Do you cringe when people use the C word?

Yitzhak Rabin

It's just a word. If someone told me it made them uncomfortable I wouldn't use it around them, though I'd consider them to be fairly sensitive.

What's your own thoughts OP? Do you agree with the article you linked to? I thought it was hyperbolic nonsense.

Fenian Army

awec wrote: »

The people it has an effect on are the people who want it to have an effect on them.

All too happy to pull out the victim card.

Fair enough plenty of people don't like the word, but this idea that it is somehow damaging them emotionally is ridiculous.

Wouldn't be too quick to say that, couple of times in the past I've been called a dick, and even a prick!

Don't think I've ever recovered

Starokan

I think the word c*nt is almost a mainstream expression at this stage, you hear it used in all walks of life now, As was posted earlier on by Honey-ec i honestly dont think i have in recent times heard it being used as a term for someone's vagina.

It's more of an insult or a term of frustration as in I can't solve this c*nt of a problem for example.

I would hazard a guess that if people cringe or get offended by it's use that its more the context of the situation they are in rather than the word itself that is causing it.

I have worked in offices and environments where its a commonplace word used all the time and no women in the office would have batted an eyelid. I have also worked in offices where there were blatant sexist attitudes and in that environment its possible offence could be taken depending on the context in which it was used

Wibbs

Sharrow wrote: »

So you insult a woman by telling her she's nothing but a penis and tell people to stop being dramatic by saying they are acting like a penis or someone with one but it's not sexist, rigth suuuuure it's not.

See what I did there? On that basis Boards.ie better change it's principle commandment just in case, lest penile or vaginal "tissues" become affected or we all become instinctively panicked.

krudler wrote: »

I'd also tell a girl to stop being a dick, its all about context. I've never met anyone who was so offended by four letters in a sentence it caused them dread and stress. Not all women are delicate little flowers who cower into a ball when someone says something they dont agree with, that article smacks of "you're a woman, be offended!".

This in a big way.

*Personal opinion* TBH when I saw the byline of the piece "yep that's about right" sprung to mind. Wolf is a good example of one of these cloistered leftie "feminists" that fell outa the 60's/70's counterculture slightly dazed all too common on US campuses. The level of ridiculousness they peddle nine times outa ten swamps what good points may well be hidden needlelike in their large haystack of exaggeration, hyperbole and inaccuracy. Their peers and their students are likely enough to cower into a ball, mostly because they've been taught/conditioned to on the back of the higher level of nonsense they come out with. The C word on a US campus will likely get a shocked reaction and on the streets a much more shocked reaction than in Ireland.

Let's look at her "science" shall we? "Sexually threatening stress releases cortisol into the bloodstream, which has been connected to abdominal fat in women, with its attendant risks of diabetes and cardiac problems; it also raises the likelihood of heart disease and stroke. If you sexually stress a woman enough, over time, other parts of her life are likely to go awry; she will have difficulty relaxing in bed, as well as in the classroom or in the office. This in turn will inhibit the dopamine boost she might otherwise receive, which would in turn prevent the release of the chemicals in her brain that otherwise would make her confident, creative, hopeful, focused – and effective, especially relevant if she is competing academically or professionally with you. With this dynamic in mind, the phrase "**** her up" takes on new meaning."Now no one could entertain much doubt about how sexually threatening behaviour would cause physiological changes, who were these women tested? Women in abusive relationships or women who happened to hear the C word bandied about? Bit of a diff there Ted, or not if you're to believe Wolf in her world of mannered and hair trigger (over)sensitivity. Also apparently the C word may cause ladies to be fat. I thought a C word did too, but Calories, rather than C*nt. If one was looking for a better example of "I've a point, now stretch the reality to fit it" one would be hard pressed to find a better one.

Then we get this from her;
"Ethically, they are in the right, and neurobiologically, they are right as well. Almost all young women who face a group of their male peers chanting such slogans are likely to feel instinctively slightly panicked. On some level they are getting the message that they may be in the presence of would-be rapists, making it impossible to shrug off immature comments, as women are often asked to do."Ho ho here we go, the extended box set edition of all men are rapists kinda guff. Note how she preempts deeper intellectual criticism of her position with her usage of "almost", "likely", "may", "slightly". Standard operational procedure with this type of thinking.

