Nudity, Is It Sexist In This Forum?

[Losty]

Because when you call someone a cunt or a pussy or a dick or an asshole you are not thinking that any of these body parts are offensive or shameful or dirty. You're not thinking about body parts at all. You're using the swear word version. I can't technically speak for everyone else but I don't think anyone else is thinking about body parts either. Just like when I say "fuck that shit" I am not using the terms to mean sex with poop and I am not thinking about sex with poop when I say them. I am using the universal negative "fuck" and "shit" which are both used as swear words to mean pretty much anything we don't like.


Think about this, when you use the word fuck are you promoting the idea that sex is shameful, dirty, or offensive? I don't think so.

Maybe very indirectly. Steven Pinker quoted some neuroscience research in a talk of his that swear words are so powerful because they bypass certain filters in the brain and immediately create an emotional impact. Why do they do accomplish in the first place, i.e. what makes them special? That is likely due to their original emotionally charged content.

I really think intent and recognizable effects are more important than whatever neurological effects it might have when it comes to whether or not saying or doing something is sexist. I assume everything in life has neurological effects that we are unaware of. I'm curious, is there reason to think the effect is because of the original meaning and not just because it's considered a "bad" word? Iirc the original meaning of shit is "ship high in transport" and I don't see any reason why that would would create an emotional impact.

ETA: according to http://www.snopes.com
"The word shit entered the modern English language via having been derived from the Old English nouns scite and the Middle Low German schite, both meaning "dung," and the Old English noun scitte, meaning "diarrhea." Our most treasured cuss word has been with us a long time, showing up in written works both as a noun and as a verb as far back as the 14th century."

Still, doesn't seem like an original meaning worthy of creating an emotional impact any more than crap, poop, dung, feces, etc
* Losty prays "Dear tiny baby Catholic Jesus in a manger, where is CL when I need her?"