typical handwriting that turns 'nn' to 'm' (how Shakespeare gave us Imogen from Innogen), but naming your DD in etymological homage to a cunt does show an amazing attitude.

I was amazed to see it so often written too and usually in the context of fury or hate - generally to describe men.

Cunts are beautifully enjoyable things that belong only to women that give a lot of pleasure. Why use them as a term of hate? Seems like the women haters have done their job, if a really enjoyable bit of the female body is used as one of the worst insults you get.

Cunt is a great word