We all know that a b***h is a female dog. That is a definition of the word.
In everyday life, I think the term is used as previously defined- an evil, snooty, obnoxious or overly rude woman. As someone else stated, sometimes a weak man.
Oftentimes, I find that a very broad slice of women are called b***hes. I know I personally have had men throw that term at me because I was not receptive to their advance (No I will not cross the street cause you decided to holla at me out of your car) or because we are assertive or strong willed. So what? There are still significant disparities in what is an acceptable personality trait for a man and for a woman. If the same response/answer out of him would not have gotten a deroogatory term hurled at him, then I should not have one hurled at me either.
As a modern, sophisticated, intellegent professional Black woman in the year 2001, I really don't give a rat's butt if someone wants to call me a b***h or not. I am going to do what I am going to do to get my business accomplished and acheive my goals. I do not do this by being insincere or rude or incosideratte. Still, by the sheer existance of my conifidence and FORTITUDE I am sometimes going to be (incorrectly) labeled a b***h.
I believe many women (and particularly my Sisters) are tired of the idea that men are suppoesed to be able to intimidate us by calling us names. That hurling epithets is supposed to help show us our place in society, our homes and the work world. That is where the brekdown
B(eing)
I(n)
T(otal)
C(ontrol) of
H(erself)
came from. It was an attempt to take the negative power out of the world and acknowledge that it is often applied to women because they are comeptenet and assertive, outspoken and strong. As a Black woman, sometimes I feel like the same traits used to describe us are the same things that get us called a b***h..
Can I be b***hy? Yes. Do I ever use the word? Occassionally. But I think it is very overused and broadly applied.
Does that answer your question?
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