I often use the term whore not because it's degrading but because it's just a word. As you said it all boils down to the one thing, we do what we do.
I don't find cunt offensive either. It's just a word too.
Originally Posted by Monica13
I agree, it would be nice if all words could be "just words" and maybe some day that will happen, but probably not in my lifetime I'm sure.
There are words that have changed their meaning to be degrading, Fag and Gay are great examples. Neither had anything to do with homosexuality but are now used as an insult in a lot of conversations and the word is even changing again to be empowering words for some. For the most part, it was American's that changed the meaning to these too. Yes, every country has words that they have changed. Fag and Gay are still used in many countries to mean either a stick, cigarette, or "a tiring or unwelcome task" (Fag) or Happy (Gay). I'm not homosexual but if you call me a faggot, are you using it as an insult or are you actually blind and think I look like a stick?
Bitch is another one. That girl is obviously not a female dog but if you were not in the conversation and just heard someone say Bitch in their conversation to someone else, it is doubtful you would think they are talking about an animal instead of using profanity.
A word only means what you think it means in your head. The letters that make up the word and the word itself means nothing, unless you want them to mean something. So, a hooker might not be profanity to some but because of the way I was raised, it is an insult so I will "probably" never be able to change to thinking of it as anything different for me when I speak it. I know hooker is used here not as profanity, but just as a job description and I don't think that Spice, or any of the other ladies, calling themselves a hooker means they are degrading themselves either.
You don't like labels, I don't either in the context people are talking about them here, but we all use them for everything since a label is "just a word" used to describe something good or bad so calling yourself, White, Black, Hooker, Gay, etc., you are putting a label on something or someone to describe them. That is one reason in my original post I asked for an answer using those definitions for those words since those words do mean different things to different people. I wasn't trying to insult or anger anyone.
I really do love the way Spice described some things and I really like it when I see people who can actually remove the stigma of those words so that they are, "Just Words". I wish I could change like that.