Or there’s the option of using it as a non-neutral reference to anatomy, like “asshole”.
I use it to refer to myself even if I don’t have one. Is that like cultural appropriation? Anatomical appropriation?
Americans seemed to think that because they had “Miss” and “Mrs”, they needed a third term, “Ms”. That’s silly. The French has “mademoiselle” and “madame” and now use “madame” as default. The Germans has “Frau” and “Fraulein” and now use “Frau” as default. It’s Americans with a chip on their shoulders (and little awareness of other cultures) who engaged in overwrought whinging and thought they needed a third term.
It’s not important at all for you to have a conversation with me. I mean, if you enjoy it and I enjoy it, why not, we’re consenting adults, right?
That’s the idea behind curse words. If they’re not upsetting to at least some people, they’re just quaint, like “gosh darn” and “for Pete’s sake”.
Oh for Christ’s sake. I’m talking about the American context. I suppose if a black complains about being called nigger or a gay man a faggot that’s just victimhood too?
More to the point, can mods make up their own rules for the forums they’re caretaking? The links provided upstream clearly indicate that they cannot. But things may have changed since then.
Maybe it’s not used against women in Ireland; I’ve no idea. But it most certainly is used that way in the USA. Do you seriously think that because the people you know only use it in one way nobody in the English-speaking world could use it differently? English doesn’t work like that.
Yeah, I love the “You guys are being so self-centered thinking that its meaning is limited to what you’re familiar with. Clearly, its meaning is limited to what we’re familiar with!”
We (people arguing the pro-cunt side in this thread) know quite well that it can be used to reduce women to their bodyparts. We’re not using it like that and we don’t care if our use of it upsets you. Of all the things you could beat us with, your brows aren’t very intimidating.
“BUT IN 'MURICA IT’S NOT LIKE THAT!”. Americans telling non-Americans that this is the way things work in America is unlikely to convince non-Americans even if many Americans find that argument persuasive.
I was ok with your post until this load of crap. As I’ve said, I don’t mind the word. I feel like if I let it piss me off then whoever intended for it to has succeeded. So I don’t let it bother me. But there are other people/women whom it does bother and they deserve to be respected. Like Guin said, just ban it and be done with it.
Chronos, this post is completely confusing. I don’t have a dog in this fight (I never use the word in question, period). However I would have trouble understanding what instruction I as a poster would be receiving from you based on this set of statements.
So, could we clarify?
Is using the word “cunt” acceptable in General Questions under any circumstances?
Is using the word “cunt” acceptable in General Questions when it is used to refer something other than another person (as I understand the situation, here it was used to refer to physical things, not people)?
Is using the word “cunt” in General Questions subject to rules different from those applicable in other forums on the Board (yes, we understand that rules in The Pit are different; other than that forum)? Why? How?
There are three moderators of General Questions. Do you all agree that the world “cunt” is subject to the rules you are applying as clarified by your answers?
And aren’t you kind of doing the same thing to Americans? “Oh, silly women, why should you be offended? We don’t mean it that way!!! You’re just a bunch of weaklings who want to be victims!”
Please. It’s mansplaining at best and it’s patronizing and insulting at worst.
I personally don’t mind the word, it’s just a stupid one. But I can understand there are those that do and I’m not going to just accuse them of being victims just because I myself don’t mind it. Because, you know, I’m an adult, not some spoiled little brat.
I’M more upset about the inconsistency of the rules.
If I said that of women in general, you might have a point. But I don’t. I don’t think women are more likely than men to be silly and when men are silly, it often has graver consequence. I like to believe that I can think that an individual, who is a woman, is silly without thinking that women in general are silly just like you can think I’m a jackass without thinking that men in general are jackasses.
I disagree with some of the posters here for much the same reasons as kambuckta and bucketybuck. I guess I should let them do the speaking; That way you won’t be able to use the mansplaining card.
My “victimly” comment was following up on bucketybuck talking about wallowing in victimhood. Emiliana said “How shall I carry on?” Answering “Victimly?” was too good to pass up. You just add “ly” to whatever adjective was used. My impulse control is too weak to resist that. Emiliana seems to be fighting a fighting from her past, maybe from an asshole who called her a cunt and now it sticks with her. Ok, I understand that. But I won’t stop using the word. The ignore button is within easy reach. She’s unlikely to be all that interested in what I say anyway. If you think I’m a mansplaining, patronizing, insulting, spoiled little brat, I can’t imagine you would be too.
