In Robinson's book, on page 109 she talks about the demands she would make if a female were to become President of the United States -- one of which would be to make the world comfortable with the word vagina. After explaining the ridiculousness behind the uncomfortableness of the word, she talks about our use of the word pussy in terms of relating it to something weak.
First of all, I love this section. Other than enjoying reading this book, it also helped me to analyze certain things I had never thought about before.
She says "Pussies, excuse me, vaginas, shouldn't be the symbol of 'bad' behavior; the symbol should be Donald Trump and his Cheetos-dust skin tone."
This of course made me laugh. Not going to get into politics here, but I totally agree that the word should not be used as a slur for weakness or putting someone down.
My point is that if we cant talk about the things that make us uncomfortable, as in the description she gives about the scenario on the House floor when Lisa Brown was silenced -- then the knowledge we have about a topic will not grow. If that is the case, the usage of the words begin to be confused and used in inappropriate ways.
It could all be solved if we'd talk to each other kindly -- but in the meantime the importance of using correct terminology for correct insults needs to be stressed as well.
What do y'all think about this? Is stressing this use of not using these words insults a waste of time? Do any words make you uncomfortable? Why?
P.S. Thanks everyone who helped with the gif question. You guys rock!
I agree that the effect of “Pussy” and “Vagina” should be switched. Comedians are particularly apt at dispelling the force of a word’s connotation with its definition. Isla Shlesinger in the podcast 2 Dope Queens spoke a bit on the subject of the feminist morality of using the word “whores” to describe women on stage during standup. As a man I am a bit apprehensive about using the word “vagina.” I usually go the roundabout way and say “her downstairs” when I have to mention it. The words above do make me uncomfortable but that’s largely due to how little they come up in my conversations. If they were more prevalent in my tongue’s life I might loose some of that cringe worthy apprehension in saying them in their natural form, the way they should be verbally represented.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, saying "vagina" doesn't bother me, but the p word does. See, I can't even bring myself to type it out! It just doesn’t hit my ear right or in this case my eyes. I also don’t like the word ointment. Is that weird? Probably. Anyway, whenever I refer to the female genitalia, I only use the word “vagina”. I agree that the p word shouldn't be used to imply that someone is weak or cowardly. I also agree that in order to grow, we have to be able to talk about topics that makes us feel uncomfortable. Once we're able to do that, I think a lot of doors will open and possibly lead to further discussions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Olivia Mason in that "vagina" does not bother me while the word "pussy" does. Vagina is the correct medical term so it shouldn't make anyone uncomfortable. "Pussy" is another example of how society uses women as a way to form insults; another example would be "you throw like a girl." Female genitalia should not be used as a symbol of weakness. I like how Robinson instead refers to it as a symbol of empowerment.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Robinson's section about normalizing the word "vagina" really stood out to me, too. It reminded me of Megumi Igarashi again and her campaign to normalize vaginas. One thing I read from her mentioned that in Japanese, too, they don't like saying the word "vagina." The word for vagina in Japanese is "manko" (which is why Igarashi's mascot is named Manko-chan!), but in polite conversation and even in the doctor's office, the phrase that they use to describe vaginas is "asoko," which literally just means "down there." It sounds like what a person would tell their child to call it because they don't want their kids to be yelling the actual word in public. Saying vagina makes me a bit uncomfortable (typing is easier), but like Robinson, I think it should be normalized. A woman's body part should not be used as a curse word! Even though we also call people "dick" in America, it's generally more accepted than calling someone "pussy" or "cunt." We really need to stop treating our sexuality like it's a sin.
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