C is for The “C” Word
When I saw The Vagina Monologues, it
included a very funny monologue from a Koori (Aboriginal Australian)
woman who said that the “C” word is a term of endearment in their
culture. It is rarely used as an insult. She gave these sorts of
examples:
“How ya goin’ ya C*? Have a good
day?”
“You won the raffle at the club? Ya
lucky C*”
As we were all laughing, she even
included this, suggesting her people will coo over a baby and say:
“Ohhh, look at the little C*”
All of this was tongue in cheek of
course, and yet it also wasn't. She was trying to make a point that
runs in conjunction with the idea that words need to be reclaimed and
empowered to mean something fine, rather than derogatory. The perfect
modern example of this is “Queer” - rarely is that word able to
be used as derogatory any longer.
We do need to reclaim the ‘C’ word.
It is not acceptable that the worst thing you can call a person is a
slang word for vagina. The worst thing you can call someone, should
be a misogynist, homophobic, racist a slanderer or liar. There are many
words that have been reclaimed, and some that were the norm that are
no longer acceptable to use.
This is called progress. It implies
beauty and delicacy of speech, choosing our words, rather than others
doing it for us. It doesn't mean avoiding something distasteful, it
means becoming active in its re-framing.
That night I spent at The VaginaMonologues changed the word “Cunt” for me forever. Remember, in
some cultures, it is a term of endearment, and that came after the
slur. We can reclaim that word, and every other that has been used to
rob a person of their dignity.
