Saturday, February 16, 2008

Jane Fonda: Profanity Is Music To Bill O'Reilly's Ratings

Yesterday, in media outlets everywhere, fallout continued to rain down over Jane Fonda’s use of profanity on the Today Show Thursday…

Specifically her use of the word, “c*nt.”

One of the morons leading the charge of turning this “shocking” incident into an Apocalyptic attack on the wholesomeness of our children is of course, Bill O’Reilly.

He has been all over Fonda’s back since Thursday, and the ratings whore continued his moral diatribe last night.


As I watched and listened to Falafel Boy, his rantings faded into the background, eventually becoming inaudible.

My thoughts turned into more of a wonderment mode. I began to ponder the following:

Exactly why is the word “c*nt” such an uber-offensive word? Why does the word “c*nt” elicit such rage in some women?

A lesser pondering led to me ask myself, why do I bother spelling the word “c*nt” with an asterisk when everyone knows damn well what I am talking about?

But seriously…I asked Schmoop, who is indeed a woman, what is so offensive about this word. She had no clue. I suggested that it is no more offensive than bitch, prick, mo-fo, etc.

I postulated, that the word was somewhere at sometime, manufactured in to being the Grand Poobah of Offensiveness. (Probably by some c*nt.)

I did some research, and sure enough, my theory was somewhat corroborated. I read an article that stated that the word “c*nt” has been around for centuries, most notably used by Geoffrey Chaucer.

It has only relatively recently carried its negative connotation.

The word began to morph into being a disparaging term only after appearing in DH Lawrence’s 1928 novel, “Lady Chatterley’s Lover”.


Interesting. For the full article, click HERE. The article is informative and very brief.

With that being said, I still would like to know from the women out there…If you find this word to be highly offensive, why is that?


Specifically, why is this word so much more egregious than other curse words? Any thoughts on this, please let me know.

And Now, Our Bagwine Ruminations Comment of the Week.



Since the inception of this award, this week has been by far, the most difficult one in which to pick a winner.

Some folks advocated for the comment left by Sandee of Comedy Plus who commented about wanting to give her husband a Blow Job for Valentine’s Day, but spending $2,000.00 on someone to do it for her was too pricey.


In the end, I picked a different comment. It also appeared under my post about how men are coerced into buying over-priced crap for their special one on Valentine’s Day.

I was struck, not just by the comment, but who said it.

Sometimes Saintly Nick of Nick’s Bytes is a semi-retired man of the cloth…an actual ordained minister. But even a man of God is not, as he made clear, exempt from the temptations of other women.

But maybe, not in the way you think...Nick Commented:


“Maybe I was lucky? My ex-wife hated receiving flowers and was allergic to the metals in most jewelry. Unfortunately, she loved having sex with women.”

Amen Nick, and congratulations on roping this week’s COW. Click HERE if you’d like to give Nick a shout out on his award.

Have a good Saturday all. Off to see my 13 year old clone for a few, and then back to the digs for a little music, Bagwine, and hopefully a little sumpin’ sumpin’.

Cheers!!


52 comments:

The Mountain Cat said...

Matt. Matt, Matt, you don't even — you're glib. You don't even know what c**t is. If you start talking about c**t, you have to evaluate and read the research papers on how they came up with these theories, Matt, okay??? That's what I've done! Then you go and you say where's the medical test? Where's the blood test that says how much c**t you're supposed to get? (Sorry Tom Cruise inspired this rant).

Leighann said...

I think our dear Mt. Cat has been smoking some crack this morning!

Congrats to SSN on his COW!

May all of you receive extra sloppy wet blow jobs this weekend! Gawd knows my jaw is tired and my husband can't stop smiling!!

Schmoop said...

Mountain Cat: Typically I would scoff at such a pointing out of my lack of intellectual prowess. But how can I rebut your remarks when they have been inspired by the greatness of Tom "Einstein" Cruise?

Thank you for calling me out on this issue. Cheers!!

Schmoop said...

Leighann: Schmoop shaved her legs this morning...It may be winter still, but I think I am going to be mowing her lawn tonight.

