magnificently uncommon

This was my final paper for Advanced Composition. Thanks to the beautiful Heather, I found this paper again and thought it'd be fun to share with you all. Enjoy!

Use Sparingly

Once upon a time, children learned naughty words from their fathers when they hurt themselves, not from television or music. There was a time, a simpler time, when swear words were outlawed in most households and offenders were severely punished. It was the time of the American dream, a chicken in every pot and a bar of Dial Soap in every dirty mouth. Of course, those times are long gone. Most of the words once found offensive have been mixed into everyday language. Because of this, most foul words have lost their stench. They have become so diluted that they lack the potency they once had. However, a few words still pack a mighty punch. Cunt is one of the words that has stood the test of time and is still considered a word that is totally taboo.

Dictionaries devote little space to Cunt’s definition. The Oxford English Dictionary simply defines it as ‘the female external genital organs… Applied to a person, esp. a woman, as a term of vulgar abuse’ and leaves it at that. Other dictionaries follow suit. Microsoft Office 2003 does not even recognize it as a word, underlining every occurrence with a menacing red squiggly line. The lack of print material on the word helps Cunt hold on to its power. When a curse word becomes commonplace, it loses its power. Such was the downfall of ‘fuck’. Unlike ‘fuck’, Cunt has been on the cusp of desensitization for years, but it still has yet to cross that line and continues to shock and appall any and all who get in its way.

The word holds more power than any other swear word. Even amongst a group of particularly potty-mouthed people, as common swear words are thrown around like dodge balls, when Cunt somehow gets mixed in, the room goes quiet and an uncomfortable veil silently falls upon the room. Cunt has that power; no other word can boast that.

Desensitization has turned the once explosive f-bomb into a cherry bomb, yet Cunt still turns the stomach of the not-so-easily offended. Why have certain swear words become socially acceptable while Cunt still reigns supreme? Some words which were once taboo are not common in everyday language. Other words like ‘fuck’ are still offensive, but have lost much of its venom due to the cultural immunity towards many swear words.

What makes Cunt such an explosive swear word? Perhaps it stems from the way the word sounds. The word is generally unattractive; the fact that it rhymes with ‘grunt’ does not help it. The harsh ‘C’ sharpens the word but the equally harsh ‘T’ turns the word into a blunt object. Unlike the word ‘fuck’ with which you can stab, Cunt is a word you use to beat people over the head with. By nature, the word is feminine. The prefix ‘cu’ is an typically associated with femininity. For example, ‘cow’ refers to a female animal, 'queen' refers to a female ruler, and Cunt is a term for female genitalia. Also, the Latin word for ‘vagina’ is ‘cunnus’ which bears a striking resemblance to the slang Cunt, but as far as it can be seen, this is just a coincidence.

Cunt is not the only feminine insult. Many offensive words and phrases stem from female-based insults. ‘Bastard’ and ‘son of a bitch’ are common insults for a man, but both are actually direct shots at the mother of the insult receiver. Also, different slang terms for female genitals, as in ‘twat’ and ‘pussy’, can be used as insults towards men as well. Of course, these words are not used to call men vaginas. Calling a man a ‘twat’ implies that he his incompetent, and calling a man a ‘pussy’ implies that he is weak. At the same time, slang terms for male genitals, as in ‘dick’ or ‘prick’, lack the weight and power of the aforementioned female-based insults.

Another reason the word is so powerful is the fear and disgust of the female reproductive organ. Cunt is a synonym for a word that is likened to something dirty and frightening rather than something beautiful and life giving. This hatred stems from deep-seated “cultural representations of the vagina as an abject organ:

"Given representations of the vagina as smelly, dirty, and potentially diseased, it is not surprising that women's genitals are a source of shame or embarrassment [and are] a part of their bodies many women can't bear to even look at"” (Virginia Braun and Sue Wilkinson qtd in Hunt).

Because of this it is also not surprise that "Hell is a term frequently used [...] for female genitals"(Pauline Kiernan qtd. in Hunt). The myth of the Vagina Detata has a hand in the demonizing of the vagina. This is the belief that the vagina is a relocated mouth that will castrate and devour a man’s penis. As outlandish as this may seem it is a common myth in many primitive societies. The usage of Cunt as a term of insult reveals both a fear and hatred of the vagina.

If women allow themselves to be insulted by Cunt, are they succumbing to the belief that they should be ashamed of their bodies? Should women abhor or exult in all the different names for her body? Efforts have been made by women to reclaim the word and turn it into a word of empowerment rather than one of abuse. During the 1970s, feminists worked to end ‘womb-fear’, that is, the fear of the female genitals, and encouraged women to embrace words like Cunt. Feminist and author Germaine Greer was once a staunch advocate for the desensitization and social acceptance of Cunt. Despite her efforts, the word was not acclimated into common speech.

More recently, writer and activist Eve Ensler’s play, ‘The Vagina Monologues’, has attempted to bring Cunt into the mainstream with the monologue ‘Reclaiming Cunt’. While “The Vagina Monologues” is a stunning piece modern theatre, it still makes people uncomfortable. And a small Catholic University would probably re-instate its football team before allowing a theatre group to perform it. Efforts to reclaim Cunt have been in vain. The word shows no sign of finding a place in common language.

So what does all this mean? Cunt is a four-letter slang word for female genitalia. It cannot be said on television or around your grandmother. Feminists and activists wish to reclaim Cunt and change its negative meaning. This is tricky. Should there be rules when reclaiming Cunt? Who gets to say it? Who can they say it to? There is a clear power in the word, and the power comes from women. Women hold the key to Cunt’s negative or positive power. There are too many women out there who are simply disgusted, uninformed, or afraid to use the word. The word Cunt is only as bad as people make it. Despite, or perhaps because of, efforts to desensitize Cunt, the word is still offensive, and is still not acceptable. No matter how often the word is said, listeners still cringe. Many women refuse to say the word aloud and men only seem to use it in its derogatory tone.

Perhaps Cunt is one word best left unsaid. The words power is derived from its taboo nature. How do the feminists feel about this? 30 years later, Germaine Greer has changed her stance on Cunt saying,

"I love the idea that this word is still so sacred that you can use it like a torpedo, that you can hole people below the waterline. You can make strong men go pale. This word for our female 'sex' is an extraordinarily powerful reminder of who we are and where we came from. It's a word of immense power - to be used sparingly"(qtd in Anderson).

Maybe, in Greer’s eyes, Cunt has been reclaimed after all. Not in the way Greer and her fellow female revolutionaries originally intended, but reclaimed all the same. Cunt is an insulting and obscene word, and that is not going to change anytime soon. Cunt may never lose its obscene status, and that may be for the best. However, as long as the power of the word rests with women, there is hope. For once, women can be proud that a feminine insult reigns as the be-all-end-all of dirty words. Women can choose to let the word offend them, or let it empower them. The word can work for them or against them. Women have the power to hold on to Cunt and let it become the most obscene word in the English language. And that is nothing to be ashamed of.