The Seven words you can't say in a progressive forum...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

Actually, I noticed that female anatomy slang seems to be verboten, but male anatomy slang never merits a raised eyebrow.

I can refer to Cheney or Bush as Dickhead, asshole (trans gender), a pee-pee mouth, or a giant penis, but to cross the line and use various female genitalia slang would raise cries of god knows what and probably get me cyber-lynched.

Whazzup with this? A person can intimidate the man is in league with Satan, spews feces from every hole in his head, eats dead babies and there will be not a peep. BUT! Dare to use a feminine metaphor and all hell breaks loose. Even calling someone a male puppy is verboten.

Puh-LEEZE! We don't need to actually use the words in discussing this, but it has piqued my curiosity...

[Pepperbelly]

1. Some are more equal than others. nt

[Kanary]

8. Precisely!!!

Those who are more vulnerable are much more aware of that which can put them even further behind.

Kanary

[AmerDem]

2. give links to some examples

I personally haven't seen what you mention.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

4. It happens and the links are usually locked. I don't want to infer

that a particular link was justly or unjustly locked, or dis the mods who all do a great job and should be applauded for giving their time, effort and talent to our community here.

If you cruised the lounge and the admin forum you will see where it happens from time to time.

[AmerDem]

7. I don't often go to the Lounge

as far as I knew it was a fairly open discussion area.

[jdj]

43. I see pussy all the time here. All the Time.

what else is there?

I see bitch and cunt, too. Cunt only seems to be okay when refering to Ann Coulter (or occasionally Michele Malkin).

[GodHelpUsAll2]

12. I have seen it here

Not just the lounge. Being a female, it bothers me not in the least when the slang female words are used to decribe the likes of Condi Rice, Ann Coulter, Karen Huges etc. You can be as gross and graphic as you please and it won't phase me in the least. Some people get very offended. Why I don't know,they are after all just words. Now, when tossed AT me, well then the fight is on! LOL

[Eloriel]

30. It should bother you greatly

Some of the other posts downthread address the problem fairly well. It's not JUST the crudeness, it's the fact that it demeans all women. I have no respect for rightwing women (patriarchy's female defenders), but there's no reason to use terms demeaning to all women to criticize them. None at all.

There are a lot of women around who worked damn hard so that the women of today have the benefits that they do. Even so, our work is not done by a long shot. Unfortunately, it's attitudes like yours (and so many others including our male brothers prevalent on this so called "progressive" board, as evidenced in this thread and numerous others) who are retarding that progress.

But, hey, if it's okay with you that women still make only 75 cents on the dollar that men make, if it's okay with you that women are not fully reprsented on corporate boards and in the Senate, if it's okay with you that violence against women (domestic violence, rape, murder, inceset, etc.) is rampant and shows NO sign of abating, then by all means indulge yourself in "not minding in the least" when ALL women are held back by the prevalence of demeaning, degrading, women-are-inferior attitudes inherent in these vulgar terms. You, too, can be one of the boyz, I guess.

And really, that's what it's all about. The rightwing women who support patriarchy are are eager to see OTHER women one-down are aligning themselves with the male-dominated hierarchy so they get theirs. And YOU are aligning yourself with THEM and helping their cause every time you support or enable misogyny and sexism by "not minding in the least" and staying silent instead of challenging and confronting these epithets.

[Zensea]

32. Good luck Eloriel

& I mean that quite sincerely having witnessed and participated in this discussion before.
Hope you are doing well.

[cali]

3. I believe

whore is the most frequently used perjorative on this board. Frankly, and I know I'm in a minority here, I wouldn't mind a lot less of the "doo doo head" descriptions.

[China_cat]

5. It depends on the gender

Your use of dickhead or ball-less to speak of another male is appropriate. Using the term pussy, twat, girlie-man, etc to describe another man is offensive to women for the simple reason that we are not just life support systems for tits and ass.

In the same way, I would not object to another woman referring to Ann Coulter by the derogatory use of the word cunt (which, in Dutch, only means that part of the anatomy you sit on).

[marano]

10. I like the way you talk.

[Ms. Toad]

19. Generally

For the same reason that all babies are presumed to be boys.

Feminism 101 here (I'm probably showing my age - but unfortunately the problem has not disappeared)

My daughter, who has always looked feminine (very petite features, sometimes dressed in pink and frills), was always presumed to be male. I cannot remember a single comment from a stranger about my girl, daughter, she, her, etc. I remember lots of comments about him, he, son, boy. Around that time I polled everyone I came in contact with. Universally the parents of girls had the gender of their child misidentified most of the time; the parents of boys rarely had anyone ponder about their cute little girl.

It is perceived as insulting for a boy to be thought of as a girl. It is not insulting (and possibly an honor) for a girl to be thought of as a boy.

So, when you use slang for female body parts (or refer to a male as a female - "girly man") it is an insult because you are referring to him as a lesser form of life - i.e. female. Calling a woman by the name of a male body part (or male) is not an insult - and may in fact be honoring her for her similarity to men.

That said, I do not believe that any but the most Neanderthal consciously process this reasoning. We grow up hearing men called by slang for female genitalia (or gay - i.e. playing a female role)and knowing it is an insult. We may not consciously know why, but the insult is clear. Because we hear it so often, it becomes just part of the background, and some of us even adopt it - and are honestly shocked when someone is offended.

