The Duchess of Sussex’s Archetypes podcast this week is “To ‘B’ or not to ‘B’ with Mellody Hobson & Victoria Jackson.” Mellody Hobson is a major California-based businesswoman… who also happens to be married to George Lucas. Victoria Jackson – the one on this pod – is the makeup company founder, not the SNL comedienne. But the very start of the podcast includes Meghan talking to one of my faves, Robin Thede!!! Robin Thede created The Black Lady Sketch Show, one of the funniest shows on TV right now (which is executive produced by Issa Rae). Thede is a Northwestern alumna, like Meghan. I’m so glad that Meghan puts in a clip from The Black Lady Sketch Show, the clip from the “Bad Bitch Support Group” sketch.
Anyway, this week’s pod is about “bitch” and “difficult.” Meghan has been called difficult a million times in the past five years. Meghan also doesn’t like the word “bitch” and she doesn’t want to reclaim the word whatsoever. She even calls it “the b-word,” that’s how much she hates the word. Celebitches, we can’t relate.
I mean, she’s right that when the word “bitch” is weaponized against women, to keep women silent or marginalized. But I also have to admit… I find this conversation kind of dated? I’m absolutely positive that there are still women with power and agency being called a “bitch” today. But I also think that over the past twenty or fifteen years, women HAVE reclaimed the word. “Bad bitches” ARE a thing, a positive thing. There is a recognition that “bitches get sh-t done.” On the other hand – I know I’m arguing with myself – look at what they did to Hillary Clinton. Look at what they’re doing to Kamala Harris. Look at what they’ve done to Meghan. So yeah, maybe this is the conversation we need.
I enjoyed the part with Mellody Hobson about the Art of War, “crouch to conquer,” and women’s presentation. Also loved the etymological history of “bitch.”
Photos courtesy of Joe Sutter, PacificCoastNews/Avalon and Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon.
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- 173481, Mellody Hobson, George Lucas at the premiere of Disney and Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. Los Angeles, California – Monday January 29, 2018. Photograph: © Joe Sutter, PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office (PCN): +1 310.822.0419 UK Office (Avalon): +44 (0) 20 7421 6000,Image: 507678290, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – DIRECT SALES ONLY – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Joe Sutter, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
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- LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 10: Robin Thede attends The Hollywood Reporter SAG-AFTRA Emmy Party at a private condo residence on September 10, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.,Image: 721779671, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Robin Thede, Credit line: Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon
I really enjoyed the conversation with Victoria Jackson, so so inspiring. Mothers go to any length to save their own
Victoria’s story was so touching, but it didn’t really fit on an episode about “b’s” to me? That just…didn’t work, I guess.
Ahh I had a feeling this episode was coming. I’m excited to listen to it.
As a threshold matter- no, I don’t think we have fully reclaimed the word “bitch,” especially as used by men and to a certain extent other women. If I hear a woman described as such a bitch, by either a man or a woman, I immediately form a picture of that woman in my head, and its not a positive image. I think especially for older women the term is used as a weapon. I haven’t listened to the episode yet though so I’ll have to see how they discuss this.
A “bad bitch” is something completely different though.
You’re going to love it. I’m a woman M’s age and this was hands down the best and most resonant episode. It also really highlights the kinds of important people who make enormous social and cultural impact- tangible and enormous impact with worldwide reach, that they interact with regularly… and the stark comparison to others who think themselves important but are a hollow shell.
Regarding if we’ve reclaimed bitch & if this episode is dated. I think if you live in NY or LA or other big cities it’s one thing but for the rest of the country (and other countries) it’s not dated – still used derogatorily.
This convo reminds me of a podcast I heard around the time “The Big Sick” with Kumail Nanjiani came out. The movie is hilarious & gets Pakistani/Indian culture out there for a wider American audience (many people in states where they know exactly two SE Asian people (a doctor & gas station owner) and the movie gives more depth & humanity to the Pakistani characters).
The podcast was two NYC born Indian women so angry about this movie. But the thing is their conversation on cultural portrayals was just light years ahead of the rest of the US.
I feel like the convos happening in academic circles, liberal circles, or big cities is often soooo far ahead. Hopefully, we will reclaim this word more widely soon!
i think you’re right in that the b word convo is dated. that has been replaced with difficult now. Saying a man is difficult to work with is different than saying a woman is difficult to work with. those have very different connotations. i also wish meghan would also say b****. Using it, re-defining it, and exploring the word makes it less jarring and potentially weaponizable.
