Gendered/Sex based insults

[lucillelarusso]

For the last 6 months every time I hear someone use 'bitch', 'slag', 'Karen' etc rather than preach feminism I have asked them if there are any insults there are specifically for men. It has worked well in so far as all my siblings and colleagues have stopped using misogynist slurs and justifying them. No one has come back to me me with any insults for all men though - homophobic slurs and racist slurs specifically for men yes but not for all men, or straight white men.

AIBU to think that there aren't any sex based or gendered insults for men?

Yeah but when someone calls someone else a faggot it's frequently not because they're gay.

I disagree with the idea that bitch or Karen are misogynistic slurs at all. Calling someone a bitch is not having a go at them for being a woman, it's accusing them of having certain character traits. The same with Karen, it's used because someone's behaving in a certain way.

I think the difference is that if a man behaved the exact same way, there isn't an equivalent specifically for men. You'd just call him an arsehole (or I would anyway!) which isn't a gendered term inherently connected to their sex.

Non animal insults for men not mentioned yet include

Man-child
Cocklodger
Oik
Pillock
Asshole
Motherfucker

Chad

And not as insulting but kev and trev have both had the Karen treatment to a degree

It’s wrong to require that a man must behave in exact same way as a woman for the slur to count as gendered. Slurs are used on men and women equally when we do gender noncomforming actions. The point is that gender roles and expectations are based in our sex, and so are different. That’s why non-masculine men get called sissy or pussy...because they’re not being masculine, and a woman is called nasty or a bitch because she’s not being appeasing and nice as is expected by female gender expectations.

So you are never going to see a gendered slur applied for exact same behaviour by both genders/sexes because we have very different gender roles and expectations. Gendered slurs are specifically to punish those who are being gender nonconforming.

@skybluee

Chad

I've never heard this except for when people are challenged to come up with a male equivalent for Karen. I've never seen anyone called a Chad online, and I've never had clickbait pop up inviting me to see this entitled Chad get what he deserves.

Manchild.

Manbaby
Mediocre white man (as in god grant me the confidence of a mediocre white man) - my ex didn’t enjoy this one
Neanderthal (rarely used against women I’d have thought).

I think the difference is that if a man behaved the exact same way, there isn't an equivalent specifically for men. You'd just call him an arsehole (or I would anyway!) which isn't a gendered term inherently connected to their sex.

How about calling him a prick? Or a dickhead? Or a knob?

I don’t think we can say slurs for women are more “deeply offensive” than slurs for men. On what basis can we even say that? Isn’t saying that a bit sexist by trotting out the old trope that men are more thick skinned, tough and can shrug off abuse but women are weaker and more sensitive? So we poor flowers must be protected from insults as it’s more offensive to our delicate feminine sensibilities?

A thought a Chad was a sexually successful man

Regional variations is a big thing - a faggot is something you get at the chip shop round here and women are regularly called Ass holes, pillock, m-f etc

@skybluee

Chad

I think Chad is used by incels to describe attractive and sexually actively men isn't it?

women are called dickheads and pricks all the time, is this seriously a regional thing?

@youvegottenminuteslynn that's what I thought

@KrisAkabusi

I think the difference is that if a man behaved the exact same way, there isn't an equivalent specifically for men. You'd just call him an arsehole (or I would anyway!) which isn't a gendered term inherently connected to their sex.

How about calling him a prick? Or a dickhead? Or a knob?

I think it must be a regional / social group thing as while I completely get that those insults include penis references, they're used for men and women alike where I am. Whereas Karen is only used about women. Perhaps regional variations are more key than I thought? It's a really interesting topic this!

I thought cocklodger was a MN exclusive term, it is certainly just used for men I have only heard it here

[quote lucillelarusso]@youvegottenminuteslynn that's what I thought[/quote]
Yeah it definitely is!

Whether women get called dickheads is moot though. It is a sex based insult. I'd certainly say dickhead, knob, wanker is used far more for men

I can't really think of any insult for men that carries the connotation of promiscuity

Playboy or player, at least in American phrases. But it of course isn't demeaning in the way that slut or whore is. Playboy is seen as something to aspire to.

@Twicklette

The common term of abuse for men on Mumsnet is 'Mummy's Boy'. It manages to insult grown men and be misogynistic at the same time.

Ooh yes that's a good one

@Ijustreallywantacat

Whether women get called dickheads is moot though. It is a sex based insult. I'd certainly say dickhead, knob, wanker is used far more for men

Ahhh ok, I have caused confusion with my wording - I meant insults used for only 1 sex/gender There are plenty for women and trans-women and men, I now see that there are some for men - many being USA in origin. Where I live the term dickhead is applied to men and women equally, it is not used predominately for men.

I think it must be a regional / social group thing as while I completely get that those insults include penis references, they're used for men and women alike where I am.

Where I am in Ireland, they would only ever be used against men.

@OneTC

And not as insulting but kev and trev have both had the Karen treatment to a degree

Agreed, I've seen Kevin used a lot to describe similar men, but it has really caught on. I've also seen some memes reffing to men as Karens too.

I think that 'Karen' replaced the term 'Boomer' which many were against as it was seen as ageist. At least it referred to both men and women though 🤷🏽‍♀️

Boomer is agist
Gammon is for a particular political leaning as well as age and race from what I understand

@lucillelarusso

women are called dickheads and pricks all the time, is this seriously a regional thing?

I often will say of myself 'sorry I don't want to be a dick' so I get what you mean, but equally before moving to the UK I'd never heard the word cunt used so much, and most of the times I've heard it it's been men talking to other men