Take care of your jaw. Cheers!!

Cheesy said...

^5 and congratz to Nickster! I do know I had to don a sad grin at his comment this week...

I know I dont like the C word.. it just seems crass and I cant seem to find a fun why of using it in my day to day life. Unless I am speaking of the evil boss Lucifer.. [lucy]

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

You coming back to work your sump pump and that is exciting? OH you meant somethin' somethin' as in pumpin' pumpin'...though since you are off meat and eating all those beans you had clogged the pipes - ya know?

Schmoop said...

Cheesy: Poor Nick...But the dude has maintained his humor. But how is that word anymore crass? that's all I was wondering. Cheers Sexy!!

Bond: My fricking Word Program kept correcting me when I typed "somethin'"...You believe that?

The pipes are running just swell. Cheers Vin!!

Dana said...

CONGRATULATIONS to SSN! (no, not social security number)

Cunt? (I've decided to be brave and forgo the asterisk) I think it is only uber offensive because those that use it almost ALWAYS use it in a manner that is intended to degrade a woman. It's not the word, but the way the word is most often used.

I think we just need to start a happy cunt movement and take all of the negative connotations away from the word. We could save Jane Fonda from the evil right!!

Odat said...

Where's that cunt Lola today?
Peace

Jay said...

Here's what I always say to women are super offended by someone using the C-Word. If women hadn't decided that being called a "bitch" was a compliment instead of an insult, people (men) wouldn't have had to move on to a more offensive word. Basically the C-Word is the only word left a guy can use to offend a woman with so that's the word he uses.


As for O'Reilly he can can go jump off a bridge for all care. Just don't land on and kill any of the homeless veterans living under that bridge.

Schmoop said...

Dana: Yeah but that can be said of almost any degrading word. Anyway, I am all with ya on the Happy C Initiative...We must save Jane from Bill-O. Cheers!!

Odat: Lola may be appearing tomorrow. I have on ein the works. Cheers!!

Schmoop said...

Jay: Sanitization has left us with no words of offense other than the C-Word? You are fricking brilliant!!

And O'Reilly...Seriously, how does that blowhard live with himself? Cheers!!

Unknown said...

I am humbled, dear Matt-Man, by the award! Thank you! But all I did was write the truth.

BTW, the marriage lasted 30 years.

Schmoop said...

Nick: Don't be humbled...Shout it from the Mountain Top!! I assumed your comment was true, that's what added to its "COW-Ness".

30 Years, eh? That's twice as long as mine lasted. Cheers Nick!!

Jeff B said...

Congrats to Nick, He's not only a man of the cloth, but also a man of the leather too.

I got nothing on the cunt, (Literally and figuratively) and I wonder what the equivilant word is for men?

Mo and The Purries said...

Good post, Matty. Even though I nominated Sandee for COW, Congrats to SSN!
So, why does "cunt" have such horrible connotations? Even "fuck" doesn't seem as horrible to the media...
Personally, I think if we just allowed profanity on tv then the "magic" of the words would get dispelled. I mean, I hear "shit" all the time on BBC America programs like "Dr Who" and "Torchwood" and "Graham Norton" and the world hasn't imploded yet... why can't Diane say "fuck" on GMA and Jane say "cunt" on the Today show (if she was describing Meridith Viera it certainly was apt...)?
I just saw a bit on CNN where Hillary was offended that a reporter said that Hill/Bill was "pimping out" Chelsea for the campaign... and Hillary got the reporter suspended! What a crock - what about Free Speech? Does Hillary not know that "pimping out" can be a good thing? If I had a hot little pony like Chelsea to pimp out for a few votes, or dollars... well, I digress.
Thanks for letting me fucking rant today, you big lovable cunt, Matty.

Schmoop said...

Jeff: Nick is da Man.

The male equivalent would have to be prick, dick, or cock. Big deal...I call myself that quite often. Cheers!!

Schmoop said...

Mo: Why thank you my good man, and I know, you and Kat both nominated Sandee...

