jagoturner Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 Whore, like cunt, is one of the most beautiful sounding and evocative words in the English language. People who denigrate women may use these words to keep on denigrating women but they do so with the complicity of people who give these words negative power by avoiding them. As language is liquid I think it's worth reclaiming the words that have power and use them more generally. "Prostitute" which is used with much greater frequency is nearly always used in a perjorative sense. You can talk of the "evils of prostitution" but talking of the "evils of whores" just sounds comical. Whore comes from the belly. It spreads out with a joy. Try saying "I'm just going out to see a prostitute" or "bargirl" and the meaning may carry a certain positive ambience... But say "I'm just going out to see a whore" and the feeling is one of pure joy. Happiness uncontaminated by anything sociologically correct. I accept that the word "whore" has a stigma among many (especially those who compile dictionaries who, given their choice of career, should know better) but it shouldn't. It's a beautiful word with a beautiful sound so lets cut the shit and use it all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 Hi I have read your post four times...and still do not understand the point of your post Are you talking about Thai girls working to make ends meet :: Sorry,,but i do not like the tone of this post..whore..is un fare..IMO. They work to help the famil!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyinEwa/Perv Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 I was hesitant to post on this one as I don't really want to be seen as agreeing with jagoturner. I really don't but think I understand his post. Seems a bit of a troll to get it started but he just wants to call a spade a spade. I understand the girls are working to support families or whatever but at the end of the day, they are giving sex for money. That is what he is getting at and he would rather call them a whore rather than prostitute, not sure why. Anyway, I want to again say I don't agree with his choice of words but I think that is his point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagoturner Posted February 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 It's perfectly simple. Another thread here was derailed because someone used the word "whores". I'm defending the word. It's an excellent word. It's also an entirely accurate word. We could pretend there are no whores and that instead we only have women who sleep with men for money and that to describe them in any way is perjorative. But as long as there are prostitutes, hookers, bargirls, call girls, or whatever you prefer to call them I think we should use the word "whore" without any fear of being taken to task. Am I really so bad at putting this across ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 If that is the word that you wish to use then you are free to do so but DO NOT expect the rest of us to follow suit. They are 'sex workers' as in working to earn money to support their families just as a man in an office does....!!!!!! They deserve all the respect that a normal working person does........something you obviously intend to try and deny them. Uniformguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJsushi Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 Jago I can agree with you to a point. "Whore" is a proper word and should be used when one wants to present a certain context or meaning. Unfortunately, for me I am a highly educated man and I have an extensive vocabulary. I, when I read or write, can deliniate and detect the nuances and subtleties of words and their meanings within the context of which they are said. I fully understand how those with lesser or under developed language and communication skills will ignorantly utilize the words "whore", "prostitute", "slut", "harlot", "strumpet", "wench", "hooker", "camp follower" and the modern day term "ho", as completely fungible and interchangeble terms, with no loss to meaning. The art of language is being lost to accomodate the ignorance of the masses. For those who like to reference dictionaries to prove the meaning or definition of a word from a technical standpoint; I would like to add that dictionaries are concise TOOLS, they do not sufficiently demonstrate how a word is to be utilized nor do they properly demostrate the context in which a word is used within a living language. I just wanted to state this before the inevitable cut and paste from a dictionary makes it way to the thread to define the word "whore". BTW- I understand that you are making light of the word which is why I made my reply short and sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaad Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 But say "I'm just going out to see a whore" and the feeling is one of pure joy :: I have sung it over 10 times aloud and haven't felt jack shit. Pure joy? You sound like a poet. It's a beautiful word with a beautiful sound so lets cut the shit and use it all the time. Would you mind telling me why you're making such an effort to convince people here to use the word "whore" instead od "sexworker" or "prostitute"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagoturner Posted February 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 You may be a highly educated man... I am not. I am completely uneducated in fact. This is why I object to the fact that using a particular word that has a clear meaning within a clear context and which can be of true offence to no-one on this board creates controversy and argument. The word "sex worker" could almost refer to a marriage counseller and does not accurately describe the profession of prostitution. Slut can apply to a any woman with an active sex life. Wench, colloquially at least, can refer to any woman of low social standing. Strumpet I'm less sure of. All the words, possibly excepting camp follower, carry a strongly perjorative association for most people. But then so does the act of sex for money. I admire anyone whose language skills are better than my own so bow to your ability to speak in a way that delineates subtleties and nuance. But spare a thought for those of us who have to rely upon language in a simpler state. For those of us who cannot rely upon the elegant and subtle weavings of clever syntax whore is a fine old word. It sounds wonderful. It carries joy and has a beauty. Take it back from those who would use it perjoratively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagoturner Posted February 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 I don't know about you but if I say whore ten times I soon find myself laughing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJsushi Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 jagoturner said: But spare a thought for those of us who have to rely upon language in a simpler state. For those of us who cannot rely upon the elegant and subtle weavings of clever syntax whore is a fine old word. It sounds wonderful. It carries joy and has a beauty. Take it back from those who would use it perjoratively. My good man if we do that then we lower the standadrds of the language. The purpose of the educated is to educate others. Education is empowerment, is it not? My undersatnding is that the term "whore" is designed to pejorative. The word has a negative meaning and is not positive in the least bit. Prostitute is a very generic term used to describe for our purposes the exchange of money for sex. Prostitute is much more neutral which is why many in this forum use it. When someone who patronizes a prostitute and he calls her a "whore", I doubt if it is used as a positive term of affection or even respect. Unless of course he is truly ignorant of the meaning of the word. That would lead one to surmise that if he uses a negative word for an act in which he freely participates; then he must in some aspect have a negative view on the act and in conclusion in his participation of the act. I certainly do not see any beauty and joy in using the word "whore" from that angle. I understand that you are arguing that a word is just a word and one has the power to alter the meaning of a word as it applies to them. You are talking about a type of self-empowerment I believe. Unfortunately, for the majority of those who use a language it just isn't that simple. The purpose of language is to communicate effectively. That is why words have specific meanings and in order for those meanings to be altered there would have to be a mass acceptance of that alteration, which slang effectively does. American rappers, through the mass commercialization of their music, have bastardized the word and shortened it to "ho" making it less negative, by generically applying it to certain types of women not associated with prostitution but trust me no woman wants or likes to be called a "ho". "Whore" or "ho" is just not a neutral word no matter how you slice and dice it. The perception and understanding of the word has and continues to be negative. Dude, I am no linguist but I am sure "whore" which has been around for ages will not have a positive meaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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