27 June 2010

C Is For...


THIS POST MAY BE SCANDALIZING. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Captivating. Conscientiousness. Casual. Conversation. Courtney. Crazy. Contest. Communication.


Cunt.


Well, I promised I'd write about "the c-word" at one point or another, since I am a big fan after all, so I figured that there was no time like the present. I like the word cunt, though I will try to keep my use of it in this post to a reasonable level, since repeating anything too many times, aside from potentially offensive, is just plain tedious. In some ways, I love the word.


Allow me to slpain.


"Cunt" is, for all intents and purposes, one of the oldest words used to describe, well, female genitalia. Shakespeare used it. There's a street in London called Gropecunt Lane (uh, yeah. I wonder what business was going on there...). The etymology of the word is one that goes back centuries to early Middle English, and may come from Germanic, Latin, and even Greek roots. It was in common, daily use from about the Middle Ages through the eighteenth century. Then, somehow, it became a taboo all its own. Honestly, though, who cares?


When it comes down to it, "cunt" is a bad word, one that is derisive and vulgar and helped make George Carlin (may he rest in peace) one of the most memorable (not to mention effective and progressive) comedians in history. You know the bit:



At any rate, I like the word cunt because, for all its culturally imposed vulgarity, it's a damn fine word. I don't see any reason why the corner on the market of "strong and offensive" words needs to belong solely to male genitalia. Think about it for a second. The following words are strong and offensive: cock, prick, dick, schmuck, shaft (as in "to shaft"). To put in frankly, these relate to penises. Yay for men and their fantastically strong (albeit awkwardly placed and funny looking - sorry guys) genitals. Seriously. You won. Or at least, your anatomy and our culture made sure you did.


ON THE OTHER HAND, think of these words when used in the offensive sense: pussy, douche(bag), vagina, twat. The weak sibilant Ss of "pussy," the sense of being unclean that comes with "douche" (for the record, douche means "shower" in French). The fact that even the anatomically correct term can be used as a power-sapping insult is maddening. How did that happen? In the words of Mr. Carlin, "We fucked it up."


To bring in another comedian, Hal Sparks, I would like you to watch this:




The vagina is the tougher of the two genitals, damn it. And we have only one word that conveys this toughness: cunt.


Why do I beleive this? Based solely on the pronunciation of the word, it is strong, forceful, direct. Not unlike "fuck," the hard c sound snaps and forces you to pay attention. The taboo that our culture has attached to it has made it all the more effective. If you're really mad, if you really dislike someone, you call them a cunt.


Cunt is so effective in its vulgarity that it can be like a slap to the face. You're not going to get that effect with a word like "dick." And while some may argue that "bitch" is another strong word, reserved mainly for women, it is still disempowering. It references animals, weakness, subjugation. Fuck that noise.


Cunt is an old word. It is an effective word. And it is a powerful word. One could say it's the most offensive word in the English language. And I love it. It so succinctly and directly conveys what is so often missing in insulting discourse (I use "discourse" lightly): strong femininity. 


So, if you're going to insult me, if you're going to call me anything, call me a cunt. I have one and I am one on occasion, and I'm almost always proud of it.

2 comments:

  1. haha, yes. I really like the word cunt too - it has history, it has pride, it's a good strong word.
    I don't use it very often though, as it tends to provoke offense... sigh.

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  2. Hi, found this post and your blog via Jezebel.

    As a student of linguistics, I love that you discussed the phonology behind the words. I too like the sound of the word "cunt", although I don't use it much in life. I'm much too much of a "pussy" :P

    Yes, the consonants in "cunt" are all plosives and the vowel is low and resonant. Nothing weak about it at all.

    Again, loved this. Someday soon I'm going to work up the nerve to use it in real life and see what happens.

    - L

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