SLUT: A Word That Has No Place In Today’s Society.

It’s the word that’s been on everyone’s lips for years, (quite literally since its Middle English origins in the 1400s); it’s even spurred on women’s movements such as SlutWalk in April 2011. My post looks at the meaning of the powerful word ‘Slut’ in today’s society and questions whether there is a place for it in our daily lives. 

The word ‘slut’ has taken on many orthographic and etymological forms throughout history since its early origins. But whilst some meanings such as “kitchen maid” and “drudge” (I know right, what does that even mean?) have died out, there is one definition that has remained pejorative, with the purpose of shaming women who choose to deviate from the majority of Western society’s monogamous stance on relationships. 

Wikipedia defines the word slut as “a term applied to an individual who is considered to have loose sexual morals or who is sexually promiscuous.The term is generally pejorative and most often used as an insult, sexual slur or offensive term of disparagement.” We’ve all used the term, whether it be jokingly or as a serious insult, but perhaps we should stop and think of the consequences of its excessive use (particularly in the case of women using the term to describe other females.) 

I do feel that the connotations of ‘Slut’ have been formed by religion and society, in an attempt to control sexual conduct, particularly that of women. However sex should always be down to personal choice. Whilst being respectful of religious belief (I have been brought up as a Christian myself,) I do think that sexual morals should be formed by the individual. Furthermore, the individual should be at peace with whatever decision they make with regards to their own sex life.

I cannot count the number of times friends have gone through the motions of guilt after a one night stand that was entirely their own resolve. Whilst this could be down to plain regret after one too many vodkas, the response, when their guilt is questioned, is generally “I feel like a slut.” It may be that their decision went against their own morals, but when so many women find themselves repeating the action more than once, I can only think that they are scared of what others might think. It must be asked that in a society where more and more women are making these casual choices about their sex lives, why are we still living in fear of a word… and why is it acceptable to use it against other people as a means of ruining their reputation and ultimately lowering their self esteem and confidence in the choices they make as an adult? 

Even more worrying is how the term has been used to shame rape victims. A Toronto Police Officer caused mighty uproar among feminists in 2011 when he declared that women might avoid being raped if they didn’t “dress like sluts.” This spurred a SlutWalk protest in which many North American women paraded the streets in ‘slutty attire,’ campaigning against the shaming of victims of rape and sexual assault. So, ladies, if we stop calling other women sluts, it might not give men like this, the grounds upon which to use the term in such a way which has much more horrific consequences than just insulting a female who stole our boyfriend. 

Whats more, it’s unfair that the term seems to have the opposite effect for males. Whilst the term “man-slut” is used to by females to warn off other females of a man possibly carrying several STIs, it is commonly worn like a badge of honor in groups of laddish males who see having sex with a woman as a goal in the net. Whilst some males might not be happy to carry this ‘man-slut’ banner, some would be perfectly happy with, and even proud of this seductive power they seem to have over women. 

But what if the word took on a new meaning for women and became a means of pride? Women’s movements have reclaimed the term as a means of sexual liberation; often referred to as Slut Pride, coined by comedian Margaret Cho. The frontier calls upon the “sexually loose” to feel liberated by their choices. 

However there are undoubtedly issues with a sexually loose generation (such as the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy) and we must encourage ourselves and others to make sensible, safe choices about our sex lives. The term ‘Slut’ has ultimately tried and failed to control the sexual conduct of men and women, so why is it still being used in a way which makes the human race feel bad about their own personal choices? One thing’s for sure, I will be very careful not to use the term SLUT at the drop of a hat in the future. 

 

 

 

Female Identity: Blurred Lines.

From explicit music videos to female- offensive posts on social networking sites, has society gone backwards in terms of female equality and the ‘advocacy of women’s rights’? My first post asks some poignant questions about the perception of women in the media and the possible implications upon the social networking generation. 

Growing up, I must admit I’ve been pretty ignorant toward much of the jokes (and sometimes seemingly unjokingly) comments made about the female sex on popular networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Phrases such as “get back in the kitchen” and referral to women as “bitches” and “hoes” were commonplace and I had become accustomed to laughing it off as a joke. However, having encountered a fair share of today’s male generation (on a direct and indirect level,) I began to question whether these little ‘jokes’ had been internalized by the males of today.

Since the eye opening documentary ‘Battle of the Sexes: Blurred Lines’ was aired on the BBC in May 2014, I have become even more aware of the common perception of women portrayed in the media. The documentary looked at evidence of sheer sexism on the internet and through other mediums.The clue is in the shared title of the documentary and Robin Thicke’s hit single of last summer, “Blurred Lines”- dubbed as the most controversial song of the decade by The Guardian. I found myself humming along to the catchy tune without paying much heed to the underlying meaning and disturbing ideas about sexual consent and the implication of rape (lyrics include the line “I know you want it” and mention tearing a woman’s “ass in two.”)

So this song is ultimately saying: “It’s okay to talk to women like this. If they say no, it probably means yes.” No one can doubt the influential impact of the media, especially upon the younger, impressionable generation. So it needs to be asked, if we can’t stop artists writing songs like this, why aren’t we regulating the music videos which give the song their identity?

The release of the single was shortly followed by Miley Cyrus’ infamous performance of ‘Blurred Lines’ with Thicke at the VMAs. It featured Miley wearing a shiny, nude bralet and hotpants, whilst ‘twerking’ on Thicke’s lap. By performing that song and behaving in such a manner, Miley Cyrus indicates that the only way to attract male attention is by dressing inappropriately and therefore aids the sexual objectification of women.

It seemed to be one stint in a long standing campaign by Cyrus to shake off her ‘good girl’ Hannah Montana image. Her Wrecking Ball video featured her swinging on a wrecking ball, fully naked which has reached millions of views on Vevo’s YouTube channel. Disturbingly, the director of the video, Terry Richardson has recently faced claims against him, accusing the fashion photographer of sexually abusing some of his muses. Why are we letting men like this generate material to be swallowed by the rest of society?

The male internalization of women as sexual objects has arguably become evident in experiences of dating in today’s society (the topic of discussion in my next post,) as a possible implication of blatant sexism in the media. All too often I have heard stories of men’s desperate attempts to have sexual relations with women both on dating apps and face to face; all without any intention of commitment and ultimately showing a complete lack of respect towards women.

It has become a constant worry of mine that not only is sexism on social networking rife, but that women have been accepting of such material and like me, have simply laughed it off as a joke in the past. However sexism can and should be combated using the same platform upon which it was created: social media. It is up for the individual to decide what is simply a joke and what is taking things too far. But displays of blatant female objectification like Miley Cyrus’ performance at the VMAs is a flashing indicator that society needs to reevaluate what is a respectable and whatsmore accurate representation of female identity.

 

Acknowledgments

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/nov/13/blurred-lines-most-controversial-song-decade

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/19/terry-richardsons-predato_n_505708.html

http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/news/miley-cyrus-faces-backlash-over-new-terry-richardson-photographs