Sluts Aren't Real
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Sluts Aren't Real

Sorry to burst your misogynistic bubble.

131
Sluts Aren't Real
carbon costume

Ask twenty people to define the word slut,and you'll receive twenty different answers. Is it somebody who sells sex for money? How about Monica Lewinsky? Is it the seventh-grader who's texting two boys at once? Because I've heard people call her a slut, too. Even the dictionary definition—"a woman who has many casual sex partners"— leaves infinite room for interpretation. How many, exactly, is "many"casual sex partners? Two? Ten? Seventeen? Thirty-nine? And what, exactly, constitutes "casual" sex? A one night stand? Sex out of wedlock? Sealing the deal before you've been dating for 3 months? No matter how you define it, somebody else will define it differently. It all begs the question, where do we draw the line?

Simple, we don't.That's the beauty of slut: It's a catch-all. The nebulous definition of the word allows us to slap it onto anyone we please. If we never draw the line, then virtually anything can justify the use of the label. We're at a point where slut doesn't even have to refer to the target's sexual behavior. Oftentimes, when we use the word slut, we are not so much implying promiscuity as we are trying to convey the negative connotations typically associated with female promiscuity. It's similar to the way we use gay: Sure, sometimes when we use gay we're referring to a man who likes other men, but gay can also be used to harness the femininity or negative feelings typically associated with the word and project those feelings onto the target of the insult; we've watered it down to simply imply that something is bad. Similarly, with slut, we harness the negative feelings inherently associated with female promiscuity in order to project those negative feelings onto another girl, regardless of whether those negative feelings actually stem from the girl's sexual behavior. Thus, we don't actually have to be referring to someone's sexual behavior in order to justify the use of the word. How many times have you heard, "Oh my God, that SLUT!" when a girl is angry with another girl? Slut has become our go-to insult for when we can't come up with something more specific. It's widely-accepted, user-friendly, and frankly uncreative.

So what exactly is this mythical creature, the infamous slut?

Nothing more than a social construct, a figment of our sexist imaginations. Have you ever wondered why we don't have a slut for boys? Oh wait, we do: It's called stud.Player, Lady-Killer, Cassanova—whichever epithet you choose, it rarely if ever carries a negative connotation. The double standard is alive and well. Slut as an insult relies on the understood assumption that sex is immoral (but only for girls, of course). What's scary is that no matter how many people recognize the double standard, we still treat slut as a legitimate character flaw. And that's because girls love slut just as much as boys do (when we're not the target of the insult). Slut is an easy way to assert our superiority over other girls. We see it as an easy way to destroy a girl's credibility without having to support our claim. Nobody even asks for evidence because, back to that vague definition, slut can mean anything. Everybody is a slut under somebody's definition of the word. One man's angel is another man's harlot. You can't argue against the assertion that you're a slut because the definition has no parameters to argue against. The word itself has no concrete denotation because everyone makes up their own; all we can agree on is the negative connotation. Everybody knows that slut = bad, but nobody knows why, or even what constitutes a slut.

Now, nobody likes being called names. It's natural to want to defend yourself when somebody calls you an ugly word. However, we have a problem in how we currently defend ourselves against the word slut: Our automatic defense against the label is "no I'm not" or "no she's not"—thus acknowledging that while we might not be sluts, others certainly are. If we have four regrets, then sluts must have five; if we've done something six times, then sluts must have done it seven. We create this arbitrary hierarchy in order to put ourselves above other girls. When we so passionately deny being sluts ourselves, we amplify the poison of the word and we give it the power to hurt others. Now, I'm not saying we should just sit there and accept the insult; I'm saying we need to change our counterargument. Instead of arguing against the assertion that you are a slut, argue against the use of slut as an insult entirely. Instead of responding, "no I'm not," it's time that we ask, "What's a slut?" and "Why is that a bad thing?" Make them define it. Make them explain it. Chances are, they can't.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

70821
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

132431
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments