LEXIS CRAPSIS

For days the media has buzzed with the aftermath of a popular comedian losing it; his shouting and cursing at members of his audience was too common to be noticed, but he was lambasted because he used the n-word.

Ever hear any rap? The n-word that is prohibited from being said in public runs rampant in this music. African American comics belt it out constantly. It seems it's not wrong to say the word; the wrongness comes from who says it.

This is nuts! If the word is so hurtful and harmful to a minority group then why do many Blacks use it among themselves, seemingly without censure? If the word wasn't heard so often perhaps then it would not come so readily to those who should not say it.

Likewise we agree that complaining about the use of the word bitch and all the other words used to denigrate women has done little good. In fact, many times the worst offenders are women themselves.

BUT, there is no derogatory word used against women, needing a letter to be expressed, that is not acceptable in this male controlled society. When have you heard someone say "s-word", the "b-word" etc? No, and you won't. Sitcom characters routinely refer to women using these offensive words. Racism = NO NO; sexism = OK.

We hear them on TV talk shows where Tucker Carlson actually encourages his guests to use them. We almost expect it on the Radio Shock talk programs. Blogs reek of repulsive terms for women.

If not the disgusting words, there is always the nastiness such as these comments by Rush Limbaugh and Joe Scarborough.

My "cat's taught me more about women, than anything my whole life" "she comes to me when she wants to be fed," and "she's smart enough to know she can't feed herself. She's actually [a] very smart cat. She gets loved. She gets adoration. She gets petted. She gets fed. And she doesn't have to do anything for it." -- Rush Limbaugh

Joe Scarborough said, "[W]e're getting so much politics on The View. Shouldn't this be a program at this time of the year about how to make Christmas balls out of popcorn and pine cones?"

Media editor Rachel Sklar replied to Scarborough's statement by saying, "I'm just going to forget you said that," Scarborough added, "[I]t is a dayside show for women... come on."

This selective word-crap presents an interesting problem in the coming presidential elections as a white female and a black male are expected to run for that office along with a multitude of white males.

We can be sure that neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama will use such words or letters against each other but the media, led by Huffington and Tucker will excoriate Senator Clinton.

Even the most sedate newscasts will resort to innuendo and frat boy jokes about Senator Clinton and women in general. Then they will eagerly watch for some really gross stuff from other sources to quote in their programs. A favorite game: "we didn't say it, they did".

But rest assured there will be no use of either the f-word or black culture innuendo used against Senator Obama. And there shouldn't be. There shouldn't be similar word-crap used against women either.

gapperserve-at-peoplepc.com
http://gendergappers.blogspot.com

2006-050

Copyright 2006 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: gapperserve@peoplepc.com.

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