When is it OK to say "pussy"? (Steemit Exclusive)

(Trigger warning: This blog contains the word “pussy” 19 times.)

Let me preface this by saying that I completely value and appreciate all women. This piece is not meant to demean anyone.

Last weekend I attended the 2018 Women’s March in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. It was an interesting experience to say the least. Besides essentially being co-opted by the Democratic Party, the march was also a celebration of women and their concerns. Some of these women wore Pink Pussy hats and carried signs that said “This pussy grabs back!”, a reference to a recording of Donald Trump talking about grabbing women “by the pussy”.

These women took Trump’s ignorance and disrespect language towards women and attempted to take power away from him by making the phrase their battle cry. Even before Donald Trump came along, the word pussy was thrust in the American consciousness in 2014 when a single man inspired the viral “Fuck Her Right in the Pussy” meme. The truth is that pussy is deeply woven into the fabric of American culture.

While at the march I overheard a man tell another man something along the lines of “I can’t stand the word pussy!”. The second man nodded in agreement as the first explained that he thought the word so deplorable that he would never say it in front of his wife. This got me thinking about the use of the word in general. My hope with writing this piece is to open the door to conversations about how men and women feel about the word and in which context it ought to be used (if at all).

First, let’s define pussy. Although sometimes used to describe a feline, the two most popular uses of the word pussy are usually in reference to calling someone weak or cowardly, or to a woman’s sex organs.The Free Dictionary states, “though it is possibly not quite as taboo for most people as the c-word (cunt), many still consider this item out of bounds in normal conversation and writing”. The top definition on Urban Dictionary defines pussy as “something warm, wet, snuggly and sometimes furry that you can eat and still fuck it afterwards. The only thing I know that can bleed for seven days and not die.” And used in a sentence… “I ate her pussy and then fucked it.”

So let’s go back to the two guys. I wonder which definition they were using that was so disgusting the word could not be said aloud? Maybe they simply find the sound of the word to be offensive or uncomfortable? It seemed like the men were worried how using such a word would be received in front of women. So when is it acceptable to say pussy??

In my view, it’s ignorant to use the word pussy to refer to a weak person and a woman’s vagina. If we accept the use of the word pussy as a way to describe a woman’s vagina then using it as a description of something weak is bullshit. If I feel the need to call someone weak I think I will just call them weak or a wimp or something equally silly. Pussies are strong. Among other things, pussies bring human beings into this world and provide pleasure for all kinds of men and women. So if we are not using the word to describe weakness is there any other occasion which calls for the controversial word? Obviously some people enjoy using the word in a sexual context but that will vary person to person. If the word is communicated with respect and consent then I see nothing wrong. I cannot speak as one with a pussy, but I speak as one who appreciates pussy. (Full Disclosure: I may be known to use the word in the bedroom on occasion.)

The reality is that since all value is subjective there are billions of individual perspectives on the use of the word pussy. I am more interested in hearing comments and thoughts on why you do or do not use the word than moralizing about the dangers of pussy. What do you think???

(BTW if you are offended by this why are you still reading?)

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