However, it has been observed that someone who goes from being a total fucking tool to attain full douchebag status has "crossed the Federline."
This is from Lynn Harris's Radar Online article on the history of the term douchebag.
Douchebag is a weird one for me. I've noticed it becoming more and more accepted in areas where other words are still bleeped, and I've been fascinated to see how it has evolved into something directed almost exclusively at males. For some reason, though, I've never been comfortable with it. I can't think of the last time that I've said or written it. I'm not much of a bluenose; my reaction to use of cuss words, if anything, usually has more to do with impatience at the speaker's limited vocabulary or wasting of the power of the word by overuse.
I think the problem I have with douchebag is that it seems to add an unnecessary element of sexism when you basically want to call a guy a jerk. I don't much care for any insult that carries the notion that being female is a bad thing. Or even "acting female," whatever that might mean. For a while, it looked like cobag might catch on as a gender-neutral replacement, but, alas, 'twas not to be. GoogleFight gives a rough measure; online, at least, douchebag is three orders of magnitude more prevalent than cobag.
(h/t: Jim Romenesko, via Charles Pierce)
7 comments:
I think the problem I have with douchebag is that it seems to add an unnecessary element of sexism
True.
I prefer "scumbag".
That's another word that still jolts me when I hear it on TV or the radio. It was considered at least as bad as any of the Seven Deadly Words when I was a kid.
I'm totally indifferent to the term. I'm actually pretty indifferent to the discussion of the term. What's the big deal? If people find the word helpful to express some meaning that quite can't get captured some other way, it's OK. I think that words that refer to sexuality, somehow carry more power than others. That's why there's just such abundance of related terms that have some derogatory connotation.
Intellectually, I agree. But I still have a pronounced visceral response.
For a non-sexist replacement how about "fuckbutt"? That spawns certain visual images that are delicious and not anti-female, but wouldn't be politically correct either. The really good words seem to offend somebody. Asshole and motherfucker are so commonplace that we tend to miss the imagery in those as well. Part of the fun is the shock value of a new one. Overuse tends to lessen the impact.
When I have a visceral reaction to a swear word, I have to wonder why I'm being such a douchebag. I don't think of myself as a fuckbutt though. At least not very often. LOL
I'm not sure I've ever heard "fuckbutt," at least not to mean "jerk." It has three potential problems that I can see.
First, it just sounds sort of juvenile, at least to me.
Second, it has "fuck" in it, which means it can't be used in all places where, say, "douchebag" can.
Third, it sounds somewhat homophobic, so it has the same sort of problem as "douchebag" does, at least in my mind -- extra connotations that may not be desired in every instance. For example, if a gay guy is being a jerk, you want to be clear that that's what you're calling him on. You don't want to confuse the message. You don't want the jerk in question to be able to escape, in his own mind, that he is being called a jerk by allowing him to dismiss you as a homophone, and therefore beneath notice.
I do agree that when the intent is to offend (in general), it can be a different story. But I almost always prefer the rapier to the cudgel.
You're also right about overuse lessening impact. As I said in the original post, this is one of my two chief complaints with potty mouths. (The other is a general impatience for limited vocabularies, which does not end with cuss words. I also abhor people who, say, call every other thing "cute" or "cool.")
I also abhor people who, say, call every other thing "cute" or "cool."
OK, "cool" is too Californian for me (sorry folks!), but "cute" is so... cute! What's wrong with cuteness? I mean, I don't literally use it every other word, but it does capture so many pleasant meanings...
On second thought, you're probably right. What you gain in sensitivity you lose in specificity... I'm rambling... forget it... :)
Post a Comment