One word that has evolved and become out of control, from my perspective, is the word “bitch.” If I could I would ban it from general usage. The original meaning of the word, female dog, is not necessary since most people refer to dogs as dogs. In today’s terms, this word has morphed into all sorts of meanings and usages both bad and “good.”
An image that many can relate to is Miranda Priestly, the character portrayed by Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada; a woman in power who is this demanding, icy, ruthless boss, or as some would say, bitch. Now, she’s a character in a movie, but how many women in powerful leadership positions are referred to as bitches? Another negative connotation of the word refers to a man who is seen as soft or weak. I’ve heard things like, “He’s acting like a bitch!” and “That was a bitch move!”
Today, we have people referring to themselves as bitches. It has become symbolic of someone who feels that they have themselves together professionally, financially and/or socially. I’ve seen it on vanity license plates, t-shirts and social media pages. It’s not necessarily gender specific. I have witnessed it being spoken out of some people’s mouths, and then others start to refer to them as such! It has also become a term of endearment in some circles. You might hear someone say, “What’s up, bitch?” or “Bitch, you know you look good!” I’ve heard compliments like, “That’s a bad bitch!”
There was a time when being called a bitch was cause for an altercation. It was a derogatory term, just by the mere fact that it referred to a female dog. It is mind boggling that such a word has evolved and is being used so loosely by so many people. If I could, I would ban it! What do you think?
