Saturday, October 13, 2007

In Defense of Pussy Rock

Okay, I admit it. I, alone among the posters at this blog, have a vagina. It's produced four human beings and welcomed several strangers (never you mind how many), and I admit, it's become one of my favorite body parts, particularly since I turned thirty.

Nevertheless, I've been on this kick which makes me somewhat uncomfortable of my (all too frequent) habit of referring to those I dislike as "twats." I objectively support the use of profanity in discourse, but I'm a woman, and using a parallel term for vagina as an insult is not, or should not be, where I'm at. This all started with a conversation with my students about the origins of obscenity in language (a hint: it has to do with the Norman Conquest), when I noted to them that they use words I would never use, such as the noun form of "quaint." A student noted that he bet I would use that term for Ann Coulter, and he would be right. But not very many other people.

I'm particularly uncomfortable with the use of the term "pussy" to mean generally weak, girlish, and soft. On one of my favorite shows eveh, The Soup, played this story:

Bryan Adams will headline concerts for peace in the West Bank and Israel next week, with his performances relayed by satellite to London, Ottawa and Washington.

The New York-based One Voice peace movement said the concerts were aimed at bolstering its campaign to collect one million signatures of ordinary Israelis and Palestinians demanding that their leaders sit down and finalize an agreement on a Palestinian state living at peace with Israel.

The head of One Voice's Ramallah office, Fathi Darwish, said Adams would launch the West Bank event at a football stadium in the ancient town of Jericho, then head to Tel Aviv to perform.

"Our goal is to send a message to the world, that the Palestinian people love life, and hope for life and liberation," Darwish said Sunday.


And they opined "Canadian pussy rock will bring peace to the Middle East!"

I dunno. But what Bryan is doing is objectively a good thing, and a whole fucking lot more useful than letting Israel drop bombs on Syria.

And for Thers. his fave:

6 comments:

steve simels said...

Hmmmnnn.

steve simels said...

Okay, I admit it. I, alone among the posters at this blog, have a vagina.

C'mon, who can't love that as an opening line?
:-)

Anonymous said...

At my fave record store, Joe's Record Paradise, there is a crazy guy who seems to be there every time I go. He mutters to himself as he flips through the vinyl and everyone ignores him because if you talk to him, he will not leave you alone.

One day I was looking at a Raspberries disc and he engaged me in conversation. He called them "Cheese Rock."

So, maybe he is on to something.

Remonster said...

Ah damn! Is this thingy only for teh conversant? Pussy Rock Rawks! I would have never lost the "absorbation barrier puncture" w/o it.

Summer of 69 indeedy!

Rawk on.

Anonymous said...

I must admit, I like "Cuts like a Knife" btw.

TMink said...

Marga Gomez has some funny bits about anatomy and gender. She renamed "cockpit" to "pussy pouch" in reference to a female pilot with whom she was smitten.

I seem to recall her saying something like "That took real ovaries" as a compliment too.

Trey