Three girls get suspended for saying "Vagina"

Scubascott · March 2007

Jeanie wrote:

Yup. But if there is no desire to exert power in a patriarchial way, then why not use cock or penis? How come the worst thing you could ever call some one is C***?

I don't know why. Its a cultural taboo for some reason. But I've been known to use the word cunt (there, I said it) plenty of times, usually when politely chastising one of my mates who's just taken the last beer out of the fridge or something, or when referring to the broken, poorly designed or malfunctioning pieces of equipment or gadgetry that I deal with on a regular basis. I'd be just as likely to call it a 'bastard prick of a thing!' or a 'farkin piece of shit!'. That doesn't mean that I actually think that's what it is. They're just words, and when you use them in that kind of context they're completely detached from their literal meaning, and they're good for venting frustration without getting physically violent.

Jeanie · March 2007

Scubascott wrote:

I don't know why. Its a cultural taboo for some reason. But I've been known to use the word cunt (there, I said it) plenty of times, usually when politely chastising one of my mates who's just taken the last beer out of the fridge or something, or when referring to the broken, poorly designed or malfunctioning pieces of equipment or gadgetry that I deal with on a regular basis. I'd be just as likely to call it a 'bastard prick of a thing!' or a 'farkin piece of shit!'. That doesn't mean that I actually think that's what it is. They're just words, and when you use them in that kind of context they're completely detached from their literal meaning, and they're good for venting frustration without getting physically violent.

Yep, I see what you are saying scott and I use it myself, in a derogatory fashion too, BUT I still think it's like the word N*g*er when referring to particular people and when used by particular people. Yes, they are just words but they also have a lot of power. And I doubt very much that you would be one of those people, but sometimes, a word from the wrong mouth can be a powerful tool for hate. SO anyway, not that I want to get into a whole rampant feminist thing, my point is by all means people use the word, but if you maybe think about it as potentially offensive, and not because it's female genitalia, but because people are using one of the names for female genitalia as the most offensive swear word. THAT's where it's offensive. I hope that made some sense.

dunkman · March 2007

Scubascott wrote:

I don't know why. Its a cultural taboo for some reason. But I've been known to use the word cunt (there, I said it) plenty of times, usually when politely chastising one of my mates who's just taken the last beer out of the fridge or something, or when referring to the broken, poorly designed or malfunctioning pieces of equipment or gadgetry that I deal with on a regular basis. I'd be just as likely to call it a 'bastard prick of a thing!' or a 'farkin piece of shit!'. That doesn't mean that I actually think that's what it is. They're just words, and when you use them in that kind of context they're completely detached from their literal meaning, and they're good for venting frustration without getting physically violent.

good post Scott... i actually call people fannies (the uk term not the US term) and cunts as well... but i'm not literally thinking of them as walking vaginas... but in the same breath i'm more likely to call someone a prick or a cockface... i suppose cunt is the ultimate swear word as it creates so much shock and thats a societal thing, just as paedophelia is shocking today it was part of life in roman times *i'm talking 12-15 year olds here* and that again is something we as a society have created... i personally blame the bible

i dont understand why the ladies on here are thinking calling someone a pussy is degoratory to their genitalia... i call people cocks, dicks, pricks, etc and its never entered my head that i was being degoratory to my penis... he knows i would never do that

but i bet the ladies on this forum have called guys 'dicks' before?

lucylespian · March 2007

Jeanie wrote:

Yep, I see what you are saying scott and I use it myself, in a derogatory fashion too, BUT I still think it's like the word N*g*er when referring to particular people and when used by particular people. Yes, they are just words but they also have a lot of power. And I doubt very much that you would be one of those people, but sometimes, a word from the wrong mouth can be a powerful tool for hate. SO anyway, not that I want to get into a whole rampant feminist thing, my point is by all means people use the word, but if you maybe think about it as potentially offensive, and not because it's female genitalia, but because people are using one of the names for female genitalia as the most offensive swear word. THAT's where it's offensive. I hope that made some sense.

Maybe this is one of those multiple use things where when you call someone a cunt, you are not referring to female privates at all, ie words often have more than one meaning , and the two meanings are in no way related.

It's an old word too, DH Lawrence used it a lot in one book, name escapes me now, teh one they tried to ban over it, but failed because was deemed to be art, not porn.

Also, the vagina has always been a source of mystery and power, lots and lots of power and mystery, so maybe the some of the power of this word derives from that. It gets a lot of power from the two hard consonants beginning and ending too, just falls on the ear like a hammer, which is probably more important than any genital reference.

