Are there any feminist alternatives to the word "bitch"?

Magic doesn't exist, I fail to see your point. =/

I assume your point is something along the lines of "People are too stupid to understand what context clues are despite the fact that it's taught in school fairly early on" but I mean that's just me guessing.

 

Betch.

"Those shoes are mine betch. Betch."

[YOUTUBE]wCF3ywukQYA[/YOUTUBE]

 

There's 'jackass' and 'asshole'.

 

Dickhead?

 

cock lover

 

When in doubt, one can always call others an unlubricated dildo.

 

To me it has nothing to do with gender, it's just how the person is acting. If they were being rude I would call them a bitch. If they were being obnoxious I would call them a douche. For being cruel I would call them a dick. Used in this way, I don't think there's any reason for bitch to be considered anti-feminist.

There are some people who use the word in a sexist way, like discrediting a woman by calling her a "dumb bitch," but that doesn't mean that the word can't be used in other ways. Those same people might try to demean a woman by telling her to make them a sandwich but the phrase "make me a sandwich" in itself is not considered misogynistic.

Still, if you're looking for some alternate insults, a few of my favorites are asshat, assbag, shitdick, dickhead, bag/mountain of dicks, and shitface. Of course fucker works too.

 

"People are too stupid to understand what context clues are despite the fact it's taught in school fairly early on"
That is not what I'm saying. I'm saying that because you are not *intending* to be misogynistic, does not mean your use of misogynistic language doesn't hurt others.

Shakesville: Harmful Communication, Part One: Intent Is Magic

 

I started to read that article and my BS o meter just went crazy...=/

and actually that is what you're saying.

You're suggesting that I can't use a word in any context because someone might fail to understand that context and get offended. In other words you're telling me that you feel there are enough people out there incapable of figuring out context clues to where I should limit my speech and censor myself because they can't be bothered to examine a sentence for what it is and not make an assumption.

 

No that is not what I'm saying. You are putting words into my mouth. I have no said that you should stop using the word. I'm letting you know that the words you use, regardless of your intent, have repurcussions on others.

Consider the following video as analogous to your use of misogynistic gendered slurs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smOmn1s9WCI

 

When I use bitch, it's for two reasons. I tend to use it as a means of addressing crying, or complaining, about something. For example, someone can't bring it upon themselves to get up and grab a drink, but sit and complain about how thirsty they are. Of course, I'm not going to call someone a 'bitch', if they're crying or complaining about something legitimate.

The second reason, is a little more light. If I'm playing a game, and someone crosses me or surprises me, then I might say, "You bitch!" as an exclamation.

"Ass Clown" is probably my favorite way of swearing, though.

 

"shitbag" is a term i really like which i learned from oitnb.

i dont understand why people get so pissy when they're asked to modify their language to be more considerate.

 

Shithead is good. I think that does the job, but I think bitch will always be the best, haha.

 

^ Makes a slightly different approach, but it does nothing to persuade me. I disagree with everything she just said.

I actually call things "gay" myself. I don't really care, I'm more than capable of discerning Gay in that context from Gay in the sense of sexuality. It's not that difficult, and if someone wants to start saying "That's so white boy" or "That's so bisexual" or "That's so atheist" I really do not care, not in the slightest.

I like having free speech, I hate censorship, and I'm not going to have anyone tell me their twisted interpretation of what my words mean when I say them.

If you aren't capable of discerning my intent, you probably aren't intelligent enough to hang anyways.

Edit: If someone comes up to me and tells me honestly that something I'm saying upsets or bothers them, I won't say it around them. I do have respect for other people. I won't stop using it altogether, but I'll respect them and not use it around them.

 

What's wrong with the word bitch?

It's only as sexist as the terms "dick head" or "crock".

 

"Ass-hat" is probably my favorite. I don't know why, it's just super fun to say. I should start using it more often.

---------- Post added 4th Aug 2014 at 03:00 PM ----------

This is another fun one~! <3

 

how about we stop using gendered slurs altogether?

 

That's why I use the word bitch as well, but when I use it on a woman it seems offensive, and when I use it on a man it seems like I'm comparing him to a woman, which is offensive. It's so hard to be politically correct. So far I like shitlord and shitbag for replacements.

 

At the rate we're going to speak to another person you'll be forced to say something along the lines of

"Greetings, fellow human being. I wish to make a formal request to inquire about your day. Is this acceptable to you, if so please fill out forms A236-section b and C32-Section 4P."

 

Don't exaggerate because someone dislikes how you use a word. You are being asked not to use a slur, not to sound like a robot for "hello, how are you?", so it's not really productive to mock Wuggums cheaply like that.

Yes, bitch can be extremely offensive, and I'll agree with Simple Thoughts in that context does matter.

However, I absolutely disagree that intent changes anything if the context makes it wrong; if you call a woman a bitch to criticise them for being subservient (or a man for that matter), or if you use it because you're uncomfortable with a woman's (over)assertiveness, then steer far away from that word. Your intentions do not matter; it will be taken offensively, and probably rightly so. You can't pretend a word does not have politicised connotations. If you use it in a context in which it could be taken offensively, it generally means that you're doing so deliberately.

If you call yourself or friends bitches, that should be fine if there's no situation that could be taken badly. Calling a friend a bitch for no reason generally won't be harmful to anyone. Calling someone a bitch because of their actions is a lot more difficult to manage sensitively, and I'd avoid doing that.

If someone tells you to stop using the word around them, it's probably best not to do so. It's as simple as that, even if they're a friend, even if you've said it with no malice.