Sarah Choudhry

Professor Bedell

CAS 137H

December 2nd 2016

Bitch

Bitch- a word once weighed down with the connotation of being a direct insult toward

women. The word has a few definitions, the most literal being a female dog. The alternative use

of the word is as an adjective geared toward women who are seen as being more dominant,

strong, and assertive used for women in a position of power. The other use of the word is as a

verb Bitching, it refers to the act of whining and complaining. The words duel meaning shows

the double standard a woman has faced, either she is too aggressive and commanding or she is

too weak and moanful. However with the dawn of the 21st century and the spark of Third Wave

Feminism the term bitch has had a complete shift in definition. Third Wave Feminism has

ushered in a stronger ownership of the female image manifested in terms like Bitch by changing

the meaning behind the work through means such as pop culture, new generational mindset, and

prominent female role models, as a term for empowerment by women who use it to redefine

what it means to be a woman.

In the past, feminist movements were about civil rights and equal liberties in society. The

third wave of feminism began from around the mid-90's and continues to this day. Third wave

women and men are concerned about equal rights, but think that systematic gender equality is on

its way to happening and the focus has now shifted to social gender equality. This new feminist
wave is about women taking ownership of their bodies and reclaiming what it means to be a

woman. Third Wave Feminism separated itself from Second Wave Feminism in encouraging

women to embrace their femininity. Women are now proud to be able to wear their red lipstick

and high heels that the first two phases of the movement identified as being a form of male

oppression. Feminist writer and activities best sums this new mindset up when saying it is

possible to have a push-up bra and a brain at the same time. Women of the third wave stood up

for themselves appearing strong and dignified. They spoke out against victimization slut

shaming abuse victims. They defined feminine beauty and showed that women are people not

objects. Using powerful rhetoric third wave activists appropriated derogatory terms like "slut"

and "bitch" in order to undermine the sexist culture in the United States and stop those opposed

from using such words as a verbal weapon (Rampton). Women are also starting to speak out and

be proud their sexuality in this new feminist wave. They no longer feel the need to be ashamed

of being sexually active and find no reason to be shy about speaking out on the topic of sex

(Straus). The movement embraces changes in gender roles with a woman's ability to be a boss

and be able to assert herself without being scared of being called a bitch. Third Wave Feminism

is about letting women dress how they like, say what they want, and act how they choose without

fear of judgment or hatred.

Third Wave Feminism focuses much more on the individual woman rather than women

as a whole. The main concept of this wave that distinguishes itself from the Second Wave of

Feminism is the denouncing of the notion of universal womanhood (Lorber). Third Wave
feminist take into account aspects like race and sexuality when talking about equal rights for

women. They acknowledge that a white American women does not have the same experience as

an female Latino immigrant. This is most prominent in topics such as equal pay. For example, in

2013 on average a white women made 77 cents to every dollar a man did. However, black

women made about 65 cents to every dollar and hispanic women made 55 cents to every dollar

earned by a white man (Mckenzie). Third Wave feminist embrace the concept of

intersectionality. Intersectionality rejects the concept of a single type of person and

acknowledges the different ways in which race, sexuality, and gender interacts to shape the

multiple dimensions of being a woman (Nash). Feminist accept that all women are not the same

and it does take away from womanhood, but rather see the different ways in which

womanhood exists.

This new feminist wave focuses on appropriating words used against women. Bitch is an

example of the ownership, or redefining, of a derogatory term through the use of language. The

term itself is a double standard where on one hand the noun or adjective for it is someone who is

very assertive and aggressive. However, the verb is for someone who is whiny and weak. The

word itself was so confining to a woman. If acted too strong and independent she was a bitch but

if she acted weak and complained she was bitching. The goal of this was to place women in a

situation where they are too concerned with their perception they try their whole lives to reach

some sort of arbitrary middle. Now, women are free from the box they were forced into and

embrace their real personalities without fear of being judged. Bitch went from being an
extremely insulting word geared toward woman to being a source of empowerment thanks

impart to Third Wave Feminism. Also the term Bad Bitch is now a common saying used for

female empowerment meaning a woman who is very intelligent, independent, and very beautiful.

An example of the phrase Bad Bitch used in context is during a the Nicki Minaj song

Superbass, in which one line is Bad bitches like me are hard to come by. Bitch is now for a

woman who is strong, independent, and is in control. Bitch has also become an acronym for

Beautiful, Intelligent, and in Total Control of Herself (Pardes).

While the concept of reclaiming a word that was originally used against a group of

people is both symbolic and beautiful, it was not an original idea. The concept of reclaiming a

derogatory term was first introduced by Richard Pryor (Getlen). Richard Pryor was an African

American stand-up comedian. He is most well known for his shows containing both humor and

more importantly race relations between people of different skin tones. His legacy is in the

reclaiming of the N-word in African American culture through his own comedy style. Pryor said

"Saying it changed me, yes it did. It gave me strength, let me rise above ..." showing he was

determined to take a word that was stolen from his community and turn into a word for black

pride and brotherhood (Jackson). Richard Pryors movement to take back the N-word and the

feminist movement to take back the word bitch has many parallels. Both are trying to redefine a

word is order for it to be a symbol of empowerment and love within the community.
 The reclaiming of Bitch was started around 1994 with a single by an all-women band

Fifth Column called All Women Are Bitches. Later a book was released in 1999 titled Bitch:

In Praise of Difficult Women by Elizabeth Wurtzel. In her writing about the ownership of the

word bitch, Wurtzel introduces her philosophy: "I intend to scream, shout, race the engine, call

when I feel like it, throw tantrums in Bloomingdale's if I feel like it and confess intimate details

about my life to complete strangers. I intend to do what I want to do and be whom I want to be

and answer only to myself: that is, quite simply, the bitch philosophy." (Wurtzel) The word bitch

now belongs to women. Women are taking a word that was used to undermine their self-worth

and reclaim them as their own. According to Ritch Calvin, a womens studies professor at Stony

Brook University, the trend toward young women accepting the word as a form of endearment is

a direct effect of Third Wave Feminism (Derogatory Terms Get a Twist). Bitch became a

womans word when feminist started using it in their own rhetoric using it as a way to empower

women. They would not allow for the world bitch to be insult toward them and used it in a way

to benefit women.