Finally we get this nugget;

"But that was not what was really interesting to me about that night. I can deal with a misfired joke, if that was all that the event entailed. What is really interesting to me is that after the "cuntini" party, I could not type a word of the book – not even research notes – for six months, and I had never before suffered from writer's block. I felt – on both a creative and a physical level – that I had been punished for "going somewhere" that women are not supposed to go."
Clearly she can't deal with a misfired joke(childish "joke" anyway, but this may give an insight into her circle). Punished? WT... How long have the Vagina monologues been going now, selling out theatre after theatre? Such a rarified and victorian circle she must find herself in(which of course it is to a large degree) Meh I could delve more deeply into this, but suffice to say nonsense and self indulgent nonsense at that. If this "cúntini" party threw her for a wobbler for six months I'd respectfully suggest she find a better shrink or a life that contains actual non first world white whines to reset her outrage filter.

Thank god/spag monster that I've not been brought up in an environment that taught me women are that weak, reactive and frankly flaky and thank god/spag monster I've yet to meet one and I've met enough delicate flowers of either gender in my time. Maybe Irish women are built of stronger base material? I doubt it. Can't see too many women anywhere so inclined outside of the aforementioned rarified cloisters of US(and some others) academia. *Personal opinion*

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

I'd actually love to hear from someone who it does have a negative impact on.

I'd be interested to hear how it impacts them.

So would I TBH SB. Outside of the "ugh no horrid word", any of the ladies hereabouts feel physically/sexually threatened by it's use?

LittleBook

Millicent wrote: »

WTF?!?! I'm with you on that one. :eek:

I know, right!

Notice I said he "had" an expression, he used it a couple of times (in a joking context) but I had to tell him to stop.

I can't even put my finger on exactly what's so wrong with it. It's not an expression that was on my radar but upon hearing it I was instantly offended. The two words are completely benign on their own but put them together and [shudder].

As I said earlier, the "c word" doesn't bother me and geebag is one of my favourites (I'm chuckling even now while typing it) but this one is banned.

And yes, I see the irony in my posts.

krudler

If this "cúntini" party threw her for a wobbler for six months I'd respectfully suggest she find a better shrink or a life that contains actual non first world white whines to reset her outrage filter.

she'd have a heart attack in the presence of a hen party, phallic objects everywhere, women must be traumatised after them with so much sexual imagery around.

Novella

I never actually use the word myself, but I have no problem with it, doesn't make me cringe or feel uncomfortable in any way.

Stepping Stone

I rarely use the word, but I am certainly not offended by it. I hear it used all the time at work and never in a sexual context. It is what the photocopier is most commonly referred to, but piece of sh!t is a close second. Bloody thing would drive anyone to swearing.

She really is stretching it with the salmon thing though. Isn't it highly likely that salmon was just chosen cos it is a really tasty food and it was a variation on the meat (sausages) and generally carb (pasta) heavy first course. I really do think that she has some serious issues and seems to be capable of finding offence everywhere. Every time I read anything written by her, I end up rolling my eyes and wondering if she has come into contact with any normal women just getting on with life.

larrymickdick

completely off topic (sorry!!) stepping stone - I'm singing that song now from the monkees in my head now since seeing your username haha :rolleyes:

Penn

I think it's just a case of how "c*nt" used in the context of a swear word/insult has nothing to do with vagina. If I call someone a c*nt, I'm not actually implying they're a vagina, in the same way that telling someone to "P*ss off" has nothing to do with urine.

To me, the word c*nt holds as much weight as the word d*ckhead. I just prefer the word c*nt.

xDramaxQueenx

I don't use it, and i don't like when someone refers to me as it, but I don't mind it being used to refer to others.

Its just a word. I dislike the word moist, i hate it, it makes my skin crawl. Does that mean its an offensive word?