As far as the cunt word, you are correct...Hey, Let's make certain things or words taboo to say or do so it's more fun to say them. Always backfires.

I like H-Rod, but yeah, I thought her going off about the Chelsea pimping comment was pretty lame.

As always, you may rant here anytime you'd like, especially now since you've called me a loveable cunt. Cheers!!

Anonymous said...

I like "cunt". I like it so much that I have been known to take it out for a day of pampering. A day of waxing and massage is nice now and then. We've even played together! Why is that offensive?

Desert Songbird said...

Dick.

Schmoop said...

Metalmom: I assumed that about you. Your comment is so honest, so open, so very YOU. Cheers!!

Raven said...

Hmmmm... used to get offended by the word cunt...but that was along time ago. Now a days, the kids haven't driven me to a babbling mass, I'm coherent enough to do something bitchy enough that made you call me that...my day's mission has been fulfilled!
I get called those names, I just smile.

Schmoop said...

Songbird: You're gonna have to do better than if you want to hurt my feelings. I am called, "Dick" more than I am called, "Matt". Cheers!!

Desert Songbird said...

See? Now automatically you assume you were being referred to in a derogatory way. I was merely stating a fact.

It's all in the context, baby, it's all in the context.

Schmoop said...

Songbird: It was a natural reflex. Cheers!!

katherine. said...

I just glanced thru the previous comments...and will probably again be in the minority.

my reaction to the use of the word "cunt" is dependent on who is using it and how it is used.

used as a medical term...a part of the female anatomy...is fine.

used in...ah...um....the heat of the moment....it can be a total turn on.

used by some defensive male in a corporate environment...or some other situation where a man is feeling intimidated by an intelligent strong woman....then it is offensive.

frequently "cunt" is used with the intention to actually BE offensive.

I guess my biggest objection is that derogatory and insulting words used for a particular race are grounds for legal action...but when words are used to bash or belittle women....then they are laughed off and objections are considered over reacting....

I have actually seen the vagina monologues...the word cunt is used frequently in an appropriate manner....and I LOVE Chaucer...

but words change meanings over time (gay for example) and nowadays cunt is not always a good thing....smile.

Schmoop said...

Kat: I understand what you are saying, but I was wondering about how and why this word seems to be so much worse than say calling a woman a "bitch" for instance.

I mean context and tone, of course, determine what the underlying meaning and intent of such a word invokes, but this word just seems, for whatever reason, to be particualrly volatile. I was just wondering why.

If you get a chance, read the article that I linked in my post. Have a good weekend, and Cheers!!

Deb Hernandez said...

Love your blog...anyone that hates O'Reilly and can give us a brief history lesson of the word c**t in the same entry is number one in my book. And oh, as an aside.... you wrote: "He has been all over Fonda’s back since Thursday" Yes, every night in his friggin' dreams he is "all over" those bad, bad, evil women he rants about. As obsessed as he has been about Hillary he must lust after her nightly...Last night's dream went something like this: Bill was wearing a "Vote Kennedy" t-shirt while Hillary stood over him (whip in hand, ERA pin on her black leather dominatrix jumpsuit) screaming "You've been a bad boy Billy, having all kinds of liberal thoughts again haven't you?" Suddenly Hanoi Jane strides into the room and starts screaming "Bill, you poor misguided c***t!" OK, now try scrubbing that image out of your brain...

Schmoop said...

Diva: Ha...It's been but a brief introduction and I love you already...

Bill O'Reilly along with that worthless hack Dick Morris both have a sexual obsessions about H-Rod. I actually feel sorry for Hillary as far as that goes.

Of course, Billy and Dickie both have to take what they can get. I like the image actually, maybe it's because I am a fan of films by Fellini and Russ Meyer.

Keep that disco ball a' spinnin', and thanks for stopping by. Cheers!!

the Book of Keira said...

I have no issues with the word cunt. If I get called a cunt in a derogatroy manner then it is no different than being called stupid. I just ignore it. If I call someone else a cunt, they can ignore it, too or they can waste minutes of their life getting all hurt and offended with zero apology or any other outcome. It's up to them.

