bitch?

Lately I've been thinking about what it means when people call you a bitch. It's usually the last resort of a flustered male when you either reject his sexual advances or make him look bad in front of his friends by showing you do have a brain and you're not interested in the fact that his brain appears to be in his shorts. I have been called a bitch many times by such mindless creatures. It bothered me the first few times, and then it occurred to me that it was probably a compliment, considering the reasons behind the name-calling. If being a woman with backbone makes me a bitch, then hell YES I'm a bitch, and damn proud to be one. So are my closest friends, come to that. We are all women who think that being strong and independent isn't confined to the male gender, nor should it be, and we generally have the respect of our colleagues for that viewpoint, male and female alike.

Does this mean I hate men? Not at all. Men are very cool to know, especially since the ones I hang around with have a healthy respect for their mothers, sisters, wives, girlfriends and women friends. I have found that most guys worth knowing would much rather hang out with a smart, strong woman who is full of life and knows her own mind than a bimbo who has to be told what to think and can't stand on her own two feet.

[ meredith brooks ] On the other hand, some guys (and, to a limited extent, some women) can't seem to handle a woman having her own life and not needing them around to survive. They're the ones who throw around the nasty names and try to apply the labels. "Bitch, dyke, whore, slut, feminazi..." you name it. Feh, I say. I don't normally call myself a feminist, but if expecting to be treated as something other than a wilting flower who needs saving makes me a feminist, then so be it. If standing up for myself and calling those people on their labels makes me a bitch, that's fine too. I take that as a compliment.

Meredith Brooks put out a song on the radio a little while back that pretty much is becoming my theme song (along with Nancy, who is my partner in Kate slutdom and Diana Rigg lust. :) ). Since Nancy and I, at least, have decided that we might as well go ahead and call ourselves bitches, I enclose the lyrics here for your edification.

"Bitch"
by Meredith Brooks

I hate the world today
You're so good to me, I know
But I can't change
Tried to tell you but you looked at me like maybe I'm an angel underneath
Innocent and sweet

Yesterday I cried
You must have been relieved to see the softer side
I can understand how you'd be so confused
I don't envy you
I'm a little bit of everything
All rolled into one

I'm a bitch
I'm a lover
I'm a child
I'm a mother
I'm a sinner
I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell
I'm your dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way

So take me as I am
This may mean you'll have to be a stronger man
Rest assured that when Istart to make you nervous
And I'm going to extremes
Tomorrow Iwill change
And today won't mean a thing

I'm a bitch
I'm a lover
I'm a child
I'm a mother
I'm a sinner
I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell
I'm your dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way

Just when you think you got me figured out
The season's already changin'
I think it's cool you do whatcha do
And don't try to save me

I'm a bitch
I'm a lover
I'm a child
I'm a mother
I'm a sinner
I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell
I'm your dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way

I'm a bitch
I'm a tease
I'm a goddess on my knees
When you're hurt
When you suffer
I'm your angel undercover
I've been numb
I'm revived
Can't say I'm not alive
You know I wouldn't want it ANY other way