Honey-ec

xDramaxQueenx wrote: »

I dislike the word moist, i hate it, it makes my skin crawl. Does that mean its an offensive word?

Yes it is offensive and disgusting and should be removed from the English language!

I hate that word. I can't even say it.

xDramaxQueenx

Honey-ec wrote: »

Yes it is offensive and disgusting and should be removed from the English language!

I hate that word. I can't even say it.

hahaha, no way? i thought i was the only weirdo!

Wibbs

Stepping Stone wrote: »

I really do think that she has some serious issues and seems to be capable of finding offence everywhere.

IMHO she's actively looking for offence. Not to take offence, but to peddle more half baked theories wrapped in books to get her name and fame out there. The dafter the rhetoric the better. NOw if she's actually fallen into the trap of believing this stuff...

Plus this notion that she's breaking some taboo down is nonsense. Now if she'd called the book "C*unt" then she might have a point, on the bookcover at least. Otherwise this stuff is seriously old hat.

Wibbs

xDramaxQueenx wrote: »

hahaha, no way? i thought i was the only weirdo!

Funny enough I can think of a fair few women(and one bloke) who hate the word too. There's a few of you weirdos out there so take some comfort in that.

Pembily

Das Kitty wrote: »

I love the word. Said in the correct context I find it incredibly erotic actually.

I think it's more damaging that the only taboo swear word is one for the female genetalia. We call people cocks and pricks all the time and no one bats an eyelid (in fact up until recently this site had the written rule of "Don't be a dick.")

I think far too much power is being given to c*nt by people saying it's the only word they cannot stand.

(I'm also noticing that out of all the words I have just typed, it is the only one swear filtered...)

I agree, when said in the correct context the word is very very erotic. I don't take offense from it though, no point what so ever! You can take offense from anything if you want. I don't see it any worse than any other swear word.

xDramaxQueenx wrote: »

hahaha, no way? i thought i was the only weirdo!

I know a few people who can't say the word :pac:

MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST, MOIST!

Dolbert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk20WWY15uc

:pac:

Motorist

From the article the OP linked: "Sexually threatening stress releases cortisol into the bloodstream, which has been connected to abdominal fat in women, with its attendant risks of diabetes and cardiac problems; it also raises the likelihood of heart disease and stroke. "

I think the word penis is extremely sexist, distressing, etc when used as an insult to men. It also causes cortisol release and is, in my opinion, a major cause of the obesity epidemic in men. I think the health services of this country would do well to launch a massive campaign encouraging people to stop using this word. It would free up hospital beds, reduce diabetes, heart conditions, etc. I find it hard to verbalise the word and had difficulty typing it there also.

LittleBook

Thinking about the word "moist" and the word "c*nt" ... well, any word really ... I wonder does the context in which you learn the word or become aware of the word have an effect on how you perceive the word later.

For example, "moist" to me is a cake-y word! In Home Economics we didn't want our cakes to be dry, we wanted them to be "nice and moist".

If the first time you heard the "c word" was in a nasty context, perhaps that shapes how you hear the word later.

The first time I heard the "c word" some lad on our road called his brother one. I went straight home and asked my mother what the word meant, in front of a visiting aunt and uncle. I genuinely thought it was like "cur".

My mother sniggered and said "it's a rude word for a girl's privates" and that was that. "C*nt" was my new word for that day. :pac:

Stench Blossoms

Motorist wrote: »

From the OP: "Sexually threatening stress releases cortisol into the bloodstream, which has been connected to abdominal fat in women, with its attendant risks of diabetes and cardiac problems; it also raises the likelihood of heart disease and stroke. "

I think the word penis is extremely sexist, distressing, etc when used as an insult to men. It also causes cortisol release and is a major cause of the obesity epidemic in men. I think the health services of this country would do well to launch a massive campaign encouraging people to stop using this word. It would free up hospital beds, reduce diabetes, heart conditions, etc.

Do people call other people penis'??

Motorist

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

Do people call other people penis'??

Ive heard it used, yes. I haven't heard of peenatelli pasta yet though.

Morag

yekahS wrote: »

What's your own thoughts OP?

