this one's for the search engine

It's recently come to my attention that have very strong opinions on what my girly bits should be called. Don't ask me how this came to my attention; it's too embarrassing/aggravating and I'll be blushing and ranting all over the place at the same time. Not pretty.

Anyway, I guess you have two mainstream options. Lots of people have silly names for it but those are for the most part private and personal. What I want to know is, do you have a pussy or a cunt? Boys/girls who love girls, how do you address the female genitalia?

Does the female form make you uncomfortable, Lebowski?

Anyway. Like I said it's come to my attention, and I feel the need to discuss, my problems with the word 'pussy' and why I prefer 'cunt' (I am tailoring this entry specifically to get The Kitty out of hiding. I know she can't resist a good feminist/sexual/political discussion...)

Let's examine how both words are used outside of a sexual context.

pussy: As in 'don't be a pussy' or 'he pussied out', pussy carries connotations of weakness and cowardice. It's in the same category as 'sissy' in that it implies the feminine, and therefore societally weaker gender role. Also, cats. I guess women are associated with cats but I never understood the switch-over. And if I hear one more time 'Oh look, there's a pussy on your pussy!' the next time one of my cats sits between my legs, I will go postal on your ass.

cunt: 'You cunt!' 'That cunt is always mad at someone.' Cunt is stronger, angrier, and yes, more controversial. You might not want to call someone's privates a cunt until you've cleared the term with her. But it comes from a goddess, Kunta, it implies power and mystery. If you call someone a cunt in anger it means that they've riled you up- gotten you embroiled in some sort of action. It's not passive like 'pussy' is.

And you can bet this transfers over to the sexual side of the words. Although I'd rather not be insulted in either manner I'd rather be called a cunt. What 'pussy' says to me, when spoken to a woman, is 'You are a sexual object for my use. I have reduced you to the parts that are valuable to me.' 'Cunt' says, 'you've made me angry, and that's hot. You're still a sexual object, but not one I can control.'

Pussy is a soft word, incapable of being spoken in anger but ideal for whispers and soft speech. It rolls off the tongue and is out the mouth without any significant thought. It's round and squishy and malleable.

Cunt is hard. Before it can be spoken it has to be willed, and the mouth has to wrap around it and spit it out hard. It's not light or transparent. It can be angry and affectionate, it can be joyous and intimidating. It's square and present and uppity.

Which would you rather?