Gender & Cussing [NSFW]

As its title suggests, this post contains swearing and is Not Safe For Work. Consider this your warning 🙂

There are two employees. One is a highly-driven corporate executive, John Doe. Things get done, but John loads the pressure on his employees. Behind his back, they call him things like “prick” and “asshole.”

The other is also a determined executive: Jane. She shares many qualities with John, with one key difference: Jane’s employees call her a bitch.

This is the go-to swear when insulting women. Your psycho ex-girlfriend? Crazy bitch. Your coworker who never does her job right the first time? Stupid bitch. The girl who loves mainstream fads? Basic bitch. Regardless of who the woman is and in what context one knows her, when insults fly, she’s a bitch. It’s a one-size-fits-all word with a single, crueler synonym: this one starts with a C.

Insulting men, however, allows for a more diverse repertoire: a guy can be an ass and its variations (jack ass, dumb ass, etc.), a fuck(er) and its variations, a dick, and sometimes even a bastard.

Why are men’s insults more varied?

Photo Credit: Ben Tesch

Gender Bashing

Both swears for insulting women attack not only their behavior but their gender as well. Calling someone a dumb bitch says: “Not only is this person stupid, but she’s a woman, too” — as if this is an added offense, punishing her for slow wits as well as her anatomy.

But let’s say we want to insult a man. We may call him a “jack ass” or “dumb fuck.” Neither of these insult his gender. “Dick” is the closest we have to doing this, since it brings anatomy into the conversation, but calling someone a stupid dick? A basic dick? It doesn’t make sense; in fact, it’s almost funny.

And if we’re really mad at a guy, we may call him a bitch, effectively insinuating that the man in question is not only whiny, but acting like a woman, too.

Ouch.

Call Her What She Is

Some folks choose not to swear, out-loud or in their writing. When I write YA, I include cussing; swearing helps me create real people on the page.

But I also recognize the power in calling someone a bitch. Depending on the character, sometimes fiction can’t avoid this word; in the dirt bike novel I’m writing, a recurring theme is unhealthy friendships: one character recognizes the derogatory power of “bitch” and uses the word anyway.

But for me, the author — I don’t have to follow this character’s example. There’s already too much girl-hate; do I really need to insult her gender?

 

Is “bitch” a stronger insult? If yes, does this reflect a wider problem regarding how women are viewed? If no, why not? What experiences have you had with calling someone — or being called — a bitch? Comment below! 🙂