Popularization of the Use of the Word Bitch - Essay Example

Bitch First While the modern society comfortable embraces the word ‘bitch’ without thinking too far, the word has been the subject of controversy for the better part of the 20th century. Through other open-minded musicians like Queen Latifah and others, women have gotten used to being referred to as ‘bitches’ (Allen 104). Though not everyone is comfortable with the word, one can at least attest that the contemporary society through pop culture and rap music is now open with the word connoting the female gender (Dunn 41). Generally, the word ‘bitch’ refers to a female dog and is indeed an old English word that was used to refer to an aggressive and unreasonable person. For many decades, the society has considered the word offensive, more so when used to refer to a woman (Donalson 136). Until recently, the word ‘bitch’ was a derogatory name for a whore or a woman with loose morals (Low 96). Nevertheless, the contemporary society has fully embraced the use of the word even in inoffensive situations such as when referring to female colleagues and in idiomatic expressions (Dines, Gail, and Humez 78). Essentially, Queen Latifah brought significant influence on the use of the word through her rap music that continues to gain wide acceptance to date. Although the mention of the word ‘bitch’ in reference of a person was hitherto a taboo, the influence of rap as stated by Queen Latifah has made the word acceptable to the current generation. In the ancient times, the society was most conservatives and the use of certain words such as ‘bitch’ was limited to the animal reference and not humans (Allen 104). However, with rapid modernization, the use of the word to insinuate various scenarios has been widely accepted especially considering the huge number of slangs that the modern English has brought (Dines, Gail, and Humez 78). Certainly, history judged the word on the wrong side by mostly equating it to a woman with intensified sexual desire reminiscent to that of a female dog on heat (Donalson 136). Although bitch continued to denote an insult even in the nineteenth century, the reaction to the word started to change slowly as modernity crawl in. musical artists did their best to demystify the language by frequently using it as slang but the society was reluctant to accept it (Allen 104). Although the traditionalist still abhor the use of the word ‘bitch’ to insinuate a human character, the modern use of the word has surpassed the virtual rule (Dines, Gail, and Humez 78). Perhaps it is appropriate to insinuate that Queen Latifah frequently named women in the same word in her lifelong musical career and in the world of art (Allen 104). This actually means that the use of the term in a social manner is acceptable in many social platforms as opposed to the ancient times when its mere mention was an abomination (Keyes 79). While the mention of the term bitch in the modern social context may elicit mixed reactions, it is widely believed that it appeals to many people in the same sense that it may offend others (Dunn 41). Therefore, one ought to consider the audience and the immediate social context whenever they plan to use the word in their conversation in order not to attract negative judgment from conservative audience (Donalson 136). Perhaps another aspect of the use of the term ‘bitch’ in the contemporary context is the reference to awful things (Dunn 41). For instance, one can refer to life as a bitch to connote the various challenges that come along in this world. In this regard, the use of the terms ought not to offend anyone, as it is used positively (Allen 104). Perhaps the use of the term ‘bitch’ came into popularity because of being used in many idiomatic expressions (Hess 82). While most of the idioms that use the word ‘bitch’ may not have any intention of negativity in them, it is important to admit the fact that modernity has only worsened the offensiveness of the word, particularly considering the disgusting idioms that use the expression (Donalson 136). For example, the phrase son of a bitch is normally a connotation of an aggressive and rude person who has no regard for other human beings. In this context, the term ‘bitch’ is negative although it is the modern use and therefore it should be discouraged owing to its offensive nature to a majority within the society (Dines, Gail, and Humez 78). When it comes to Hip Hop culture, Queen Latifah played a major role in popularizing the term ‘bitch’ particularly to the youth (Dunn 41). Indeed, the term gained much popularity among the Hip Hop lovers from the early 1980s as rap music came into the scene and the rappers at the time frequently referred to each other as bitch or even used the term on women with outrageous behaviors (Dines, Gail, and Humez 78). Although Queen Latifah popularized the word through her rap songs that embodied the term, other artists chipped in to take the use of the terms a notch higher (Hess 82). Since then, the word ‘bitch’ has been a common phrase particularly among the youth who use it to refer to the female gender irrespective of their character or background (Donalson 136). When it comes to the use of the term in reference to men, it is a derogatory word of referring to a man of lower hierarchy or a subordinate staff particularly in the prison (Allen 104). In conclusion, the contemporary life has popularized the use of the word ‘bitch’ although some quarters of the society are still reluctant to embrace the use of the term fully especially when referring to social contexts. Essentially, Queen Latifah played an instrumental role in making the use of the term gain wide acceptance particularly in the modern society through her musical works that incorporated the words. While many people especially in the olden days associated the word ‘bitch’ with negative and derogatory aspects, it is apparent that the contemporary society has embraced the use of the word fully without harboring any ill motives. Although acceptability of the term is still subject to debate, it is true that the current generation does not have many issues with the word as the previous ones did have. Works Cited Allen, Amy R. Queen Latifah: From Jersey Girl to Superstar. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2012. Print. Dines, Gail, and Jean M. M. Humez. Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Critical Reader. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications, 2011. Print. Donalson, Melvin. Hip Hop in American Cinema. New York: Lang, 2007. Print. Dunn, Stephane. "baad Bitches" and Sassy Supermamas: Black Power Action Films. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2008. print. Hess, Mickey. Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2007. Print. Keyes, Cheryl L. Rap Music and Street Consciousness. Urbana, IL: Univ. of Illinois Press, 2004. Print. Low, Bronwen. Slam School: Learning Through Conflict in the Hip-Hop and Spoken Word Classroom. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press, 2011. Print. Read More