Letters to the Editor
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@ Ken Erfourth
I disagree. Broadsheet's publicizing this stuff actually disempowers it.
One of the reasons racism is still an evil in this nation is that it has gone more or less underground except in some parts of the country. I say drag that sucker out and get a good look at it. Get a good look at us and our denials.
At the same time, such discussions allow us to look at ourselves and to examine our own consciences. We need to get to a place where we can see beyond the surface of people and to acknowledge each person's unique individuality that transcends the obvious like sex and race.
It is amazing what people will judge others on. My daughter and I were talking last night about Dennis Kuncinich and she said to me: "He was really the cool guy in the Democratic race. I would love to just sit down and talk to him about stuff."
So why didn't more people think we was the cool guy? Partly because Kucinich is not good-looking at all. He is rather homely and nerdy-looking. That guy you ignored in school because he voice was a bit high, he didn't play football, and he talked about idealistic and intellectual things that made others roll their eyes.
Too bad. Our loss. If we keep looking only at the surface, we will pay the price that shallow people pay.
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I think your all missing the point here...
The issue isn't about whether or not "cunt" is an insult to women, the issue is the fact that the same party that is selling, buying, and promoting these shirts are the same party that constantly complains about the "moral decline of America". They complained that "Brokeback Mountain" was "immoral" and are worried about the "coursening of the culture" but will happily parade around in public with a shirt that openly has what could easily be considered a cuss word and is without doubt a childish insult on it. The real issue here is hypocracy.
We can debate the merits of the word itself, but let's not lose sight of what this is really about.
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Better than the other one
I suppose its a bit more clever than the other shirt but I would have needed the caption if the title of the article hadn't had the word cunt in it.
Its funny that cunt only seems to be a really bad word in the states. If you watch Brittish tv or movies people call each other cunts and twats all the time, more like calling someone a dick here.
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To AKA Smith
You wrote
"No one yet has come up with an equivalent insult to cunt that is routinely applied to white males and has the same level of insult."
Yes we do; the word is "douchebag." Though it is applied to all males, not just white males, just like CUNT applies to all women, not just white women.
But I need to clarify the meanings of both terms as they pertain to speech. Cunt is applied to a woman that will stab you in the back, or will use her sexual appeal to cause you trouble. For example; Condi Rice is a cunt because she help lie to get authorization to invade Iraq, which has killed thousands of our best and brightest service men and women
Douchebag is a dim witted male that expressed his ignorance, illogical prejudices (not that prejudice is ever logical), homophobia, or misogyny in his behavior, character, or by what he spouts. For example; Rush is a Douchebag (enough said).
Both words have their importance, thought you can't say Hillary Clinton is a cunt without offering proof (has she stabbed anyone in the back or used her sexual appeal to cause someone trouble?), but you can say all the guys who wear the C.U.N.T or "I love cunt-tree music" t-shirts are definitely douchebags.
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There is no excuse for calling a woman a "cunt."
I'm revolted by the people here who are defending the use of this slur against women. It is exactly like calling a black person a "nigger," or a Jew (as I am) a "kike," or a gay man a "faggot," or so on. Words have meaning, and there is no doubt that these particular slurs are meant as expressions of hate of the worst sort.
Some letter writers here have pointed out that just as black people have attempted to subvert the slur "nigger" by taking it as their own, women should do the same with the word "cunt." However, two things. First, plenty of black people are appalled that other blacks use that word and are actively trying to discourage its use, and second, if you're not black and you call a black person that word, be ready for a less than friendly response. Just like members of ethnic groups can mock themselves but non-members can't, neither can people from other groups use slurs without consequence.
The idiot in the photo wearing the "I love country music" shirt represents the worst, most base traits of people. Ignorance, intolerance, and indifference. In this country, those are traits of the rightwing. The right, as embodied by the GOP, exploits the worst in people for their own purposes. If you look back at the history of talk radio, for example, you'll find that from Father Coughlin through Rush Limbaugh, the radio hatemongers have been rightwingers. If fascism ever comes to this country, it will be their fans, and idiots like that guy with the shirt, who comprise the new shock troops.
The GOP's base is in the South, so it is an unfortunate coincidence that country music fans are conflated with the most intolerant sectors of our society. Or, maybe it's not a coincidence. That is a subject for another day.
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@fetboy
Sorry, douchebag and cunt aren't even nearly close on the "insult - o - meter" of the society we live in.
I am curious as to what this universal male slam is, as honestly I can not think of what it is. Is it fag? or pussy? If so, sorry to say but I think those have been bandies about way too much in the past few decades to reach the level of profanity that people consider cunt.
And if it is "pussy" or "fag" doesn't that in and of itself reflect certain levels of both misogyny and homophobia?
The only other thing I can think of is something implying a state of cuckoldry or castration. But in those cases, while the concept can be cruel and insulting, there is not a particular vulgarity that goes along with it.