Hilariously, while we are discussing this here, I got banned from the Metallica forum by the computer for using it. As if inserting a couple a punctuation marks to disguise it would have changed anything. And this from teh guys who brought us "So What" !!

Heineken Helen · March 2007

Jeanie wrote:

Yep, I see what you are saying scott and I use it myself, in a derogatory fashion too, BUT I still think it's like the word N*g*er when referring to particular people and when used by particular people. Yes, they are just words but they also have a lot of power. And I doubt very much that you would be one of those people, but sometimes, a word from the wrong mouth can be a powerful tool for hate. SO anyway, not that I want to get into a whole rampant feminist thing, my point is by all means people use the word, but if you maybe think about it as potentially offensive, and not because it's female genitalia, but because people are using one of the names for female genitalia as the most offensive swear word. THAT's where it's offensive. I hope that made some sense.

It's the one word I reserve for people I REALLY REALLY DESPISE and I've only ever used it on one person and that was recently. Don't know why I hate it so much but it's still a good one to use when you want to be really venomous and I get satisfaction from it. I've never called someone a dick but I use 'prick' regularly.

dunkman · March 2007

lucylespian wrote:

It gets a lot of power from the two hard consonants beginning and ending too, just falls on the ear like a hammer, which is probably more important than any genital reference.

well pointed out!!!

angelica · March 2007

Yeah, and we still clearly live in a culture where a vagina is considered shameful. It shows on many levels.

Heineken Helen · March 2007

angelica wrote:

Yeah, and we still clearly live in a culture where a vagina is considered shameful. It shows on many levels.

Lol, try saying 'period' to a guy... when you're not referring to a length of time or a scientific table

angelica · March 2007

Heineken Helen wrote:

Lol, try saying 'period' to a guy... when you're not referring to a length of time or a scientific table

Heineken Helen · March 2007

angelica wrote:

Probably the reason you're not allowed say 'vagina'... in case you embarrass people

In fairness though, it was some kinda school thing right? Maybe it's not entirely wrong that the kids are not allowed discuss stuff of a sexual nature?

There's a fine line between educating kids and having them know everything :eek: Sometimes kids are just best left to being kids.

angelica · March 2007

Heineken Helen wrote:

Probably the reason you're not allowed say 'vagina'... in case you embarrass people

In fairness though, it was some kinda school thing right? Maybe it's not entirely wrong that the kids are not allowed discuss stuff of a sexual nature?

There's a fine line between educating kids and having them know everything :eek: Sometimes kids are just best left to being kids.

I agree. Also someone made the point earlier that the girls agreed not to use the word and therefore this goes beyond the word vagina, itself, to an ethical issue of the girls going beyond the bounds of an agreement as well. It can be seen as an issue of defying an agreement made, which looks somewhat like a power issue.

Heineken Helen · March 2007

angelica wrote:

I agree. Also someone made the point earlier that the girls agreed not to use the word and therefore this goes beyond the word vagina, itself, to an ethical issue of the girls going beyond the bounds of an agreement as well. It can be seen as an issue of defying an agreement made, which looks somewhat like a power issue.

But then it IS a school and one thing they must teach is discipline and respect... ok well that's two but still

. Maybe they're just cheeky little brats anyway and just did it to be cool after saying they wouldn't. Knowing schoolgirls I somehow doubt it was some big display of feminism or girl power or anything like that.

NMyTree · March 2007

I think there's a big difference between "vagina" and some woman talking about her "period".

Let's face it, a "period" is not excatly a pleasant topic of discussion. Much like no woman wants to here about a crap or piss some guy just had.

But when you speak of "vagina", now that's a pleasant and stimulating discussion, as long as it doesn't end in a "period":D

Heineken Helen · March 2007

NMyTree wrote:

I think there's a big difference between "vagina" and some woman talking about her "period".

Let's face it, a "period" is not excatly a pleasant topic of discussion. Much like no woman wants to here about a crap or piss some guy just had.

But when you speak of "vagina", now that's a pleasant and stimulating discussion, as long as it doesn't end in a "period":D

well the two ARE heavily connected ya know... think about THAT next time you have the vagina discussion

angelica · March 2007

NMyTree wrote:

I think there's a big difference between "vagina" and some woman talking about her "period".

Let's face it, a "period" is not excatly a pleasant topic of discussion. Much like no woman wants to here about a crap or piss some guy just had.

But when you speak of "vagina", now that's a pleasant and stimulating discussion, as long as it doesn't end in a "period":D

Hopefully you didn't watch your children being born if talk of a woman's "friend from out of town, the girl in the red dress" makes you squeamish! My goodness, I was shocked giving birth myself at the horrific mixture of these warm bodily fluids splashing all over myself and the place! blech! Twice, no less! Although the second time was much worse. The first time, being completely numb to pain, I overlooked the gore for the magic. The second time I was forced to have the full painful experience complete with full feeling and stunning acknowledgement of gore.

angelica · March 2007

darn vaginas.

