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07/19/2001 Entry: "Bitch, Broad, Chick, Whatever."

Hm. I don't know.
I think the reason some women are willing to embrace the word 'bitch' is because it implies you are, in some sense, difficult and evil. If someone thinks you're a bitch, it's probably because you stood up to them and didn't let them walk all over you. To take the idea to illogical extremes, if someone says you are a bitch, you have opinions of your own which you're not afraid to state, and you're not willing to lie down and be taken advantage of in order to be 'nice'.
I dunno, it sounds good to me. Bitch != doormat. And hey, if I was meant to be a doormat, I'd have sisal bristles on my back, wouldn't I?

I don't particularly mind 'broad', myself, but it's less of a comment on your personality and more of a comment on your basic gender. Broad equals chick equals tomato equals frail equals squeeze. Geez, do I read enough pulp fiction?
So if someone calls you a 'broad', I guess all they have to know is that you're female. Seems kind of generic, really. Hell, if I wanted to be generic, I wouldn't run a website, I'd run my pantyhose. (Rim shot.)

I guess, given the definitions above, I'd rather be a bitch than a broad. Why can't I be both? I have the boobs to be a broad and the brain to be a bitch... oooooh, profound AND alliterative. I'm so talented.

Bitch and broad aside, I tend to refer to myself as 'just this chick, yanno?'. Which seems about right, really.

Replies: add your comment: currently 7 comments

The issue I have with most self-proclaimed bitches is the fact that they pride themselves on their bitchiness, go around saying what a bitch they are, and then have a raging fit when you perhaps agree that their tact could use a little work or dare do anything but compliment them.

And I can totally see the raging feminist thing. I know a lot of modern feminist "bitches", and they really, really scare me.

A thought, also. Groups often embrace terms that originated as insults, and this makes them less insulting. Lots of groups have done this, and it tends to work. It takes the sting off if you're calling yourself the same thing someone's calling you as an insult.

Posted by Ed @ 07/19/2001 08:07 PM EST

Hrm. I'm with Ed about the using insults to take away the power bit. Seeing as how I have little -to no faith in humanity I'm surprised people were able to come up with it. It's a perfect solution, I think.

But, well, still-- when I think of someone calling themselves a bitch, visions of little pink ovular bumper stickers with the words "bitch goddess" written in glitter pop into my head. No offense if if anyone's got one of those, but girls like that are usually the MOST whiny, insecure, smarmy little horsefaces you'll ever meet. In my experience, women who call themselves bitches and proclaim themselves strong are exactly the opposite.

But, whatever floats your boat. If it makes someone feel better about themselves, that's great. Personally I'm waiting for a time when the sexes don't have to "be" a sex. I'd like to be called a person.

Posted by Andrya @ 07/20/2001 01:40 PM EST

I can still plug here, even though I'm a guy, right? *_* Well, I agree that many girls who call themselves bitches are probably doing it because they long for power, and they think it makes them FEEL powerful. You know, like "I'm a bitch, so fear me and do what I say!! You HAVE to do what I say!!" No we don't. Hush up. They think it makes them feel big, because they are so insecure with themselves, so this is a way to break it, in their eyes. Whatever floats your boat is right...
I honestly don't get this, myself, and I see I'm not the only one. Maybe it's a power thing, or yes, maybe because it's supposed to be an insult, it is turned around to make it be the opposite. There is a person in my summer class who referred to himself as a "fag" (I'm sorry for using this word!!! ), so clearly he had no problem using this word to describe his own sexual orientation. He turned an insult into the opposite for himself. Some people are like that. I do think it's good to not be bothered by such words, I must say.
But in the case of "bitch", maybe women use it to feel powerful and DANGEROUS; you know, like saying "Don't f**k with me". Maybe they do want people to be afraid of them, and perhaps eve n worship them as if they are God. Well, I tell you, I have met people like that, and they ARE scary, indeed....
And hey Moon, what do you think about the word "dame"? Would you call yourself a "dame" (speaking of pulp fiction novels! lol)? ^_'

Posted by Wolf @ 07/20/2001 07:26 PM EST

Heh, good points, y'all. I wouldn't actually CALL myself a bitch, but if someone ELSE called me a bitch, I'd probably not be terribly hurt. (Actually, I'd probably think something along the lines of 'wow, I must be doing something right, the poor lamer is mad'.)

Dame? Eh, it beats being called a frail, right? I'd much rather be a dame than a tomato!

And does it say something about my vocabulary that, every time I try to type dame, I end up typing 'damn' first?

Posted by Mooncalf @ 07/20/2001 09:07 PM EST

Well, considering the distance from the "e" key the the "n" key on the standard keyboard... probably yes. (I'm not *normally* this snide! Really! Honest! There's just something about your humour which has that reaction with me, Moon...)

Posted by Nathan @ 07/21/2001 07:43 AM EST

Don't believe him! He's a Nathan!

One of the things I have observed about the self-proclaimed bitches is that if you call them bitchy they have a fit.

Of course, you call me a bastard or an asshole and I tend to say something along the lines of, 'Yes, that's the general consensus.'

Posted by Ed @ 07/21/2001 03:33 PM EST

I don't suppose I'll *ever* live down my name around here, shall I? Not one of the things I expected to never live down... heh.

Posted by Nathan @ 07/24/2001 07:12 AM EST