What they call us
The Scottish National Party MP Mhairi Black read out some of the misogynistic abuse she gets, including liberal use of “cunt.”
For instance starting at about 1:00
She needs a kick in the cunt, guttural cunt, ugly cunt, wee animal cunt – there is no softening just how sexualized and misogynistic the abuse is.
Please tell us again how “cunt” is not at all misogynistic in the UK. Please; we’re listening.
Somewhat off topic but when you get the kind of pseudo-feminist saying “We are fighting for everyone’s rights, not just the wimmin,” here’s a useful quote, which I just heard on Women’s Hour.
Patrisse Khan-Cullors about the Black Lives Matter=All Lives Matter stick (used by people who have never fought for anyone’s rights).
“It’s not about exclusion but focus.”
I think you are slightly missing the point about UK usage. Effectively it has two meanings. The sort shown in the abuse directed at Mhairi Black ( and Mary Beard and…) and a secondary use directed at males, usually friends.
This secondary use isn’t misogynistic as such – at least it isn’t ‘meant’ to be. However you still have to ask the question as to why women’s genitals are considered insulting, even in the relatively mild context of male to male banter. It can also be used as full on abuse towards another male of course, which on the scale of insults is ‘worse’ than calling them a dick, but again, why is this so?
I think the answer is, at least, two fold. It stems from a fear of women as ‘other’ by men whose only point of reference is the male. Secondly it gets used as an insult by women too and I think this aspect is learned behaviour. As an aside I was out earlier today and passed three young girls listening to some rap music with the most appalling woman hating lyrics. Why ffs?
No, I get that, and I get that in Scotland grandmothers refer to their grandbabies as wee cunts. But there is also the thing where any discussion of “cunt” as a misogynist epithet is subject to being invaded by a man shouting that the word IS NOT MISOGYNIST in the UK [caps theirs]. Not that it has two or more meanings, but that is simply IS NOT MISOGYNIST, end of, shut up.
@#3 – and not only that it is not misogynist in the UK, but that apparently makes it all right to use anywhere.
^ Yes, and that it’s Yank imperialism and conceit and bumptiousness to think we get to dictate what Australians call women they dislike.
All I can say on this topic is that my experience of that word is that it unmistakably a derogatory slur. Sure, some might use it in rough play between mates, but used in anger it’s the worst thing that can be said of a woman and is even worse (for obvious reasons) used against a man. The only people I know who use it, let alone feel good about using it, are people who in my direct experience have a problematic view of women. I’m ashamed to say in my youth I did use the word in both jest and anger (although not against a woman, if that means anything). No more.