Bitch

Beverly Gross wrote an article in Salmagundi Magazine titled "Bitch."  And that's exactly what it's about: the word bitch and its many various meaning.  She uses various sources to give definitions of bitch including dictionaries, surveys shes held in class, and even a quote from Barbara Bush.   Early definitions describe it as a loose woman, but the definition has changed many times as the years have passed.  Gross says that bitch is the worst thing you can call a woman, worse than whore or cunt or any other word you can think of.  She later contradicts this and talks about how bitch is commonly used in "black vernacular." It is not used to speak poorly about women, but is just sort of nickname for girls (like how many black men refer to each other as "nigger").  Most of the definitions she provides seem to have a common theme. A powerful woman is a threat to society and we need a way to cut her down, and so we call her a bitch.

I found Gross's article to be too over the top on feminist standpoints.  She is very professional in her writing on this subject, but she is too obsessed with the fact that the word is directed towards women.  There are other words that are directed only at men, such as bastard, that nowadays ends up meaning the same thing as bitch.  Gross provides a convincing argument, but my personal views are not swayed because of it.  I found the piece very interesting and comical, but honestly found the strong feminist views throughout to get annoying.