# Misogynistic language and its defenders **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 26, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162 "2025-06-26T16:25:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/101 "2025-06-27T10:45:52Z")
Which referenced Rabelais’ Garagantua & Pantagruel, hence the velvet hat… ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/102 "2025-06-27T11:29:25Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I have no idea when that period ended I’m guessing late Eighties, at the height of the AIDS epidemic. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/103 "2025-06-27T11:30:20Z")
> [@Sylvanz](#): > > I can’t argue that. I was trying to give the benefit of the doubt. Giving the benefit of the doubt is why we have Trump. We didn’t call out bigoted uncles, we gave them the benefit of the doubt and here we are. It was cowardice on our part. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/104 "2025-06-27T13:03:27Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Giving the benefit of the doubt is why we have Trump. Is there a comprehensive list anywhere of “why we have Trump”? I think I’ve seen at least five million different reasons, but I’d love to have them indexed. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/105 "2025-06-27T13:07:26Z")
Why don’t you get right on that if it’s important to you? Threads like these are why I don’t think the Dope is anywhere near as liberal as it likes to pretend. We’re pretty tolerant of misogyny and racism especially from other older white Americans. We make a lot of excuses for them here. We had a mod here who was widely seen as being bad at moderating posts relating to women, but when he flounced off people here praised him for what a great mod he was, except for when it came to women (you know, half the population). ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/106 "2025-06-27T13:17:09Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Why don’t you get right on that if it’s important to you? Great idea! > [@Why we have Trump](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-have-trump/1020197): > > Trump won, and everyone knows why. It was because liberals put up with too much, or not enough. It was because Kamala Harris ran, or didn’t run early enough. It is because Biden dropped out, or didn’t drop out when he should have. It was because progressives took over the party, or because Democrats abandoned progressives. Talked too much about trans! Didn’t hold the line on trans! Didn’t push alternatives to police! Insisted on defunding the police! Spent all our time talking about Trump’s lies… > [@madmonk28](#): > > We’re pretty tolerant of misogyny and racism especially from other older white Americans. The thread is overwhelmingly saying it was a shitty thing for MSH to say, isn’t it? I’ll chime in: it’s a shitty thing to say. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/107 "2025-06-27T13:38:33Z")
And then there’s all this, but benefit of the doubt, don’t know if he’s really a misogynist bullshit. It reminds me of everyone here asking when are the sane Republicans coming back. Just a hotbed of political rest. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/108 "2025-06-27T13:50:03Z")
When you give someone the benefit of the doubt, you point out to them how what they said can be offensive, and recommend that they rethink their language choices, since a lot of people say a lot of things without really thinking about them. And then you wait to see how they respond. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/109 "2025-06-27T14:37:34Z")
I agree, to an extent. Once someone has showed you who they are, that benefit isn’t necessary. But I do think that we need to be better at inviting people into decency, instead of trying to shame them into decency. That shaming, of course, is why we have Trump. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/110 "2025-06-27T14:38:14Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Threads like these are why I don’t think the Dope is anywhere near as liberal as it likes to pretend I don’t think we like to pretend we’re very liberal at all. Or at least I don’t. I think the more conservative posters may characterize it as a ultra-liberal hive mind, but the board itself isn’t particularly progressive or anything. So maybe that would make it more mainstream liberal after all, if you make that distinction. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/111 "2025-06-27T14:41:59Z")
It’s liberal, but it’s old liberal, and old liberals believe in different things than young liberals. Not more or less liberal, just different. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/112 "2025-06-27T15:19:34Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > It’s liberal, but it’s old liberal… Definitely this. While the SDMB definitely leans to the left there is a big pushback against progressives. SDMB is socially liberal but pretty center on most other topics (give or take). ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/113 "2025-06-27T15:27:25Z")
And despite having mostly liberal posters, the official position of the SDMB is to be politically neutral. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/114 "2025-06-27T15:28:13Z")
It’s Boomer liberal. Which is a different kind of annoying liberal. Lots of worries about propriety and in some ways thinking the world is the same as it was in 1975. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/115 "2025-06-27T15:33:26Z")
For better or worse, this board seems like it’s basically populated by the white moderates mentioned by MLK Jr in his letter from a Birmingham jail. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/116 "2025-06-27T16:53:08Z")
We’re the Democratic Party of message boards, more focused on process and tone-policing than on progress and growth (personal _and_ market share). ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/117 "2025-06-27T18:09:58Z")
This whole board is a glorified nitpicker support group. That’s natural considering the “well, actually” nature of the original Straight Dope column. There’s not really anything wrong with that, I guess. It’s the identity of this place. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/118 "2025-06-27T18:30:52Z")
I balked at the nit-picking, at first. But, really its taught me to pay attention to my spelling and punctuation. I’m never gonna be perfect. It has helped. I came here just knowing and reading Cecil’s books. I thought of them as funny and quirky, but not tomes of encyclopedic knowledge. (Altho’ he is the smartest human(?) on earth). No AI there, unless it was Al the plumber. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/119 "2025-06-27T21:15:22Z")
On further reflection I think the problem with “skank” is it is cruel. A lot of slanders sum up to, “You’re a jerk, I think you are a sucky person.” There is a meanness to “skank” though. It seems more personal. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162/120 "2025-06-27T23:18:45Z")
I looked. Skank(promiscuous and unattractive woman) comes from Skag(unattractive woman). Maybe. Or, a mash up of _skeevy_ and _rank_. Or, A dance coming from the Ska music scene in Jamaica. Take your pick. I’ve heard teen girls describe other teen girls as “skanks” or a “skank ho”. Youngsters can be so cruel. I feel safe in saying C\_\_t is worse. And more cruel. Yep, I know its spouted out by millions with out thinking. No concern children may be in the room or the car. Or even concern if these kids belong to the name caller..of course everything is peppered with “fucks” and “motherfucker”. And 100s of other curse words. It’s the wild west out in public, with worse language. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogynistic-language-and-its-defenders/1020162.md?page=7)