People getting horrified over this sort of thing is weird to me. It's just a word. The only word I will never use is one that is backed by racism and bigotry and that is because of the historical disresepct and dishono of the atrocities that have happened to a group of people. Individually, I'll call someone a cunt any day and they can call me the same.

Schmoop said...

108: Kyra, I have little to add to your comment, other than to say that it was very well said. Cheers!!

Ed & Jeanne said...

Well I'm no woman; but I'll investigate a few if I must ;)

Schmoop said...

VE: God Speed my good man, and give us a full report should you survive. Cheers!!

Lynda said...

In certain circles the word is considered merely a common profanity with an often humorous connotation. For example, in Australia and Ireland the word may be used as a colloquial term of endearment (e.g., in such phrases as "You're a funny cunt!" or "Daft cunt!"). This custom does not apply in the United States of America, where the word applies to females only. It is almost never a term of endearment and generally considered extremely offensive. In other countries, there is an increasing number of instances of the term both in print and in speech, usually in derogatory reference to a person rather than to the anatomical part.[citation needed]


Feminist viewpoints regarding offensiveness
Some feminists seek to reclaim cunt as an acceptable word for the female genitalia, in the interest of removing the power associated with its use. Some abhor the word and regard it, based on its more recent connotation, as degrading and misogynistic. It has also been suggested that vagina is equally offensive as it literally means "scabbard" in Latin [2], and is in any case incorrect as a term for the external female genitalia.

Some reject an exclusively negative connotation as inherently sexist towards women, and claim that insult is an inappropriate usage for a word used to epitomise femaleness.

Critics of the word claim that the lack of any comparable term for the male genitalia demonstrates a profound cultural contempt, not only for specific females, but for women in general. Defenders of the word argue that terms for male genitals are used in an equally insulting way, though they claim the degree of this "equivalence" differs between English speaking cultures (examples include cock, prick, dick-head, "utter balls" (or bollocks) [British], etc). However, these words generally aren't held to be as offensive or taboo as cunt. Despite these criticisms, there is a small movement amongst some feminists that seek to reclaim cunt as an honorific, in much the same way that queer has been reclaimed by LGBT people [3]. Proponents include Inga Muscio in her book, Cunt: A Declaration of Independence, and Eve Ensler in her monologue "Reclaiming Cunt" (from "The Vagina Monologues").

The word was similarly reclaimed by Angela Carter who used it in the title story of "The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories"; a female character describing female genitalia in a pornography book: “her cunt a split fig below the great globes of her buttocks”.[4]

More recently, Germaine Greer, who had previously published a magazine article entitled Lady, Love Your Cunt[5], discussed the origins, usage and power of the word in the BBC series Balderdash and Piffle, which examines the etymology of many English words and phrases, most especially those whose origins have limited written evidence (required to be included as citations in the Oxford English Dictionary). Greer suggests at the end of the piece that there is something precious about the word, in that it is now one of the few remaining words in English that still retains its power to shock.
Cunt is an English language vulgarism most commonly[citation needed] used in reference to the vulva or vagina and, more generally, the pubis, from the mons veneris to the perineum. The earliest citation of this usage, circa 1230, is in the Oxford English Dictionary, referring to the London street known as "Gropecunt Lane".

Cunt is also used as a derogatory epithet in referring to either sex. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary defines "cunt" as "an unpleasant or stupid person," whereas Merriam-Webster defines the term as a disparaging term for a woman. Meanwhile, according to the Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English, the word refers to "a despicable man." The usage of cunt as vulgar insult is a relatively recent development.

This word for the female genitalia dates back to the Middle English period, c.1325. Its exact origin is unknown, but is related to the Old Norse kunta, a word with cognates in several other Germanic languages. From the Proverbs of Hendyng, a manuscript from sometime before 1325:[citation needed]

Ȝeue þi cunte to cunnig and craue affetir wedding.
(Give your cunt wisely and beg after the wedding.)

