Art Thou, A Bitch? by: Irissa Kai written: 2016
Bitch; should we ride with it or ditch it? The Roots: Female Canines Tracing its lineage, the word ‘bitch’ dates back to as early as the 15th century. Literally meaning ‘lady dog’, it was reserved specifically for promiscuous women (an allusion to female dogs having so many puppies). Then, when women achieved political rights to vote and men were far from pleased about it, the word revolutionized. It became an all-around insult for men to use on women who threatened their superiority complex. In the 1970s came the Second Wave feminism, and so did The Bitch Manifesto by Jo Freeman. It declared that ‘we (bitches) must be strong, we must be militant, we must dangerous. Looks like the two were joining forces. (Yay…?) The Climb: Bad Bitch Come the 80’s and alas, the ‘bad bitch’ was born. It still lives on today, where the word is glamorized in popular culture. The feminist facelift the world underwent during the past few decades ultimately leads to its mainstreaming. According to Urban Dictionary: bitch (n.) - a lewd woman or any person that is subservient to another (v.) - to complain, & exclaim hardship ‘Bitch’ is no stranger to the music scene with Rihanna’s ‘Bitch Better Have My Money’ and PTAF’s ‘Boss Ass Bitch’. Its rising popularity is also accredited to many, if not all rap music like Jay-Z's ‘99 Problems’. The notorious word achieved the ability to be used in both a negative and positive light. Bitch became a term of endearment amongst friends, mostly used by feminine individuals. ‘Main bitch’ was used exclusively for the favourite friend or a steady partner, a status many wished to attain. It became synonymous with strong, independent women who stuck to their beliefs and didn’t take any sh*t from others. Not to forget, it was still used to call out the ‘mean girls’ and promote feminism. The beauty of the B-word is that it doesn’t discriminate against gender and can be used, practically, by anyone. The widespread use and acceptance of the term helped anyone who associates with it to feel empowered. In other words, if you call yourself a bitch, a proud one, it just makes it A-okay for someone else to call you a bitch.