Dear readers, you may have noticed that we try not using certain colloquial words with sexist and/or racist origins (i.e. the one that rhymes with "figga"; the other that rhymes with "Mitch", for example).
I touched on this many years ago. But a recent story had me thinking about HD in Effect's stance on those words and why we implemented it.
Earlier this month, Jason Melo forced his girlfriend, and mother of his two-month old daughter, to walk outside in their Harlem neighborhood with nothing but a towel and boots, allegedly because she was being unfaithful.
Not only did he film the ordeal and eventually strip her naked in very public, very 30 degree weather, he referred to her using a variety of today's regular sexist vernacular-"b#tch" and "Thot."
These actions came after he'd beaten and choked her for her supposed infidelity. But whether she was faithful or not is moot. This incident represents modern misogyny at its finest.
And the more I think about it, I'm reminded of that incident where Dr Dre viciously beat Dee Barnes in 1991. Then-NWA bandmate MC Ren justified the attack by saying, the "b*tch deserved it;" Easy-E agreed, commenting, "Yeah, b*tch had it coming."
I'm reminded of how I used to love listening to "Kim" off Eminem's "Marshall Mathers LP"-a song ending with Mr. Shady choking his former GF to death, yelling, "Bleed, b*tch, Bleed!"
Even beyond music-there's police brutality victim Jateik Reid, whose mother claims NYPD officers in the Bronx slapped her twice and called her a "black b#tch."
I've seen people openly call Bill Cosby's rape accusers every name in the book pertaining to their femininity, even though Mr. Pudding Pop has essentially admitted to being a rapist.
See a pattern forming? In each case, women being physically attacked-either in reality, or as part of entertainment-received a side order of sexist titles to boot.
I know some Millennial-aged people will look at Melo and agree that what he did was beyond foul.
But I also know some of those same people will continue calling women "b's,""thots" and "hoes" on their Facebook timelines.
I've seen it before.
They'll justify it by saying, "Oh, she was acting like a slut, so why not call her a slut?"
As if people wage that word as a social control over men who act in a sexually loose manner.
As if these terms don't exist to regular women's sexuality somewhere between Olive Oyl and Hester Prynne, while men can dally with their manhoods and forever get Pedro Suave status.
As if every woman doesn't has to walk a tight rope in the American sexual arena if she wants "respect."
As if these words don't serve to dehumanize women in the eyes of the men who used them as they beat them down.
And it extends far beyond just sexual situations. Donald Trump's racist words dehumanize, and influence his followers to dehumanize black people and Hispanics at his campaign rallies. Mass media dehumanizes Mexican brothers and sisters as "illegals." And we can't forget those who love shouting "I hate muslims!" at brown skinned people who pass them by.
Often these words precede physical violence against their recipients. Then people try justifying that violence, just like they did the words before.
Just a different take on it.
Thanks for listening,
HD
Credit for picture goes to http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/manhattan/exclusive-man-forces-girlfriend-walk-streets-naked-article-1.2504623