So, it seems that it refers to a street where whores frequent, and, that women don't like it because they don't feel that there are similar descriptives for men??? What about dick, dickhead, prick, and others?
Myself, I just don't like the overall sound or use of the word. I don't care for vagina, or pussy either, I call it 'my girl', my secret, or whatever. Listen, I curse like a truck driver and there are a few words that I don't care for, such as broad, cunt, pussy, vagina, penis, dick, and such, I don't care for the sound of these words, they are UGLY sounding... that's my take on this, sorry for the long comment, but, thought I would provide some answers...
hahaha... forgive me??? :))))

Schmoop said...

Lyn: Could you repeat your previous statement? ; )

Thanks for the research, you have, from now until the end of time been deemed to be the Bagwine Librarian.

I hope you accept this lofty position.

Good God Woman, that was some work. Cheers, and Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, I guess I am in the minority then.

I use every other word but the 'c word'. For two reasons:

Firstly cause I really don't like the sound of it. It has a guttural sound, unlike fuck or prick. Such pretty words those...

and the other reason is the only time I hear it is in anger. Spitting from some ferals mouth (I believe you call such primordial slime White Trash?) in reference to a situation that they cannot comprehend. Like running out of beer or having to shower under court order.

Travis Cody said...

I think that word - any word really - is offensive when used as a derogatory insult against a person or persons. I've never agreed with the idea that a group can use a word to describe itself, but won't accept outsiders using it to describe them.

Cheers!

Liz Hill said...

I think that the term cunt has --particularly for our generation--carried such an offensive connotation that it will take quite some time to reverse. I've seen the Vagina Monologues and while it does make an attempt to 'reclaim' the word I'm not so sure the rest of society is jumping on that bandwagon.

I have a filthy mouth but cunt is a word I reserve for only those who truly deserve it. And I don't discriminate between the sexes--anyone can be one. I'm also exceedingly careful about who I might express this word to---I bet only three or four people have heard me use it--ever. Of course thinking it is an entirely different matter ;-)

Schmoop said...

Kelley: Well said, and you bring something that should happen more often: Court Ordered Showering. Cheers!!

Travis: Ah yes, the old no one can use it but us. Nice to see you back Trav. Cheers!!

TB: You dirty cunt thinker, you. Cheers!!

Schmoop said...

Starr: You should be elected to the position of Philosopher Queen. Cheers!!

Cinnamon Girl said...

I like the sound of that Matt! Tell me, would this position give me the power to jam a horsey tail dildo up Bill O'Reilly ass and ride him around like my personal burro? Cause I could get to like that.

Schmoop said...

Starr: Boo Yah!! That would be a great first initiative. Of course, the only down side of that is that Bill-O would enjoy it. Cheers!!

Cinnamon Girl said...

Easy way to fix that Matt. Two words.

Spiked
Un-lubed

Schmoop said...

Starr: Nice Touch...

Marilyn said...

I'm glad you're feeling better.

I can think of a lot of slang words for the male genetals but only two that are generally used for the female parts... maybe we just need more words so that there is less emphasis on one as really bad.

Men don't like to be called Dicks or Pricks or whatever, but they seem to like us talking about the actual items referenced. It does seem kind of unballanced.

Schmoop said...

Marilyn: I always enjoy being called a dick. It means that I have accomplished something. Cheers!!

Sandee said...

Well, at least I got a mention. Nick deserved to win too. Awesome comment. Bwahahahahaha on Lyn's comment. All you you ever wanted to know about c**t but were afraid to ask. :)

Schmoop said...

Sandee: Lyn is very thorough isn't she. Cheers Sandee!!

Angell said...

I'm with metalmom. I have no idea why women get offended by this. But then again, I am one of the few females I know that only gets offended when one insults my intelligence, my loyalty, my integrity, or (in a severe derogatory way) my weight. (Well, my family too, but that's a totally different section of offensiveness altogether).

I appreciate you taking the time to do some research.

SMOOCH.

Schmoop said...

Angell: Good to hear you chime in Angell. Cheers!!

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