So two countries you know of are dealing with the problem by dropping one term and using the other for everybody; and another country is dealing with it by adding a third term and letting people choose which of the three they want to use.
Not only do I not see what this has to do with being “more formal”, but I don’t see why you’ve got your knickers in a twist about it. Languages change. They don’t all change in exactly the same fashion at the same time. This is normal.
You seem to be trying to argue that the same word is inoffensive because in Australia (and apparently in Ireland) nothing offensive is meant by it; while at the same time arguing that you use the word precisely because it is offensive. Make up your mind.
None of the people pointing out that the word is indeed offensive in the USA is saying that the meaning is limited to its meaning in the USA. What appears to me to be happening is that a couple of people are insisting that it can’t possibly actually be offensive in the USA because it’s not offensive where they live. You’re the ones saying there’s only one valid interpretation.
Indeed. As I said, not my board, not my rules. My choice which posters to read or to take seriously, of course; but that’s all the say I’ve got in the matter (aside from going away entirely, which this issue isn’t going to drive me to.)
I would, however, like to join in requesting that the moderators talk this over among themselves, taking whatever time they feel they need to do so; and then come to a conclusion and announce that conclusion to the rest of us. I further suggest that they might want to discuss, in general, how to handle cases in which a word or phrasing is offensive in some parts of the world and not others.
It’s offensive or at least slightly shocking though it doesn’t need to be misogynistic and it isn’t misogynistic when it’s not being used to reduce women as a group to their genitalia. Reducing women as a whole to their genitalia or more broadly misogyny is quite a scummy, contemptible thing that shouldn’t be tolerated by the board. Offensiveness is less of a problem. Any number of things can cause people to take offense. Any number of things used to cause great offense but now barely register. If you think something is offensive then be offended. Loudly declare: “I, thorny locust, am offended.” Huff, puff and see if you can blow us away.
What the everloving fuck? What is WRONG with you? I always thought you were a decent guy who liked cats. Was I ever wrong. You don’t care if using a word offends someone because you feel it’s your manly-given right to do so, dammit! How disappointing that you’re just another misogynist alienating women from this board.
I had planned to reply to this thread before the board went down. However, since then we have also been having some discussion in the mod loop. Sorry for the delay.
I think Chronos’ answer was clear in that discussion of “cunt” as a word is acceptable in GQ, as in discussion of etymology, Shakespeare’s puns, etc. There is no blanket prohibition on the mention of any word on the board. You can discuss “cunt” with respect to Game of Thrones dialog, or “nigger” in the context of Huckleberry Finn or hiphop lyrics.
We don’t require people to adhere to the standards of a church social, but neither should highly offensive words be tossed around gratuitously. You’re speaking to a bunch of strangers here, from a variety of backgrounds, and it’s best if you converse the way you would in such circumstances in real life, rather than with your mates in the pub or the locker room. If someone had referred to their muscle knots as “these little motherfuckers” or “these little faggots” they could have been asked to dial it back as well. (The last one might have earned a warning.) There was absolutely no good reason to use the word in GQ.
The fact that “cunt” is less offensive in the UK or Australia is irrelevant. This is a US-based board, and the majority of our members are Americans, so those standards apply. (However, we also may moderate terms that are offensive in other English speaking countries but less so in the US, like “Paki,” or “kaffir.”) MichaelEMouse has been posting here for a long time, and I’m sure has seen previous discussions on the subject.
In addition, anyone who hasn’t been asleep for the past several years is aware that we are trying to cut down the level of casual misogyny on the board. While some women may not be offended by “cunt,” enough find it sufficiently offensive that a considerate poster will avoid its gratuitous use.
I am not going to speak for the moderators of other forums, but I think the broad outlines of what I have said apply across the board (except in the Pit). GQ is, however, a particularly buttoned-down forum. As with many other things on the board, context is relevant.
We are in consensus that “cunt” is permitted to be discussed as a word, but like other highly offensive words its gratuitous use should be avoided and may be moderated.