Is it ok to use "bad words" in a positive/neutral way? (warning: post contains profanity)

Question

Do you think it's a good or bad thing when people apply otherwise insulting words to themselves with positive intent? 
   
That is, does it make the word lose it's negative power? Or, is it wrong or degrading to use these at all?
   
Some examples include a woman calling herself a b****, an African-American referring to her/himself by the n-word, an environmentalist calling her/himself a tree-hugger, or a feminist calling her/himself a killjoy.
  
I don't know anything scholarly about this topic. I was just wondering, because I saw one girl call her friend a b**** but I think it was intended in a joking/positive manner. I call myself a tree-hugger lightheartedly, but I think the word was originally meant to insult people who care about the environment.

Answer

Where is the profanity? 😜

So disappointed 😒

Answer

I think that slur reclamation can be an important piece of taking back power, but it gets complicated because of a general misunderstanding of how slur reclamation works. The group negatively impacted and marginalized by said slur are the ones to dictate if, when, and how a slur is reclaimed. However the problem gets more complicated due to the fact that no group is a monolith, and therefore others outside of the marginalized group will cherry pick approval and apply it across the board to justify every single situation. 
In short, good idea but not able to be consistently put into good practice.

Answer

Language is neither good nor bad. It's meaning is what we as society give it. I don't believe any words are so bad that they can never be spoken. Banning language leads to banning books and banning books leads to…nothing good.

That said, I do think we should be mindful if we're selecting certain words.  Words can, and do hurt others. Certain populations are more vulnerable than others. Attacking with language doesn't just hurt one person it reinforces negative stereotypes about groups of people. All women are bitches, sluts, ect.

Calling ones self tree hugger or killjoy strikes me as simply mild humor. I can't see anyone being overly hurt by those terms. Bitch is a little stronger with a little more history. Yes I feel like using it in a positive way can deconstruct the meaning. I'd say just make sure everyone's in on the joke before you use it on anyone besides yourself.

The N word in America is a special category of it's own. It's arguably the single most hurtful word in the English language. I still think it has it's place. Class rooms in particular strike me as a place where it's important the words history and impact is understood. As for casual use, even reclamation, I'd question why anyone would feel the need to use a word with such an ongoing and violent history in that way.

Answer

It isn't for me to decide how members of marginalized groups feel about their respective slurs. I'm not really comfortable with "slut" or "whore". I do occasionally use "bitch" to refer to myself.

Answer

When it all comes down to it, they're just words. Sounds with fabricated meanings. So it depends on the context.

Answer

When my husband and I were dating I went to Thailand with a girlfriend and brought him back a woven bracelet that said "slut" on it. We laughed so hard and his buddies thought it was hilarious. He wore it til it fell off!

It just depends on the people and the context.

Answer

You know, I am very fond of profanity, but I avoid saying it in public because it kind of sends the wrong message about my upbringing. I don't want people to think my mom taught me those words because she didn't.

Answer

I find myself very agitated when white people try and tell us we should use the term nigga, because it's offensive. Then proceed to tell us how we shouldn't be able to say it, since they can't. Which takes away you're original argument, because you don't care that we're "offending" ourselves (somehow) you're just butthurt because you can't say it. 
However to answer your question, it is ok to use them. So long as the person is ok with it, there's no reason not to use it. Honest, who care what some random stranger who just so happened to walk up to you says. It's not my job to coddle any person.

Is it ok to use "bad words" in a positive/neutral way? (warning: post contains profanity)

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