I know several women who do have a very visceral reaction to that term in general and some who don't mind it in the vernacular but react very differently when it's being used towards women.

I can certainly see how the repetitive exposure to such language can effect a person and cause stress.

yekahS wrote: »

What's your own thoughts OP?Do you agree with the article you linked to? I thought it was hyperbolic nonsense.

I think it's thought provoking, esp the first part and yes the second part of the extract is a sharing of a personal experience and it is subjective and american women do have a very different reaction to the use of that word.

It think that it is a shame that the personal subjective section of the piece
seems to distract from what the core of it is (to me anyway) about the emotional and mental impact words can have and how they can make a place or gathering hostile to certain people.

awec

This post has been deleted.

latenia

I think it has a different meaning and usage in Ireland and the UK than in the US. Here it's almost a synonym for 'guy' and the context can be anything from friendly to another version of 'asshole.' I've probably called all my male friends c**ts to their faces hundreds of times whereas I've never used it to refer to a woman, either directly or in the third person and I can't remember ever hearing others do so either. In fact, I knew the word and used in this context as a 10 or 11 year old long before I even knew it was a slang word for vagina.

Eve_Dublin

The writer is American and I know this word is much more offensive there than in Ireland. Very taboo. I find Americans can be very prissy about bad language generally and as they're only words, I do find it OTT and, dare I say, "PC gone mad" (it might be one of the few cases where I'd genuinely feel that way).


Here in Spain, they use the Spanish equivalent of the c word to greet each other and as a way of getting it each other's attention and drawing attention to their point...a bit like how we'd use "man" as in "hey man" they'd say, "Hey coont" etc. Perhaps living here has made me a little less precious about swearing generally as it's so much part of their everyday vocabulary here.

I suppose I'd see the use in Ireland as something similar, although not used so casually. The word is so overused now that it's lost it's original meaning at this stage. Like Millicent said, it's purely the sound of it, like "cock". I save it for special occasions when I'm referring to someone I really don't like in that moment along with, "prick" and "shithead". Two very cutting sounding words.

I found the article cringeworthy tbh and couldn't relate to it whatsoever. I think she's really speaking from an American standpoint and their prissiness when it comes to language use. I've never experienced anything like what she's described in that article.

OldNotWIse

Yup. I'm not feminist or anything (hate the b1tches lol) but I despise the c-word. I went to college with a guy who had a tshirt made with C*NT on the front in large black print He did it purely for shock value :rolleyes:

Honey-ec

Sharrow wrote: »

I can certainly see how the repetitive exposure to such language can effect a person and cause stress.

I would have thought repetitive exposure to a word would have had the exact opposite effect, tbh, that it would end up completely desensitising one to it.

Dolbert

O/T but is anyone else reminded of a particular episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm where they play a game of poker?

OldNotWIse

LittleBook wrote: »

Thinking about the word "moist" and the word "c*nt" ... well, any word really ... I wonder does the context in which you learn the word or become aware of the word have an effect on how you perceive the word later.

For example, "moist" to me is a cake-y word! In Home Economics we didn't want our cakes to be dry, we wanted them to be "nice and moist".

If the first time you heard the "c word" was in a nasty context, perhaps that shapes how you hear the word later.

The first time I heard the "c word" some lad on our road called his brother one. I went straight home and asked my mother what the word meant, in front of a visiting aunt and uncle. I genuinely thought it was like "cur".

My mother sniggered and said "it's a rude word for a girl's privates" and that was that. "C*nt" was my new word for that day. :pac:

I share your sentiment re intial exposure. I remember when news broke about Freddie Mercury's death (I was 7 and we were in the car on Harold's X bridge - amazing the way some childhood memories stick out lol) and they announced on the radio that he had died from AIDS related illnesses. I asked my Mum about the disease and she went through the whole issue in a way that would make a lecturer in biochem proud...and then finished her lesson with, "he was "one of them" you know..."

krudler

xDramaxQueenx wrote: »

hahaha, no way? i thought i was the only weirdo!

hell no, its a horrible word. moist.

MOIST

^ look at it! rotten word.