Bitches, Cunts, and Hoes, OH MY!

So I'll just start right off the bat in saying I know a lot of you don't like the fact that I actually spelled out the word "cunt" in my title. The word "cunt" is kinda like how the Harry Potter universe approached the name "Voldemort." I'm in the Harry and Dumbledore camp, meaning if I intend to use the word cunt, I'm going to actually say the word cunt and spell it out without an asterisk. After all, there isn't even a tracking device on the word cunt, like there was eventually with the name Voldemort. I should also mention that I recently finished the Harry Potter series again.

The reason why I post this, quickly and without too much forethought because I have more pressing matters to deal with, like making Jell-O instant pudding, is because I'm see a lot of these words these days. Bitch. Cunt. Ho. Slut. The whole gambit of terrible things specifically meant to offend a lady. And trust me, those of you who get nervous about my frequent missives about feminism, this isn't really a diatribe about the horrors of our patriarchal society. It's more about the beauty of the English language. 

I have heard people actually use the word cunt in a professional setting because they thought it was a scientific term for the pubis and vagina (I'm not kidding. This happened.). I have heard people use the term bitch in a strong and powerful way, as in "Beyoncé is a bad-ass bitch." You're damn right she is. I've heard hoe used affectionately, a woman praising the other for letting her inhibitions down for a night and consensually agreeing to a roll in the hay with a hot guy.  

The point is, word reclamation is not new. There's another word out there that has culturally been "reclaimed" but it's not a word that I'm allowed to use. I suppose mentioning that makes has a strong influence on this, so you're absolutely allowed to keep that in mind while you read this.

Words are powerful. But they need two other important factors to make them so. If words by themselves were powerful I could say BANANA TRIPLE PARASOL FUNTIME and you would all weep with joy because it was a beautiful pairing of letters and imagery. No, banana triple parasol funtime doesn't mean anything because it doesn't have any intention behind it. There is no reason for me to say those things because it doesn't make any sense or have any meaning to me whatsoever, mostly because I'm lukewarm on bananas and I've never had a parasol because I'm not sure I could pull it off. 

Another example; the words "I don't want to trip so that's the reason I tie my shoes." There's intention with that. Now you know that there is a perfectly justifiable reason I tie my shoes. But in this setting, there's really no power to that statement cause there's no context for it. There was no mention of the time I tripped in front of my entire gym class because my shoes were untied (it happened, and the bruise was epic). 

Words, any words, only have their power when there is intention and context surrounding them. If you want to call yourself a bad ass bitch, by all means do so. In this intention and context, you are taking control of the word and proclaiming yourself a powerful lady. But bitch, cunt, hoe, slut... too often their intention is in an aggressive context and intention, a threatening and suppressing context, a way to hurt someone's feelings.

These words were born out of specific context and intention. Like you cannot deny where ever you come from (even Don Draper tried and failed), words cannot escape their history. The word Hashtag existed before social media, but it's growth into the cultural lexicon was shaped by its context and intention. Bitch is technically a female dog, but somewhere in history someone decided to make the word mean something else. 

So when you use any of these words in a positive context, be you a proud hoe or a sassy cunt, you are (sometimes subconsciously) acknowledging that these are bad and hurtful words. Is it possible for these words to perhaps one day be good? Sure. Language must be malleable. But for now, know that while your intention maybe for the best, and your context may be positive, there's a whole lot of other intention and context packed in with it. By using these hot button words you're adding your intention and context to their own historical intention and context. That makes the words heavy. And you not only have to be confident that you can lift their weight, but that their weight will not distract the listener or reader from what the message really is.

That's the reason why when the word cunt flies out of my mouth I instantly regret it. I'm not afraid of the word (VOLDEMORT!!) but it's not a word I want to metaphorically bench press. I can't handle the weight of it. I'm even a little uncomfortable saying that I'm a fantastic bitch. If I call myself a bitch, my intention and context is usually the fact that I'm acknowledging that I'm acting particularly agitated and prickly. To then turn around and say "THAT'S RIGHT, I'M A BITCHHHHH" would then just seem like a wasted opportunity when there are so many other words I have at my disposal which doesn't have the same history or duality. 

Use bitch, cunt, hoe, slut in any context you desire but don't be afraid to crack open a thesaurus and find another word. There are a myriad of ways to proclaim your awesomeness, your strength, your terseness, or your pride in sexual freedom. You don't have to whip out one of the heavy ones in order to prove your passion.  

Now, as for the word fuck... well that's just a fucking amazing part of my fucking vocabulary. I could lift that with my pinkie finger. 

Anyway, that's just my fucking opinion.