“Bitch” is like…the new ice breaker!

Or so it seems.

No doubt it’s a word with a double edged sword; call a woman bitch and either you’re getting slapped or high fived. It’s so duplicitous that we don’t even know what it means sometimes or whether we should be insulted or entertained. Sure as times have changed, many women and men in their circles use the word bitch as a form of endearment, a nickname, a compliment, affectionately known as…

“Bitch” gets the party started, she’s right at the center of the turn up, she’s cool and lets you know if someone listens to Beyonce or is more of an Adele fan.

 

Like her shoes? Tell her by saying, “Yassss, bitch!” Her makeup is on fleek and you’re like, “Bitch, your face is beat!” I went somewhere recently and this crew nearby had a straight on bitch fest, everyone’s name was Bitch and this was quite fine and acceptable! They were friends and clearly loved it. It was their thing and I could respect and relate. At this same event, someone wanting to compliment me on my purse said, “Bitch, that purse is everything!” And all of a sudden the word had new meaning. There was a difference.  I cringed! I love getting a compliment, who doesn’t, right? But just because we have similar styles, tastes and dress doesn’t mean we feel the same way about being called a bitch. If you’ve established these parameters and comfort levels within your circle of friends, family and colleagues and everyone is called Bitch, then bitch on!

[bctt tweet=”I’m Not your Bitch” username=”iamianthia”]

But what about me; a stranger, someone you don’t know but would like to strike up a convo with or pay a compliment to? What if I don’t like being called “Bitch?” And… FYI…I don’t.

Now, I’m no prude, like Britney Spears, I’m not that innocent, I curse sometimes, I get loud, I party and I do use the word bitch, often…but rarely in public and never to a stranger! I think many advances in media, technology and how we interact on a day to day basis has made us so weird and far removed from simple courtesies we should extend. We find it hard to say, “Hey girl, those shoes are dope!” “Hi lady, I love your dress!”

As women these days, we’re constantly told that we have to be hard, we have to have balls, display a little bit of bitchiness, arrogance and grit to be accepted or viewed as strong.

 

We have to dress a certain way, our make up and clothes must always be on fleek, our girl squads must be lit and the word bitch has to be our go to…for everything and everyone. Really?

Get in Formation! 

I love going out with my friends and shooting the breeze, catching up on TV, music and life! I love dressing up and hitting the town with my petite girl squad and people watching. We laugh, we giggle, we talk and believe it or not…we call people bitch, I wont even lie! Yup we do! If we spot a fashionista rocking the hell out of an outfit, I could almost guarantee someone says, “This bitch is on point!” But if one of us compliments her, it’s more like, “Girl I love your outfit. That’s on point!” See the difference?

And that’s not being fake either, we just have respect. We don’t know how she feels about the word so why use it while speaking to her? She’s a stranger. [bctt tweet=”Don’t assume that everyone will take being called bitch as a compliment” username=”iamianthia”]

My sister doesn’t call me bitch, my friends don’t call me bitch, so I die inside just a little when I’m out and strangers find it ok to do so and think they’re complimenting me. Please don’t get me wrong, I love meeting people, I love taking and giving compliments and just hanging out but dang, can we work our way up to being “bitches?” With the rise of reality TV, the massive use of the word in movies and TV shows, “bitch” is the new “Hi!”

It’s like people are so comfortable calling you bitch as if you’re supposed to automatically feel some sense of kinship and similarity. No, bitch! (pun intended lol!)

 

I wholeheartedly believe in mutual respect, feeling someone out and getting to know their personality before going there. There has to be a ton of other ways we can compliment each other, give props to strangers and just meet new people without that awkward ice breaker!

The Evolution of The Bitch

I found this really cool article that takes you through the evolution of this much used word. From its early uses in literature, movies and the surge of the word bitch in rap and hip hop to relay violent, demeaning messages to the word backfiring and women owning it and transforming it into this new age endearing name. It’s a real cool, “bitchy” read!

At the end of the Day…

I know whether in a demeaning way or as a compliment I’ve been called a bitch a million times, lol maybe a million times a million. You’re probably calling me a bitch right now! But it’s my humble opinion that there are so many ways to be nice, cool and down to earth, especially to strangers. Feel them out, figure them out, put some respeck on their name! [bctt tweet=”At the end of the day you have to respect who and what you don’t know ” username=”iamianthia”]

Call Me Crazy But…Don’t Call me Bitch!