Reddit reviews Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women

Labor day.

[This book.] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0385484011/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3UHSOLHAJ6508&coliid=I3JZC6PTBBM558)

"Age is a terrible thief. Just when you're getting the hang of life, it knocks your legs out from under you and stoops your back. It makes you ache and muddies your head and silently spreads cancer throughout your spouse." -Water for Elephants.

lol
I agree, I had this discussion with friends last night; there aren't insults that don't, in some way, insult. That is to say, all insults demean the subject of the insult. That's why they work. And, honestly, I couldn't give a shit less about them. I'd be lying if I said I didn't regularly use pejoratives that are considered offensive to just about everyone (the example I used last night was "homo bitch cripple kyke nigger" but only because I couldn't think of any more groups of people to insult at the moment). But I know these things are offensive and I wouldn't dream of using them to harm anyone. I think it's actually important to use some of these things and make them powerless with humor or empowerment (see Bitch). But there will always be people who are genuinely offended. I'd like to say, "fuck'em" but sometimes they're right.

Anyways...
>phrases associated with rape-culture.

=/= "rape"
No one ever said that it was rape. You really are making this into a bigger deal that it ever was. The REASON it's considered part of "rape culture" is because it IS "hate speech"

IT:
>incites violence or prejudicial action against or by a protected individual or group, or disparage or intimidates a protected individual or group

It encourages sexual violence or action against women (who are a protected group) AND it disparages and/or intimidates women (who are still a protected group).

You're gonna argue that it doesn't do those things because it doesn't immediately cause a riot in the streets. But the fact remains that it DOES encourage those ideas and perpetuates concepts of non-consensual sexual domination.

I don't think there's anything wrong with insults either. The question isn't what do we think is wrong with saying "suck my dick." The question is, what is the desired outcome that we want? The answer is a multitude of things but in this context lets stick to the prevention, reduction, and sanction against sexual violence/assault. In order to get the desired result we have to change some things. It may not be that the individual changes are themselves harmful. But the aggregate of those influences is harmful. Suck my dick on its' own is not harmful. Suck my dick in a culture where people are forced to suck dick against their will can be harmful.

Maybe when there's no more forced oral sex we'll be able to tell someone to suck my fucking dick again. Until then, keep the dirty talk in the bedroom with your dick sucker.