(The same thing happens with race, ethnicity, and disabilities - but that is not the question here.)

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

24. Nice answer. I guess part of the reasoning (for me) in the question

has to do with the fact that the only difference I see between the sexes (and any other differentia between myself and others) is basically a cosmetic difference in the sense that the other person is different than me. Not inferior or superior, just different. I guess it goes back to the way I was raised (thanks, Mom and Dad).

[Iris]

20. well, yeah. And when you refer to a man as somehow feminine to denigrate

him, you are basically saying women are a lesser life form.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. Damn we can't use racial slurs either

In the spirit of equity, if the men on this board wish to petition admin to exclude pejoratives using male anatomy, I will gladly support them.

[DrWeird]

9. Saying "asshole" is like using a racial slur.

My anus is a beautiful thing and it demands respect.

Fucking sexists.

[BeFree]

11. Penis envy

Those that got one, love it.

Those that don't, want one real bad.
:)<~=

But look here, mate, women need to be treated with dignity, afterall, we all came from a women. Women are special and we men need to treat them better than we do ourselves.

Personally, when something is really, really good, I like to use the term "Tits".

[Eloriel]

31. I have never met ANY woman who had a case of

penis envy. That was a ridiculous notion, a fantasy really, made up by the misogynist named Sigmund Freud to try to explain something which he wasn't even INTERESTED in understanding, certainly not if it would result in women being treated more like "real" human beings (aka: males).

Freud's "work" has done a lot to harm women during the last century. Please don't repeat this ridiculous fantasy of Freud's.

[BeFree]

35. Whoa, Eloriel, honey

It was more or less a joke. But you can't deny the basic premise..

Those that ain't got one, want one.

I mean c'mon, I've meant plenty of women who really, really wanted and needed a penis, if only for a coupla hours at a time. <grin>

[Kanary]

36. That's just really nutz.

"Honey".

:puke:

[BeFree]

38. Hey...

Men are dogs... bark, bark, bark...

Did you miss the part where I said women are special? I am sorry if I don't quite grok where you women are coming from, but I do love ya'll and would never curse the lot of ya, which, if I remember that's kinda what this thread is about, honey.

Give me some credit, please. Pretty please, honey?

[Kanary]

40. "Love" does NOT mean purposely trying to get a rise out of the

"loved" one.

"Sweetie".

:puke:

Kanary, who has known love, and knows what love is, and knows what trolling is, and KNOWS they are not the same thing.

[BeFree]

41. Hey, I'm bored

And just found out a good friend of mine's liver is giving out.

And I like fishing. Besides, I've learned a good bit of how to "get a rise" from some of your posts, Deary Sweetie Kanary.

Peace, eh?

[Kanary]

42. Yeah, figured as much.

:nopity:

Peace does NOT exist without respect.

Ask the Iraquis about that one.

Kanary

[Cleita]

13. As I was riding around today with the sweet little female dog

I babysit during the day, I thought about the fact that she is refererred to as a bitch. A female pig is a sow. It seems bitch and sow are two words that are used to put down a human female. Think about it. The male dog is a sire and the male pig is a boar. For some reason or other calling a man a sire or a boar doesn't seem as denegrating as the other two words. So I guess we get upset when our female attributes are used to insult someone.

[yankeeinlouisiana]

14. What's a male puppy called?

:shrug:

I actually have no idea what that word might be. Just give me the first and last letter with *** in the middle.

Thanks!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

17. A male puppy would be the son of the female dog...

[yankeeinlouisiana]

22. I get that part,

but what's the word? Maybe I'm just dense tonight. Ok, a female dog is called a "witch" with a "b"...so is a male puppy a ba****d?

[meow2u3]

29. Just come out and say it

Son of a bitch! :D

[yankeeinlouisiana]

37. Thank you!!

I just couldn't figure that one out. Guess I'm not up on my slang.

;-)

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

16. Pot kettle?

You're showing all the Klass of a freeper. And that's Klass with a "K", trailer park boy.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

18. You don't even know me... However, I'll change a letter and send it back

at ya' twit.

[camero]

21. Bye

:hi:

God they keep trying don't they?

[Zomby Woof]

23. My 7 Forbidden DU Words

"What will you do if Bush wins?"

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

25. LOL! Yup.

That pretty much says it all.

[TwilightZone]

26. Oh, the horror.

:scared:

[Kukesa]

34. Now, that's really vulgar! n/t

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

27. Intimidate?

I would love to intimidate Dick Cheney!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

28. LOL.... Intimate! Damn that spell checker, it's supposed to know

what I intend as well!

[Kanary]

33. Or....... women can be demeaned verbally, but not gays or ethnic groups??

If men don't like the slurs directed towards them, they can speak up for themselves. Nobody is gagging their ability to speak out. It isn't the responsibility of women to defend men.

There is post after post after post on DU, decrying the heartlessness of the RW, who never hesitate to demean people they don't like. Yet, the very same thing is done here at DU, directed towards women, and it's defended and rationalized.

There's an old saying that fits here....."Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

Kanary

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FlemingsGhost]

44. It was a joke.

Someone needs to lighten up.

[FlemingsGhost]

45. **WARNING** Most offensive sentence in DU history:

The beaver snatched a piece of pie from the hot box.

[Moderator]

46. I'm locking this thread

reason:

Flamebait