Oh yes, I've met them too. They scare the bejeebus out of me.

I think you're missing the point that people that call themselves 'slut' do not do so as a means of degrading themselves or being insular such as those who call themselves 'nigger'. Another huge difference is that 'nigger' was used NOT as a behavior based term, but according to appearances and as a means of separation. The views of the behavior of being a 'slut' has changed, so has the connotation for many. (Again, this is WHY it's different).

I think the whole point of contention was the difference between typifying someone fictional in a snarky way and attacking someone's actual life and personality in a malicious way instead of just voicing disapproval like an adult.

Technically, minorities cannot be racist, they can be prejudiced. Racism implies power.
Why we perpetuate anything through language can be answered by the fact that it's a human trait. For example, we perpetuate our own confusion by asking questions and not wanting answers that don't align with ours... that perpetuates confusion; if we really knew why are we asking? Language and identity are inseparable. From pronunciation to the formation of sentences, to the connotations and misunderstandings. We give ourselves away every time we speak.

This reminds me of the whole debate over the term 'vanilla'. No one got irate about it, we just voiced our opinions.

Aschleigh - "So when someone says something that racist it's pretty easy ( well easier) to call them on it."

I think that depends on the context, the power dynamic and how overtly xenophobic they're being. Sometimes people's prejudiced assumptions (or habitual way of thinking) run so deep and are so interwoven into their social/cultural/family fiber that the person who holds them doesn't even recognize them as being xenophobic.

To add to what quel said... Reclaiming a word as a means to disempower it or imbue it with new meaning was a ploy that became popular in the 80s and has been used by various oppressed groups and communities with varying degrees of success. The queer community is a good example (queer was a provocative and insulting word before being reclaimed and recontextualized to be positive) of a success. The idea of the ethical slut is really quite an empowered idea - it involves self value, self control and self respect (and respect for others), which in turn creates a context for sexual freedom and self-responsibility to coexist (and it isn't about women/girls in competition with each other). GGW and tweens in glittery "slut" t-shirts, not so much of the empowerment. There's a difference between having a powerful sexuality and thinking that being sexy is personal power - personal power comes from within in the first case and is self generated, in the second case it's external and dependent upon the approval of others.

The idea isn't to perpetuate abusive words so much but to recontextualize them and give them a different meaning so that they're not as hateful/hurtful - and to sort of say "yeah, I am, so what? I embrace it and reject your gaze/values". I'm kind of the opinion that Bill Cosby is actually pretty demeaning to anything and anyone that doesn't conform to his very, very mainstream Christian upper middle class values. And considering what kind of dreck he's pretty consistently shoveled into the entertainment industry and onto TV screens (post Fat Albert), I'm not sure he's earned the right to critique culture and particularly something like hip hop. I mean, the dude's as white bread and mayonnaise as any old man who can't dance or keep a beat - and considers contemporary music "noise" - who's shaking his fist at the teenagers and railing against their "bad" music, non-preppy clothes and sexuality from his square of suburban lawn.

The companion to misogyny is "misandry" - a hatred of men and boys - and there are women and men who are misandrists. Just like there are women and men who are misogynist. Our language is a reflection of our world, our society and our thoughts, which is why we perpetuate demeaning attitudes through our words, as well as our actions.

Aschleigh - (Sorry, I always think of the SNL skit when I start thinking about sluts - I had to reference it in the subject even though it doesn't make much sense!) Now back to the matter at hand, I guess it depends on whether Jsin likes/loves sluts or not! I'll let him speak for himself regarding his motivations and what he meant since I have no idea. But yes, context makes a huge different in meaning from my perspective.

Generally speaking, it does sound derogatory the way you've framed it (and no doubt heard it). If it was said with hate, then it's hateful (and focusing on someone's sexuality as a means to diminish them, and implying that a woman is worth less or not worth respecting if she's not pure/virginal/chaste is a pretty historically misogynist idea and sexist - unless you believe that men are also worth less and not worth respecting if they're not pure/virginal/chaste...and then you're just a prude or a Fundie! ;-). If it was said with love or humour, then it's loving or funny.

Jsin seems to have a hate on for people in general at the moment, which would make him misanthropic. You know, to get technical about the whole thing. ;-)

Aschleigh pawed out:
"Jsin actually said " that slut" to describe someone . "
REPEAT AFTER ME TV IS NOT REAL

It is a fictional character. If ya wanna get irked do so at the writers. I do not for a minute believe that Kim Cattrall behaves as her character does... Do You?

JSin