# Samantha Bee's "Feckless Cunt" comment. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 31, 2018, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214 "2018-05-31T19:08:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/61 "2018-06-01T02:28:37Z")
Personally I object to the incorrect use of the word ‘feckless’. It means, “weak, lacking in character” or “ineffective” (that’s the feck that is less). I think Ivanka is a cunt all right, in the sense of “real asshole”, but I don’t think she’s feckless. She seems to be quite feck. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/62 "2018-06-01T02:30:30Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Bee is a liberal. She gets a free pass from the liberal press. > . Nope. We already disproved that. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/63 "2018-06-01T03:28:07Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > [Story here](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44324456). > > Short story: Bee called Ivanka a “Feckless cunt”. > > So, are Liberals hypocrites for not getting out raged like they did with Rosanne? > > I’m sure this will seem like weak sauce to conservatives, but personally, I regard females using the C-word much in the same way as I see Black folks using the N-word. It’s a definite double standard. But it will be handwaved away and those pointing out the double standard will be villainized. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/64 "2018-06-01T03:35:51Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#): > > Public speech and insults are a free-for-all. Despite the best efforts of language policing, it’s still a free-for-all. > > But there are tiers of insult strength. The insults at the very top - so high up that the air is too thin to breathe, like Everest - are the racial insults. These are, to mix metaphors, the thermonuclear warheads. You really don’t fuck around with them. I’d be surprised if even a black person could get away with calling another black person the N word _with_ that evil rhotic ‘R’ at the end. You just don’t touch them. If you’re white, you _really_ don’t touch them. Hard “r”? I can find a million examples on YouTube and WorldStar in a minute. Or at any street ball court. > [@](#): > > The next tier are the religious-based insults. These can be thrown around a little more freely, depending on the audience and the comedian. Religion is kinda-sorta something you choose to belong to, rather than an inborn characteristic like your “race” (the whole concept of race is bullshit, but nevertheless it IS a thing in our society.) They’re still pretty taboo. > > A slightly lower tier, I think, are physical and mental disabilities. I think it’s sufficiently understood by society that physical disabilities aren’t something to be mocked, but the taboo just isn’t strong enough to prevent it from happening regularly in comedy. > > The lowest tier are the insults that essentially just mean “a shitty person.” Jerk, jackass, asshole…ok, now we’re getting into the territory where parts of the body are the descriptor that’s used to signify “a shitty person.” These parts of the body are, basically, the junk. > > Dick, prick, cock, asshole, pussy, schmuck (Yiddish for penis), putz (Yiddish for penis), 'Gatz (Italian for penis), Fangool (Italian for “fuck in the ass”), and what have you. “Cunt” falls into this category. > > However, there’s a caveat that women have historically been put down more, specifically _because_ of their junk, than men have. So it’s a bit more of a sore subject. > > For whatever reason, “Cunt” is far more gender neutral, and thus far more commonly thrown around, in British comedy (otherwise known as comedy.) Not to slag off/take the piss out of/have a go at the Merchants too much (a rhyming-slang double: merchant = merchant banker = wanker, plus merchant = merchant bank = Yank.) But…compared to the Brits, our comedy is right shit. I appreciate the effort, but I think words are very context sensitive and don’t have a strict hierarchy like that. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/65 "2018-06-01T05:21:30Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > It’s a definite double standard. But it will be handwaved away and those pointing out the double standard will be villainized. It’s definitely not a double standard. But it will be declared one for political points and those pointing out the differences will be painted as hypocrites. Huh. This game is easy but not much fun. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/66 "2018-06-01T05:51:13Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Hard “r”? I can find a million examples on YouTube and WorldStar in a minute. Or at any street ball court. That’s one thing, but I sincerely doubt there are any black public figures or celebrities who’d direct that word, with the r at the end, at another black person in a public forum…and even fewer white ones. For better or worse, it’s the most taboo word in America. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/67 "2018-06-01T06:14:21Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Bee is Canadian and I’m guessing that like the UK, the word is less of a powder keg there than it is in the US.\ Nah, it’s right up there for the worst word you can say here, too. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/68 "2018-06-01T06:18:53Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#): > > The most money-making show on television features incest prominently. . Rick and Morty? That makes so much sense! ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/69 "2018-06-01T07:47:48Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Bee is a liberal. She gets a free pass from the liberal press. > > Imagine any conservative saying that about Michelle Obama. The press would demand that person’s head on a platter. Do you need to go to your safe space? ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/70 "2018-06-01T08:00:14Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > It’s definitely not a double standard. But it will be declared one for political points and those pointing out the differences will be painted as hypocrites. > > Huh. This game is easy but not much fun. Bee won’t be losing her job. The double standard is self evident. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/71 "2018-06-01T09:39:19Z")
Sometimes I feel like cunts are the niggers of the world. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/72 "2018-06-01T10:37:56Z")
was she smart or lucky in her timing? If she had said this last week nobody would be saying “well at least she is not a racist like Roseanne!” ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/73 "2018-06-01T11:15:54Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Bee won’t be losing her job. The double standard is self evident. It’s almost as though you need to say racist stuff before you lose your job for saying racist stuff. That sounds like a pretty straight standard to me. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/74 "2018-06-01T11:52:29Z")
First, Bee shouldn’t lose her job. THe first reason is that “cunt” doesn’t rise to that level, although her apology was appropriate. You don’t go after Presidents’ daughters like that, even the semi-politically involved ones. If someone said that about Chelsea today it’d be 50-50 whether they kept their show. Would depend on how effective the liberal campaign to get sponsors to flee was. The right-wing campaign got two sponsors to flee: enough to force damage control, but not enough to get Bee fired. The second reason Bee shouldn’t be fired is that this is a TBS sin as much as a Samantha Bee sin. Her statement wasn’t off the cuff. It was scripted, and then aired by TBS without editing that statement out. We’re also getting away from this idea that people of the same identity can ruthlessly use slurs on people of the same identity. It’s not flying anymore and it’s about time people realized that. Besides, when a person utters that slur to an audience, it’s not just a woman attacking another woman. Men are in that audience applauding the slur enthusiastically. If a word is unacceptable, it’s not acceptable for SOME people to use it, and the culture is moving away from that dumb idea. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/75 "2018-06-01T12:49:12Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > You don’t go after Presidents’ daughters like that, even the semi-politically involved ones. Ivanka Trump literally has a White House office and official title. There is no difference between her and, say, Kellyanne Conway from a “politically involved” angle. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/76 "2018-06-01T12:58:48Z")
Barr calling Jarret a feckless cunt would have resulted in calls for an apology … maybe … but nothing more. Equating racism with a crude vulgar insult at most reveals how accepting some are of racism. Ivanka Trump is indeed fair game in a way that Chelsea Clinton never would have been as she plays a role in the administration. Her business dealings in China also are fair game and nothing like Chelsea Clinton had been involved with. Being related to the President does not exempt or immunize her from being criticized. Doing so with vulgar slang is still bad form and the apology as called for. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/77 "2018-06-01T14:08:34Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Ivanka Trump literally has a White House office and official title. There is no difference between her and, say, Kellyanne Conway from a “politically involved” angle. That is an excellent point. I don’t support attacking family members of politicians since they didn’t sign up for the shitshow, but as you say, she’s got an actual title, job, and salary, so she’s fair game as part of Tr\*mp’s administration. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/78 "2018-06-01T14:20:52Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > **You don’t go after Presidents’ daughters like that, even the semi-politically involved ones**. If someone said that about Chelsea today it’d be 50-50 whether they kept their show. Would depend on how effective the liberal campaign to get sponsors to flee was. The right-wing campaign got two sponsors to flee: enough to force damage control, but not enough to get Bee fired. (bolding mine) Fuck that. What a stupid fucking statement. Ivanka Trump is not a child, she’s a 36 year old woman. No one really gives a shit what anyone calls Chelsea Clinton because she’s not really living a public life. We gave a shit when Rush Limbaugh called her a dog because she was like 11 years old, not 36 years old. The rest of your post was even stupider than what I pointed out, too. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/79 "2018-06-01T14:21:30Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Bee won’t be losing her job. The double standard is self evident. Can you quote where Bee used racial comments against Trump? THEN we’ll decide if it’s a double standard. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214/80 "2018-06-01T14:24:14Z")
Unless by “double standard” he actually meant “two standards” since they are different things. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/samantha-bees-feckless-cunt-comment/815214.md?page=5)