Wishing Meghan all the best, but as a literature professor it totally gets under my skin that her podcast is called ‘archetypes’ when what she’s really discussing are stereotypes. like, i get that it works for the branding (eg archewell) but archetypes are ideal patterns, forms, or models. but i think this problem of naming goes hand-in-hand with her overly precious writing style, tbh. anyway, it’s a good podcast! just wish it had a more accurate name 🙂
Is it even a podcast release day if someone doesn’t bring this up?
No need to be snarky. I didn’t realize other people brought this up, since i don’t read every single comments on every single post. Honest mistake. Geez.
It was a joke, not being snarky, because yes, someone brings that up every.single.Tuesday. (and it is usually a different person each time.) At this point its just funny.
@Becks you beat me to it. For others who come up with this original thought every week, unaware of the multitudes agonizing over correcting this verbal faux pas, 1. Archetypes absolutely do not have to be an idealization (eg Victim, Villain, Slut …all archetypes, all age-old). 2. Stereotypes arguably are not necessarily as broad or insidious as the names she is exploring and the podcast tries to root that idea in the explanation of the etymology of the word.
For sure it’s overlapping but easy to understand.
I wonder is there some type of lottery that they hold to make this complaint every week? What is the prize, to get Meghan to change the name of the podcast?
Didn’t know that about archetypes definition. Thanks for the knowledge.
To be honest, I would love an interrogation into the current archetype of women – nice and gentle, mothering, “kind beyond belief”. Forever giving, a fount of comfort. Thin and youthful looking. Non threatening.
And then an interview with First Ladies (like Mobama), Jennifer garner (trying so hard to corner mom roles in movies), even Meghan herself, by sociologists.
Are women actual natural nurturers and gentle, or does society push them into that role and when did it first start? Is it a way of staying safe? When did the ideal mother archetype come out, and why are women punished worse for their parenting than men?
Also, What does it look like when men become a crucial part of being caregivers in society?
Or what about the alpha (barf) male archetype? What kind of parent are they and expected to be?
Great questions. I would totally listen to that episode if it existed!
I hope Meghan has an assistant who comes over here every once in awhile. I’d love this episode.
There are matriarchal cultures in the world where men are the primary caregivers and women are the property/business owners. I’ve seen this in small island communities. The oldest boy in the family is the baby-wrangler of his younger sibs instead of the oldest girl, for example. Men are the primary caregivers, women own the land, which is passed from mother to daughter across the generations. Women own the businesses. I remember getting yelled at by a fellow (I’m an archaeologist & I was conducting a survey) who told me I couldn’t be there on that land, and how his wife was such an important person, the daughter of the second chief of this village, owner of this or that business, and so on & how I couldn’t just walk onto her property. I always think of this whenever I hear various scientists from various disciplines say we human beings are ‘wired’ to be this or that, or do this or that, and women are so nurturing & blah blah blah. Well, no, a certain amount of that is cultural.
Naomi- this is only season 1 of the podcast, we have no idea what’s in store for future episodes. I believe Archetypes is the name of the podcast, not the description of all that will be covered. I may be wrong though.
Damn! I would have expected 👨🎓 or 👩🎓 to be more knowledgeable. The intellectual and cognitive decline in academia, not to mention the mediocrity of its state-funded representatives is a real matter of concern or of 🤣, these days.
From my non professoral understanding, stereotypes refer to the culturally ingrained processes of transmission and repetition, that enable a monolithic perception to be duplicated and passed down, at the expense of the truth or reality. There is therefore a negative connotation attached to stereotypes, for they do not translate the reality of a person or phenomenon into thought, but rather the non-evolving, static, non-dynamic, and limited perception a given society or group spread through consensual labeling modes.
An archetype can be seen as a founding myth, a matrix. For instance, America’s Manifest Destiny is a national archetype, a chore value we, as Americans believe in. But no Italian or German or French believes in America’s so called Manifest Destiny, in the sense that this concept does not belong in their cultural archetypes. However, a racist American, a racist German and a racist French are very likely to share common stereotypes. In this regard, an archetype does not necessarily have positive connotations attached to it, unlike what 👩🎓 wrote: the Manifest Destiny is an American founding myth or archetype that is perceived by other nations as a potential threat to their sovereignty.
