“Slut” is a common insult reserved for women who are seen as too sexually permissive, too promiscuous or who dress in a way that might suggest sexuality. In diminishing a woman’s status to that of a “slut,” her worth is minimized to her sexual behavior, and her sexual expression is shamed. Women are famously held to a different sexual standard than men — men are encouraged to engage in frequent casual sex to prove their masculinity, while women who do so are seen as used, tarnished or impure in some way.
“Slut” is a careless insult, lazy and uninventive, given to almost any woman who acts out of her traditional gender role. It’s meant to shame and silence women back into submission, remind them they are wasting sexual currency on men who aren’t their husbands and, in general, prevent women from acting in ways that men do.
Women sometimes jokingly call their friends “slut” much in the way we use “bitch” — or “betch,” as it’s more accurately pronounced — but often without the harsh maliciousness the words usually carry. In an attempt to combat sexual policing and shaming, women often attempt to reclaim the word “slut,” changing the connotation and inverting the insult into normalcy. Perhaps by calling ourselves “sluts” we can alter the language used against us and force the negative to become humorously positive. Though reclamation seems a lighter alternative than anger to combat sexism, this method is often ineffective.
Language is often inverted rebelliously while still possessing dual meaning, as we see with “bitch.” With words that are simultaneously complimentary and insulting, vocal tonality and intent thread a fine line between smarting feminism and tired sexism. In supposed reclamation, we seek to undermine the sting of a slur by chipping away at the foundation of the word itself. If women twist an insult into a compliment as an expression of feminine power — a “bad bitch” — does it still hold the same weight as an insult? Frequent usage of “bad bitch” has curtailed the harshness of “bitch,” but can the same be done for “slut,” a word more biting and more critical than its tamer sister?
Feminist dialogue on this issue often wavers between erasure and reclamation, but perhaps there is a third alternative. Erasure seems the least likely — after all, history tells us that prohibiting a word will only make its targeted usage more painful and effective.
Reclamation often clouds the lines between insult and compliment. For some, reclaiming the word represents a small victory against microaggressions, an inversion of a word born in misogyny. The appeal is evident, trendy even, as Nicki Minaj calls herself a “bad bitch.” But as I sing along, I often wonder: Are “slut” and “bitch” the best things women can call each other? Can we not reach beyond inversion to something better?
Emily Lindin recently spoke to the aptly named Bitch Magazine about her work with The Unslut Project, a group seeking to make the word “slut” obsolete. Acts of reclamation are often misinterpreted, and “slut” — unlike “bitch” — seems to firmly retain its negative connotation. It is hurtful and offensive to a higher degree than other gender-specific insults. Lindin looks toward a future where “slut” will be a historic relic along with “floozy” or “harlot” — something you chuckle at, surprised by its antiquated hollowness.
“Slut” is simply an insult of perception — a judgment of someone else based on another’s opinion of how women ought to behave, no more useful or effective than insulting someone’s shoe size.
Perhaps letting “slut” die a slow, painful death is best. Instead of beating “slut” into normalcy, we can banish it into uselessness and force our thinking further, to question the very mindset deeming slurs based on perceived sexual behavior as acceptable.
Amy Coker is a UF English junior. Her column appears on Wednesdays.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 3/11/2015]