Evidence of this shift is seen throughout pop culture in music and media. TV shows and

music use it much more in a different light and influence how the younger generation sees the

word. It is used in many song lyrics for women by women such as the line bad bitches

only...independent bitches only- Only by Nicki Minaj. There is also a magazine called Bitch

they are a nonprofit, independent, feminist media organization dedicated to providing and

encouraging an engaged, thoughtful feminist response to mainstream media and popular

culture. The magazine is made up of feminist writings, photography, and discussions. Bitch

magazine was started in response to Third Wave Feminism and the title was seen as a symbol for

the modern movement (About Us). When women see the word being satirized by women in pop

culture they see that it is no longer an insult, but rather a word for women to embrace being

strong and independent.

The evidence is also in everyday life of the new generation. When listening to 90s and

Millennial women talk to each other they will often say things such as Love ya bitch! or Yas

bitch, both of which are said as terms of endearment. One can hear the shift in the meaning of

the word just by listening to to girls talk to each other. Almost twenty or thirty years ago if one

was to hear one girl call another a bitch they would assume that there was something hostile

going, however due to this shift it could merely just be a friend saying hello to another friend.

The new generation is not as likely to see women as being beneath them. The word was one that

they grew up hearing, if at the time it was in a derogatory manner. The numbness to a word that

a woman would be called no matter how she acted topped with frustration of having a lack of

equal rights between men and women sparked something around the world making sure people

knew it is time for a change. The word is no longer taboo, but instead it is used everyday for

women by women.

An example of a women who had reinvented the meaning of the word bitch is Hillary

Clinton. Throughout her time in politics and especially during her current 2016 presidential

campaign she has been referred to as a bitch on multiple occasions by multiple people. For
example, on Twitter if one was to search Hillary Clinton bitch over a million tweets would

generate from people saying things such as She is a bitch @HillaryClinton I'l will [sic] never

accept her as Pres - @CarrieWelborn. However, instead of fighting back the word and all its

connotations she embraced it. Many of her supporters are now taking on the hashtag

#BitchesGetShitDone in support of Hillary Clinton. She does not argue and say she is not a bitch

but rather shows she is a strong assertive woman who is more than capable of serving this

country. Not only is Hillary Clinton called a bitch by her opponents supporters and the media,

she was also inadvertently called a bitch by her opponent Donald Trump. During one of the

presidential debates Donald Trump calls Clinton a Nasty Woman, which essentially is a dog

whistle for bitch. However, instead of lashing back Hillary Clinton sold thousands of dollars

worth of Nasty Woman merchandise that helped fund Planned Parenthood. Instead of being

knocked down by the phrase she turned it around on itself for a chance to help Planned

Parenthood. While Donald Trump did not directly call Hillary Clinton a bitch he did essentially

call her the definition of what a bitch is. Hillary Clinton is the perfect example of a women

taking a word or phrase meant to demine her and show the world she is proud to call herself a

bitch or a nasty woman.

Third Wave Feminism redefines what it means to be a women. It embraces the multiple

layers of being a woman based on race, gender, and sexuality. It centers around letting women be

and act how they wish without having to worry about judgment. Third Wave Feminism created

a stronger female image by redefining words like Bitch to be a term embrace by women as a way
of empowering them. Through means such as pop culture, a new generational mindset, and

strong feminist role models Bitch has completely shifted in definition. Actions like these will

push feminism further and make women more comfortable in being themselves and be proud to

be a woman.
 Works Cited

"About Us | Bitch Media." Bitch Media. Bitch Media, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

"Derogatory Terms Get a Twist." Guerrilla Girls BroadBand. Guerrilla Girls BroadBand, 20

Oct. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

Getlen, Larry. "Richard the Great." New York Post. New York Post, 28 May 2013. Web. 02 Dec.

2016.

Jackson, Derrick Z. "The N-word and Richard Pryor." The New York Times. The New York

Times, 15 Dec. 2015. Web. 7 Nov. 2016.

Lorber, Judith. The Social Construction of Gender. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1991.

Print.

Mckenzie, Mia. "The Myth of Shared Womanhood and How It Perpetuates Inequality." BGD.

BGD, 28 May 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2016.

Nash, Jennifer C. "Introduction." Introduction. Re-thinking Intersectionality. N.p.: Feminist

Review, 2008. 1-15. Print.

Pardes, Arielle. "The Evolution of the Bitch | VICE | United States." VICE. VICE, 09 Sept. 2014.

Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

Rampton, Martha. "Four Waves of Feminism." Pacific University. Pacific University, 25 Oct.

2015. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.

Straus, Tamara. "A Manifesto for Third Wave Feminism." Alternet. Alternet, 23 Oct. 2000.

Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

Wurtzel, Elizabeth. Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women. New York: Doubleday, 1998. Print.