Meghan’s podcast does not point fingers at such or such for circulating deprecating images, nor does it delve into the cultural processes through which prejudices are spread: stereotypes are not her focus. Her podcast rather acknowledges the existing stereotypes and explores the way (the stereotypes that have solidified into) archetypes impact women’s emotional well-being, social status. Archetypes are presented as ambivalent: they can be both a hindrance and a source of arrested development or, quite the reverse, a formidable driving force that challenges women to strive for excellence, hence Meghan often putting into perspective the from-rags-to-riches archetype when introducing her guests.
@Sugarhere, I enjoyed reading your intellectual explanation. There are crossovers between the two words yet a separation. My simple explanation for anyone that brings up that they think Meghan should (often a terrible word itself) call it Stereotypes and not Archetypes is this: it’s obvious that Meghan is in communication with some highly placed, highly educated, women who have done research and women Meghan calls mentors.
Meghan didn’t come up with this podcast by the seat of her pants. It was through the course of conversations (and, yes, other things). If ‘Archetypes’ was the wrong word to use-one or more of these highly profiled women would have pointed it out to her beforehand.imo
@AGreatReckoning: Thank you so much. I do share your belief that the Archetypes title is the product of mature, rational and educated deliberation from Meghan and her knowledgeable entourage. There’s no way she made that rash choice simply because it rhymes just fine with Archie and Archwell. In this podcast, she declares her sound intetest in words.
I believe the Duchess of Sussex is an intellectual who was caught up by her beauty and ended up becoming an actress. I would even suggest she takes up French in private tutoring classes. So useful.
I had never seen anyone make that comment before and thought yours was interesting. It can be scary commenting here when you haven’t got years of daily experience reading every single comment!!!
Hmmm…why did you think that comment was interesting? Google is a friend IF you want to understand the differences. It is true that THAT kind of comment has appeared multiple times. You don’t have to read every single comment on every Meghan’s podcast posts to see it. It’s really only “scary commenting here” if you’re agenda is to make blanket statements without pushback. That’s on the poster. Similar to a poster that was running around all over the place making claims that H&M “paid” to be on Time’s list. Claiming that they knew how it worked.lol
I will still lol at Angela L sharing that shite.Dumbassery.
FWIW you’re not alone.
When at first I saw the name Victoria Jackson, I thought it was the former SNL cast member, current day repub wacko and thought, “Oh no Meghan, what are you doing girl?!”
I shouldn’t have even doubted. Lol.
LOL! Same. I spent a horrifying 20 seconds trying to make it make sense.
Same 😂
Maybe Meghan is in mum mode and has to be mindful of what she says in public and in private cause little ears like naughty words. And it’s likely Archie & Lili could one day listen to their mum’s podcast
I’m proud to call myself a bad bitch. I call it establishing boundaries. I’ve hustled my way through my 8 year predominantly male work environment and I’ve been called a bitch (and worse) for being hard working, staying late, taking on extra work
I’m not afraid anymore of being called difficult or bitchy. I wear those labels as a badge of honour
I don’t like being called a bitch at work & I don’t wear that term like a badge of honor. However, I will say I no longer smile up at a man who just insulted me to my face. That ‘sugar & spice & everything nice’ crapola really did a number on me as a kid. I’ve finally let that go.
It was kind of weird that she did an episode on the word without being able to say it, but then again, she’d get allllllllll kinds of shit from the media, esp. Britain, if she actually said it, so….
That “Bad Bitch Support Group” sketch was hilarious! 😂😂
So good! I died at the last line.
Oh, me too! Flat shoes!!
Loved it. Hope someone whispered in her ear about the “could’ve had a bad bitch farewell tour” as was coined here (Kaiser).
This episode was great!
LOL. I’ve never seen it before and it was awesome. Might be not remembering things correctly (like “recollections may vary”), ‘okay bitch’ is okay. Died at no ‘basic bitch’.
Was Victoria Arbiter trying to appeal to people with her losing eyelashes story?.lol
Meghan has such amazing mentors and supporters in her life, no wonder she is soaring post monarchy.
And I don’t think this conversation is dated. It’s always needed. Even if women are reclaiming the word “bitch”, people just move on to another word for the same thing.
