Ten Shades & Me

Hello Lovelies, 

Unfortunately my response was a little slower than I would have liked (one sometimes forgets how much having a cold can impede your energy levels!), but this is my response to Olivia’s post.

5 Reasons I Hate The Term “Slut”

1. It Lacks Creativity

What’s the first name you’d think to call a submissive woman? Admit it, it’s probably “slut”. You didn’t even have to think that hard about it, did you? It’s just there and easy to grab. That’s my problem with it: D/s is a partnership, for better or worse, and I deserve a partner who is willing to put 50% of the effort into our partnership. If you’re not willing to put the effort into coming up with a decent petname for me, then where else might you be willing to let me down? One-sided relationships eventually breed resentment, and I don’t want that for myself, or my partners.

2. It Limits My Uses As A Submissive

By its very definition, a slut is “a woman who has many sexual partners”. A submissive may be sexual or they may not be, they may have multiple partners, one or none. