Cut Video, known for releasing humorous, discussion-driven, and sometimes taboo viral videos, is back at it with their newest talkpiece, a video asking women ages 15 to 50 what they think of when they hear the word “b*tch.” The responses vary in range, but there are some common themes throughout.
Right from the start, we nod in agreement as a 16-year-old comments, “I know it’s used a lot,” and an 18-year-old adds, “It’s kind of an unneeded word, and it gets thrown around a lot.” This sentiment is echoed throughout the clip in both the younger and older generations. A woman of 37 shares, “I feel that it’s used too often” while a women of 39 states that it’s simply “unnecessary.”
Thankfully, one young woman shows strength in the face of the word’s commonality. At 21, she remarks, “I think words only have the power you give them, so I think a lot of women are claiming that word as their own.”
What’s more interesting is the change in feedback as age increases. Starting at age 30, these women seem more open to the term, abandoning descriptive words such as “mean” and “hurt” for “honest” and “blunt.” Not only do they embrace the term, but they use it to describe others in their social circles. Maybe it comes from a longer lifetime of exposure, or from some wisdom with age, but the final speaker, who is 50, shares an incredibly positive attitude. “Love it. Sometimes that’s how you have to wield power as a woman” she says. “I think it’s funny and I enjoy it.” Of course, it is extremely important to note that older women do not go unaffected by the negativity associated with the word. One woman, age 46, tells it as it is: “Woah, that’s not good. It makes you feel like nothing.”
There are a few lessons to be learned from this video. The first is that any word aimed at tearing down another person has no place in modern vocabulary. Of course, that’s better said than done, and as this clip exemplifies, the word “b*tch” has become normalized in modern culture. Its effects are painfully clear. These women express pain and vulnerability stemming from the word, and on the other end of the spectrum, anger and defiance. One response is particularly insightful, associating “b*tch” with the word “dominance,” and that’s exactly what it’s often used for—women trying to hurt other women, and even worse, men trying to control, patronize, and belittle women.
While we feel that there is no place for such a derogatory and often sexist term in today’s society, we also can’t help but feel admiration for the women who handle this adversity with maturity and grace. This video shows that while the word itself is negative, the female characteristics it is often used to demean are actually valuable and important traits that no woman should be ashamed to possess. One speaker, who is 48, smiles with amusement as she defines a “b*tch” as a “proud women who does not listen to people, she does what she wants to do.” Right on! If a “b*tch” is driven, strong, independent, and ready to take-charge, we aren’t quite sure where the insult lies!
If there’s one thing to gain from this video, it’s what one 44-year-old speaker correctly points out. The term “b*tch” is a “loaded” word, and if used at all, it should be used with caution and perhaps a grin of pride.