And since Meghan was dubbed “Duchess Difficult” which was just the aristocratic passive aggressive way of saying “bitch”, I totally get why Meghan tackled the subject.
Thanks for the reminder of Meghan being called “Duchess Difficult” for having ideas and boundaries while being a working royal. The “b” word is not a dated topic because most women have history with the term and that shapes reality. Call it what you will but the disparaging attitudes don’t change.
I am under the impression that this conversation around the B word is 15 years late. Listening to it, I was telling myself, “why didn’t Meghan put the emphasis on the D word, instead? The Difficult / Diva trope is still new to most of us. We sometimes hear about it when such and such actress is said to be a diva to work with.”
DIFFICULT is the derogatory female version for the DEMANDING male quality. I don’t know if these semantics could have opened up a new perspective?
Amen! This one was incredible.
Enjoyed the Podcast tremendously. While many of us have reclaimed the trope “Bitch,”. In many scenarios it is still used disparagingly against women. Do love that woman have reclaimed this trope and use it themselves in a affectionate manner towards fellow women. But like all the tropes Meghan has explored in her show the most important aspect to me has been the discussion and the various voices used to show how the trope impacts women lives. Whether we reclaim it or not, these are discussions that should be explored loud and wide. Thank you ArchetypesbyMeghan. It is not about agreeing ot disagreeing, anything at this time that impacts. Women lives, livelihood, perception etc is always worth discussing and exploring. Learning the etymology of the tropes alone is educational.
I try to never use curse words that are derogatory to women. I used to say bitch all the time. Now I replace that with the word dick, with a heavy emphasis. “Quit being such a DICK!” One of the many ways I flex my feminist powers. I quite enjoy it. Highly recommend.
I do this too! Feels so satisfying.
Looking forward to this one! Robin Thede is one of my absolute favourites. Black Lady Sketch show is wildly brilliant and underappreciated. So many hilarious sketches that are both incredibly specific to black experience and culture but also deeply universal(“Funeral Ball”). Also love what Robin and Issa are doing to build an ecosystem for Black artists and the exciting results(like Quinta’s Abbott Elementary getting greenlit).
I think you are right that the convo around bitch is outdated- that word has largely and effectively been reclaimed. But the term is still bound up in misogyny so it is worth discussing.
I think she’s had other episodes about much more, if not mild, than more fully reclaimed terms such as “diva” or “bimbo” and as you said, its still valuable to explore the gender disparity even as the term is outdated. Bitch is definitely still agressive and offensive to me.
I love the Black Lady Sketch show too. It is such brilliant writing and comedic acting.
‘Bitch’ has not been reclaimed in the workplace. It’s still used as a weapon against women.
Yes, that is why I used a modifier, “largely”. There are lots of spaces where it is still weaponized.
Given that Meghan is still being called a bitch or difficult the conversation is not dated.
To me, the word itself Bitch is just semantics/word choice. The concept is, men can get away with being aggressive or leaders or “alpha” whereas females cannot. This concept, unfortunately, is FAR from dated.
Good point.
I’m with Meghan. I don’t like the B-word, I don’t use it. Yes, I wince saying the name of this site out loud. Shrugs. This difficult woman conversation is so needed, as KP immediately weaponized the word against Meghan as soon as her work ethic threatened Kate and Will’s lazy scam of a lifestyle. I wish I could see the wimpy KP staff faces when they tune in (you know they do) and I love that she’s calling it out.
@Harper, same here. I hate words that are use to diminish people in general. I hate the N-word, B-word, C-word, W-word, etc. As a middle age woman reclaiming these words is not my cup of tea. My skin crawls when I hear these words, no matter who is using them. Every time a person used any of those words in reference to me, I knew what and how it was meant. The slur was to diminish and hurt me.
I’m with you – I hate that word and list it in my 5 least favorite word list (why, yes all 5 are misogynistic slurs!) I have no interest in trying to reclaim this disgusting word
Agree wholeheartedly with all of you ladies. I personally don’t think it’s possible to fully reclaim insult words. It will always primarily exist as an insult and way to diminish and dehumanise (e.g. the n-word). You can never achieve consensus of use and meaning from both the victims and perpetrators of the word.
By suggesting you can “reclaim”, you’re really just accepting and internalising those words.
Same. I have a real problem being called it. I have a problem hearing someone else called it. I’m not a mum or anywhere near. It’s not an age thing. It’s one of my least liked words
I’ve been in the corporate world for a little over 20 years now- I do see more women leading and less of the assumption that powerful women are B*#%?es. The other thing I see though is less “bad” behavior overall. No doubt women were being called out for the same behaviors their male counterparts were engaging in…but it was still terrible behavior. Screaming at people, throwing things, berating them, I’ve seen it all…people doing those things were all jerks.
Then maybe call the women “jerks” for their bad behavior and not “bitches” and ALSO call out the men.
Is this to me? I definitely did say that…my post literally said “people doing those things were all jerks” and also pointed out that women were being called out for the same behaviors their male counterparts were engaging in.
Meghan was called Duchess Difficult by KP staff. Watch the rota rats and talking heads say Meghan is claiming the staff was really calling her the B word.
I have no doubt they did call her bitch.
Didn’t Robert Lacey’s updated book after Oprah say they called her a b*tch , narcissist & sociopath & William called her that bloody woman.
I liked that the podcast said calling a woman a b*tch is still used to harm, dismiss & diminish particularly women who are vocal with their opinions etc. that’s why this conversation isn’t outdated to me because we still see this so much today particularly in politics.
I loved mellody & robin’s input especially
I have different generations of professional women in my family, and this discussion would resonate differently depending on the decade they entered the workforce. I was shocked to hear one senior talk about getting her young derrière routinely pinched in elevators back in the day as if male colleagues thought groping was a perk of their jobs.
In last week’s “Abbott Elementary”…the #1 show on network TV…one of the funniest jokes was about “A BAD Bitch”…so to me…it’s not outdated & me & my girls regularly talk about it…because we HAVE reclaimed in the last few years…because TRADITIONALLY…especially for Black women….that word in ANY context from ANYBODY…could get EVERYONE…tore up from the floor up….
Well Quinta did write for ABLSS season one when the Bad Bitch Support Group skit launched so not a surprise. And yes that joke was hilarious. Her writer’s room is so good.
She gets such amazing guests for her podcast and has great discussions. Remind me again how this is so offensive and so much worse than tacky Carole Middleton and Mike Tindall?
In order to be royal, one must toss dwarfs, pay off sex abuse victims, grab sackfuls of cash and creep away like you’re robbing the world’s most incompetent bank, or wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. And wait until a prince finally decides you’re the only potential mate still standing, and decide to marry you. Bonus points if you’re caught on tape disparaging the queen, or selling access to other royal family members. But to be the most royalist royal of them all, one must wish to be the tampon stopping the menstrual blood in the body of your mistress.
Because they want Duchess Cannot interviewing a box of buttons, not a strong vocal woman.
Because she’s not white!
The term is still weaponized in 2022. I just saw a nasty hashtag on Twitter saying “Meghan is a B**ch. I reported it. These folks are exhaustiing!
Celebitches are kinda badass to me ok NGL.
I was like this about the word ‘bitch’ before I got acquainted w this site, actually, and for years after I became a celebitch!!. In beauty school in 2016 I had the cutest 🥰 interaction w a younger gal who I absolutely adore, we were talking about how several of the gals near her age referred to each other in a positive manner using the word. My friends said their generation had reclaimed the word with a new connotation. I was confused like, what?! but also so interested. I told my gals how it had been so negative forever, so derogatory, you did not want to be a bitch or be called one, it was a slur used against us women, and about Queen Latifah and U.N.I.T.Y and ‘who you calling a bitch?’ And ‘you gotta let ‘‘em know, you ain’t a bitch or a hoe’. My classmate told her experiences and how her mom 💕 had used her female bitch power to like, save her children and get away from abuse and create a life she wanted for herself, of safety. She was way adorably proud of her mama’s bad bitchery.!!! Her bad bitch mama taught her that she is deserving, and intelligent and amazing. My friend was telling me of how her mom’s modeling of being a ‘bad bitch’ had taught her daughters lots, helped them to develop agency and autonomy, a focus on personal safety and mindfulness even and we laughed at how the younger ladies would greet each other using the B word, and I was like, loving it, like omg I love it 🥰 so much. Thanks for the lesson. I will take it as a compliment if you guys call me a bitch then omg’ – and my sweet friend said they all thought I was a bad bitch and that they could never call me a bitch tho bc I’m their moms age, omg I can’t tell you the belly laughs we all had with that talk- it was a class discussion in an off time in the nail classroom and we all cracked up, laughed our assess off. I told the girls about this site and how it was changing my view/interpretation of the word bitch, too. Now when I listen to Unity I’m grateful, also. I’m reminded of real bad ass bad bitches, and I gain strength of spirit, knowing they’ve felt the struggles of a bad bitch and overcome. It’s an infinitely inspiring notion. Buoying.
