Friday, January 31, 2014

"What a Slut!" - Slut Shaming in Today's Youth



By : Will Foster
“What a Slut” – Slut Shaming in Today’s Youth
               It practically comes out like word vomit. “Oh my gosh, she’s such a slut,” but what does this really mean? It seems like people (especially people that would be considered youth) use this word or accusation like it is interchangeable with the word “girl.” I will admit, that I myself have used it quite often at certain points, but I’ve really started to question what slut shaming accomplishes…nothing! What constitutes us to pass the judgement on whether someone is a slut or not? According to author Laura Tanenbaum, “Slut-bashing is a cheap and easy way to feel powerful. If you feel insecure or one who is “good” and on top of the social pecking order.[1] Once I read that statement, it was incredible how true that really is. I think that statement can be applied for guys and girls. If a guy calls a girl a slut, he is essentially saying “I am better than you.” As a male, I may not be as effected by slut shaming, but it really intrigues me.
               This topic is brought to the forefront in the 2004 movie “Mean Girls.” Essentially, the movie revolves around a 16 year old girl who has never been to public school. She gets involved with the “it girls” of the school who have a “burn book” that slut shames almost every girl in their grade. When the book gets exposed, Ms. Norbury (teacher) delivers this brilliant line, “…you all have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it ok for guys to call you sluts and whores.”[2]  However cheesy that may be, and however many times that a tweet with that quote on it has been recycled, I think that it is accurate. As a male, if being called a slut was not commonly used, I wouldn’t dare to use it. The point is, that we have let calling people (especially girls) sluts. I also do not agree/understand that double standard with guys being “sluts,” but that is a whole other blog topic.
               I think that the main premise here, is that we have become numb to slut shaming. That, or we have started to act like it doesn’t hurt people. People are fragile, and if a teenage girl is having a bad day, I don’t think calling her a slut will help her situations. Also, why do we feel like we have the right to call this other person a slut? Are we referring to her sexual past? Are we simply expressing our distaste for her? Professor Moore taught us that the actual use of the word “slut” was for trash in its earliest days.[3] So, we are saying it is okay to just freely call people trash? I do not feel that any person is entitled to refer to another person as “trash.” Our society is so harsh today that, we don’t think twice before slut shaming. I encourage you to think before you pass judgement on a person. You could really affect that person without even realizing it.
               We, as young people, have the power to take a stance against this nonsense slut shaming. We need to reflect on our own selves before criticizing others.


[1] Tanenbaum, Laura. Slut! Growing Up Female With a Bad Reputation. New York, New York: Harper Paperbacks, 1999. http://www.amazon.com/Slut-Growing-Female-Bad-Reputation (accessed January 31, 2014).
[2] Fey, Tina. "Mean Girls." Paramount Studios September 21 2004. DVD
[3] Moore, Crystal. "The Role of sex and Gender in Sexual History." lecture., UNCC, 2014. .

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