Why calling someone a slut for using birth control is different than calling someone a c*** for being a c***

In the last two weeks there has been a ton of false equivalency bandied about by far-right apologists and internet dunderheads shouting over discourse from the kids’ table, and it concerns what they perceive as unfair treatment of Rush Limbaugh in light of the free pass Bill Maher gets.

Let’s break this down.

Rush Limbaugh, a talk radio pundit, called a private citizen who testified before Congress about birth control a slut because she uses birth control. He also has a history of that sort of deplorable pigeon-holing and out and out bigotry, including but not limited to telling a black caller “take the bone out of your nose.”

Bill Maher, a stand-up comedian, called Sarah Palin a c*nt because she totally is.

“Waaaaaiiiiit a minu—” SHUT UP, I’m going to explain the difference.

The word “slut” is used by guys like Limbaugh to disenfranchise and belittle women as a whole who simply want to explore options other than being baby machines betrothed right out of High School. The word c*nt is used to disparage someone who’s generally mean, obnoxious, and deplorable. It’s one of the few true dirty words left, to the point that I actually censored it where otherwise I wouldn’t for other words (i.e. fuck, shit, piss, anal, Santorum), but when employed in this instance it is not meant to disparage an entire group, nor is it unfair.

Besides, we’re almost at the point where it’s a gender neutral term. In the UK it certainly is, and while you might disagree, I think the word c*nt should totally be used for guys. Like Rush Limbaugh. What a big, smelly c*nt.

Scoff and grumble if you must, but they’re not the same thing at all. And no, myself and others don’t need to acknowledge that someone or something else is “just as bad” whenever we criticize someone like Limbaugh. That attempt at deflection isn’t just specious and intellectually dishonest, it’s downright suspicious. Because why on Earth would someone even attempt the comparison unless they sympathized and/or agreed with him? Or, perhaps, they’re one of those people that think it’s actually an interesting talking point. Let me be clear: when I say “those people,” I mean idiots.

So no, calling Sarah Palin a c*nt because she’s being a c*nt is not the same as calling a private citizen a slut because she’s using birth control. Is it a poor choice of words? Yeah, probably. But not even remotely in the same ballpark, even if you get a little flustered when someone uses a word that you don’t hear very often.

Now stop defending deplorable people and get back to work.