CB tho, like, you’re my favorite of the ones we call ‘bitch’ (not in a mean derogatory shameful mean way ok lady, seriously). You created this amazing site where people and ideas have come together and now we all get to learn about how to be healthier and safer bad bitches. I’m forever grateful to you. #CelebitchesUnite
Lovely post, Nicegirl!
I don’t know how successful the ‘reclaiming’ of any word can truly be. I think it’s more an expansion of the accepted definitions, but even with that expanded usage, the understanding of the meaning varies based on the specific audience. Do some, mostly younger, women use b*tch in a positive, complimentary manner? Sure. But that doesn’t mean that everyone who hears that will automatically interpret the word in the same way, or that those same women won’t also turn around and call someone b*tch in a pejorative way, too.
I enjoyed this one a lot more than last week. Particularly hearing about Victoria Jackson’s story. What an incredible person and life.
I don’t think it’s a dated discussion because it’s never been put to bed despite being around as a discussion for so long. I mean, look at the misogynistic reactionary society we’re living in now. Demonizing driven, confident, boss women, calling them bitches if they’re not soft and accommodating, this gendered expectation that persists and was touched on by both Victoria and Mellody when they were talking about how they’ve had to approach being in boardrooms. And it’s an expectation and judgment men have never ever had to deal with. And to your point, look at how we treat women politicians who are ambitious and competent? They’re hammered on “likeability” so much in the media landscape that it defines them culturally and tanks their careers at the ballot box in a way men never have to deal with. It’s truly insidious.
This was such a great episode. I think it was also personal for her, as in reclaiming power, because of all the times she been called difficult (in the open) and probably bitch (in private).
Excellent discussion and phenomenal guests. The content and conversation engaging and substantial. The podcast brings us right up to the contemporary uses and meanings of the words “bitch” and “difficult.”
I don’t think it’s dated (at least among people I interact with as a 30-some year old). TBH I don’t think there is any female specific insult word that has been “reclaimed”. Females using it with females it might be okay (ie: celebitches) but generally 95% of the time it is an insult.
Of course the way people use a word matters. I lived in the UK where c*&t is not a swear word, and is used regularly (I even used it myself)- and it barely means more than “jerk”. But I was called that by a drunk American guy once over there, and it came across as very nasty- not the same as all!
That sketch gave me life!
Was so iconic and hilarious! Had me wondering if I should get a waist trainer😂. Angela Bassett was so good in it.
I love the nuance Meghan brings to these conversations. She really delves into the topic but in a way that examines it through each individual woman. I really enjoyed listening to Melody Hobson. Both her and Victoria Jackson really are incredibly extraordinary and actually had some good things to take away. I loved the “Bad Bitch” sketch Robin Thede did on her sketch show. Such a good sketch , a comedy classic. Thede didn’t shy away from the word, and the academics input breaking down the word and how it was used against women was enjoyable and insightful as well. Meghan shouldn’t shy away from saying the B-word but I get why some people hate it and won’t embrace it. Bitch might be a loaded word but the conversations on this episode were so good. Meghan was so funny when she said she was more of a Northwestern mild cat, instead of a Wildcat. That part about Hobson getting her own orthodontist in middle school and setting up a payment plan – such an funny and insightful anecdote. You never know where these episodes will take you. Was a good one.
We have absolutely not reclaimed the word “bitch.” Really, like most words, it’s entirely contextual. Sometimes that context is “coulda had a bad bitch.” Sometimes it’s men gang-raping a woman and calling her a bitch while doing so. So really, I think the word itself is a red herring. There are always going to be slurs — you can move the goalposts with language all you want, and people will come up with something else. Actions are what matter.
Beautiful, inspiring, thought provoking episode that had me welling up and smiling away at other times.
Oh, for the day when conversations about the word “bitch” are genuinely dated wherever we might reside. We really aren’t there yet…..