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F9
18th December 2008, 18:37
Is ACAB(All Cops Are Bastards) a sexist phrase?So does when you say "cops sons of prostitutes"?

After the late happenings against cops this phrase came up!Some comrades(mainly female gender, but a lot male gender too) feeled offended by the particular phrase(cops sons of prostitutes) after a group shouted it as a slogan in a protest!
To be honest at the start i didnt felt this as a serious sexist phrase(especially ACAB), just a phrase, with ok some discrimination matter, however after i heard about the reaction of my comrades on the current phrase, i sit and reconsider my possition and found it sexist!I am a bit confused currently, so....
I want your opinions on both phrases please!:unsure:

Fuserg9:star:

Dóchas
18th December 2008, 18:43
i dont really get how the ACAB phrase is sexist and the other one i doubt is used in a sexist manner id say they are using it that way because traditionally being the son/daughter of a prostitute is dishonourable. if something is called being sexist in my opinion it has to be intended to be sexist

Pogue
18th December 2008, 19:37
Its definatly not sexist. Neither of them are, and anyone who thinks so is just being difficult. I think you have to be pretty pathetic to actually get upset other a fellow leftist comrade saying that on a protest, and if someone took me up on saying it I'd tell them to shut up and grow up.

apathy maybe
18th December 2008, 21:54
Bastard originally means "child of parents who weren't married at the time of the birth". This is a very dis-honourable thing for some reason.

The fact is though, it is not at all sexist, and only ignorant people think it is.

I've never heard of "cops sons of prostitutes" before. I don't think it is sexist (except so much as it is assuming the masculinity of the filth in question). When I first read it, the word "prostitute" jumped out at me, and I assumed that was the problem. Well, actually, women aren't the only prostitutes. Besides, what's wrong with being the child of a prostitute anyway? We shouldn't be using as an insult something we don't have a problem with.

So thinking about the second phrase, I would suggest "child of prostitute" if you want to continue using it, but otherwise switch to "filth". Shorter, simpler, and exactly descriptive.

Module
19th December 2008, 00:28
I've never heard 'son of a prostitute' before.
I would say to a degree it is sexist, the point of it, just like 'son of a *****', is to insult the worth of the person's mother, in this case saying that they have sex for money and that makes them dishonorable, less of a woman (or less or a person, but it's more insulting the mother as a woman, like calling her a 'slut'). Even in the way it's not sexist it's still a pretty horrible thing to say, generally.
A lot of people are born when their parents aren't married nowadays, I don't think anybody thinks it's an issue, though of course they used to, 'bastard' just means 'arsehole' now, so it's not a sexist thing to say (and it never was).

Black Dagger
19th December 2008, 01:04
I've never heard 'son of a prostitute' before.
I would say to a degree it is sexist, the point of it, just like 'son of a *****', is to insult the worth of the person's mother, in this case saying that they have sex for money and that makes them dishonorable, less of a woman (or less or a person, but it's more insulting the mother as a woman, like calling her a 'slut'). Even in the way it's not sexist it's still a pretty horrible thing to say, generally.
A lot of people are born when their parents aren't married nowadays, I don't think anybody thinks it's an issue, though of course they used to, 'bastard' just means 'arsehole' now, so it's not a sexist thing to say (and it never was).

^-- agreed.

The bastards thing is not sexist, as des said 'bastard' really just means 'arsehole' these days, but the 'cops son of prostitutes' slogan is clearly anti-sex worker and reactionary. It suggests explicitly that sex workers and their children are worthy of insult simply because of the work they do, that's crap.

F9
19th December 2008, 16:09
I've never heard 'son of a prostitute' before.
I would say to a degree it is sexist, the point of it, just like 'son of a *****', is to insult the worth of the person's mother, in this case saying that they have sex for money and that makes them dishonorable, less of a woman (or less or a person, but it's more insulting the mother as a woman, like calling her a 'slut'). Even in the way it's not sexist it's still a pretty horrible thing to say, generally.
A lot of people are born when their parents aren't married nowadays, I don't think anybody thinks it's an issue, though of course they used to, 'bastard' just means 'arsehole' now, so it's not a sexist thing to say (and it never was).

Yeah in greek its a well known slogan, unfortunately!But a lot of times those two words ,gay and prostitute, are used so easily, and really away from there "real" meaning.
Yeah i agree with you on this, its a sexist phrase!And should be avoided!(for the record the slogan was against the cops)
On the bastard thing, yeah isnt a sexist word as it is, however the word bastard here equals as the other phrase!

Fuserg9:star:

Holden Caulfield
19th December 2008, 16:57
I've never heard 'son of a prostitute' before.



Yeah in greek its a well known slogan

i watched Turkish football a few times, ive seen many many many many banners that i later found out said 'son of a prostitute' and such the like,
was funny,
but no it isnt sexist as has been said



The bastards thing is not sexist
it is towards males what ***** is for females, so i have seen it used and used it myself, but not on revleft coz i aware it would be contentious and i dont wanna get suspended

F9
19th December 2008, 17:00
i watched Turkish football a few times, ive seen many many many many banners that i later found out said 'son of a prostitute' and such the like,
was funny,
but no it isnt sexist as has been said

it is towards males what ***** is for females, so i have seen it used and used it myself

yeah greeks and turkishs have a lot more commons than they accept!:lol:They are mostly the same thing except from religion!
I can see it a little better now since i met turkish cypriots!

Fuserg9:star:

Wanted Man
19th December 2008, 22:04
i watched Turkish football a few times, ive seen many many many many banners that i later found out said 'son of a prostitute' and such the like,
was funny,
Doesn't it basically happen anywhere when playing against Spanish opponents? "Hijoooo de puuutaaaa!!!" :laugh:

Anyway, I guess "bastard" has lost its connotations, since being born out of wedlock is not a huge taboo anymore.

"Son of prostitute" is different, there are words for it in the Dutch language too, but apparently not in English (all I can think of is Stan's grandpa yelling "son of a whore" at the grim reaper in one of the very first South Park episodes...).

If female comrades are bothered by it, they shouldn't just be ignored. I recently read that very often, when males express concern over sexist things, other males easily listen to them. But when females do so, the most common reaction is: "Oh, stop *****ing", "stop trying to act offended", etc.