Abookamongstthemany · March 2007

'and i'm climbing up on the railing
trying not to look down
i'm going to do my best swan dive
into shark-infested waters
i'm gonna pull out my tampon
and just start splashing around

'cuz i don't care if they eat me alive
i've got better things to do than survive
i've got a memory of your warm skin in my hand
and i've got a vision of blue sky and dry land' ~ ani difranco

Collin · March 2007

The announcement must have been weird:

And these three girl are going to do the ... er... hm ... er... monologues!

NMyTree · March 2007

angelica wrote:

Hopefully you didn't watch your children being born if talk of a woman's "friend from out of town, the girl in the red dress" makes you squeamish! My goodness, I was shocked giving birth myself at the horrific mixture of these warm bodily fluids splashing all over myself and the place! blech! Twice, no less! Although the second time was much worse. The first time, being completely numb to pain, I overlooked the gore for the magic. The second time I was forced to have the full painful experience complete with full feeling and stunning acknowledgement of gore.

I watched both my sons being born; up close and personal.

You're misunderstanding my point from the beginning.

But let me entertain your approach, here.

Certainly it's not that I'm squeamish or live in denial of the function and reality of a woman's menstrual cycle. It's simply that I don't find a discussion about "periods" to be a pleasant topic of coversation in a social setting.

For instance, if I'm in an intimate relationship with a woman or just friends and they want to mention or discuss their menstrual cycle or problems stemming from it in a non-graphic manner; I can certainly deal with that and be invloved in the discussion without a problem.

But there really is no need to get into a graphic, overly-detailed discussion about it, in most scenarios.

You know, there are a lot of unpleasant realities to our lives and we deal with them as they come along on a daily basis; as with our kids and the changing of their disgusting diapers. Not a pleasant thing to discuss in detailed, graphic terms; but a reality most of us have or will deal with.

My kid's poopy-filled diapers certainly doesn't make me love him less, it doesn't make be less affectionate and close with them or make me squeamish.

But no one wants to know the consistency, texture and contents of my 10 month old son's diaper. Although I'm sure you all know he fills one or two diapers a day; as all babies do.

It's about using a little tact and sparing people of the gory details. There's already enough gory details to life as it is

But ultimately, you once again took what was essentially a little tounge-in-cheek comment with a double entendre at the end and tried to turn it into some deep, physcologically-probing revelation:D

It wasn't.

If watching both my sons being born hasn't extinguished my enthusiasm and love for the vagina and all it's beauty and gifts, neither can the "period";)

angelica · March 2007

NMyTree wrote:

I watched both my sons being born; up close and personal.

You're misunderstanding my point from the beginning.

But let me entertain your approach, here.

Certainly it's not that I'm squeamish or live in denial of the function and reality of a woman's menstrual cycle. It's simply that I don't find a discussion about "periods" to be a pleasant topic of coversation in a social setting.

For instance, if I'm in an intimate relationship with a woman or just friends and they want to mention or discuss their menstrual cycle or problems stemming from it in a non-graphic manner; I can certainly deal with that and be invloved in the discussion without a problem.

But there really is no need to get into a graphic, overly-detailed discussion about it, in most scenarios.

You know, there are a lot of unpleasant realities to our lives and we deal with them as they come along on a daily basis; as with our kids and the changing of their disgusting diapers. Not a pleasant thing to discuss in detailed, graphic terms; but a reality most of us have or will deal with.

My kid's poopy-filled diapers certainly doesn't make me love him less, it doesn't make be less affectionate and close with them or make me squeamish.

But no one wants to know the consistency, texture and contents of my 10 month old son's diaper. Although I'm sure you all know he fills one or two diapers a day; as all babies do.

It's about using a little tact and sparing people of the gory details. There's already enough gory details to life as it is

But ultimately, you once again took what was essentially a little tounge-in-cheek comment with a double entendre at the end and tried to turn it into some deep, physcologically-probing revelation:D

It wasn't.

If watching both my sons being born hasn't extinguished my enthusiasm and love for the vagina and all it's beauty and gifts, neither can the "period";)

Hey, I just wanted to throw some gory details at you to see how you'd respond. And here you go getting all serious on me. :rolleyes:

While we're on the topic.......I can't recall the last time any female shared with me the details of her menstuation in terms of texture/consistency/content.

Three girls get suspended for saying "Vagina"

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