Insults cement role models How men are insulted in a sexist way
Men and women are called different names - often reflecting outdated role models.
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- While women are often insulted for sexual activity, men are often positively connoted with such expressions.
- Insults for men tend to focus on a lack of virility or supposedly weak masculinity.
- "Unmanly" men are often insulted with feminine attributes.
- Many swear words show that age-old gender roles are still present in our minds.
It is common knowledge that many swear words for women are sexist: Terms such as "bitch", "slut", "ho", "village matron" or "tramp" are just a small part of a much longer list. What is less often discussed is that men are also called sexist names.
As "SRF" reports, women are devalued for supposedly being too sexually active. The situation is different for men. Terms such as "stud", "womanizer", "Casanova" or "womanizer" are more compliments than insults.
Lack of potency provides a target
However, when masculinity itself becomes a swearword, it is often about "wasted" or a lack of potency: terms such as "wimp" or "wanker" dominate here.
Men are supposed to be characterized by high sexual activity and potency, while women are only allowed to be sexually active in masses and not with "too many" partners. These different norms have been inscribed in our culture for centuries and can still be felt today.
One could deduce from this: After all, women are not supposed to have too much sex (or with too many men); men, on the other hand, can be characterized by high potency and sexual activity.
Accusation of "unmanliness"
The insults show the different social norms that have applied to men and women over the centuries - and some of which are still in our minds.
However, insults against men do not only attack sexuality. Men who are referred to as "wimps", "hotheads" or "crybabies" are accused of being unmanly because they are supposedly weak or sensitive.
Devaluation through equality with women
There is often a derogatory feminine element in the swear words - for example, "unmanly" men are mocked as "pussy" or "Susi". This is also particularly noticeable in insults against homosexual men, who are not accidentally denigrated with femininity as "faggot", "faggot", "trine" or "sister".
"Men lose prestige when they are equated with women," explains Professor Deborah James in a study on gender-specific swear words. This is because women are seen as less valuable in patriarchal societies.
Insults reflect outdated role models
Insults against men reveal a toxic image of masculinity. This is because entrenched gender roles, which are reflected in swear words, also restrict men.
The strict classification of characteristics and behaviors as masculine or feminine often prevents men from expressing and showing their feelings - at least not without being laughed at or insulted. This can be stressful and damaging in the long term.
Conclusion: Many swear words reflect centuries-old role models that seem outdated in our society, but are still deeply rooted - for all genders.
