Slut

Have you ever been called a slut? I haven't. At least - and this is a big "at least" - not to my face. But I know I've called at least one other girl a slut, albeit not to her face. I feel bad about that, not because she ever knew about it (and for the record, Lisa, I still hate your guts) but because I strongly believe that "slut" is an ugly hate-filled, shaming and generally gross word to use as an insult*. I had a neat reminder of why I feel this way today when I stumbled over this great Tomato Nation essay, written by the wonderful Sars more than a decade ago. This is the gist of it -

"Slut" is for liking it. "Slut" is for wanting it. "Slut" is for going after it. Men hunt, women gather; men chase, women wait. Look it up, slut. "Slut" is for kissing boys with tongue. "Slut" is for kissing lots of different boys with tongue. "Slut" is for craving kissing lots of different boys with tongue. That's not right, you know. It says so in the Bible, and in social hygiene films. "Slut" is for loving sex. "Slut" is for needing sex.

- but you can read the whole thing here. And you should.

N.B: Has occurred to me that a friend of mine who sometimes reads this blog has a wife called Lisa. Jeepers. Hopefully this goes without saying, Young Ant, but the Lisa referred to above is not your charming wife. That is all.

* Using the word "slut" it in a sex-positive way, however, doesn't bother me in the slightest. And for my money using it among friends is Game On: I called Lindsay a slut just the other day via text message and her reply ("filthy slut to you, sirah!) did rather make me laugh.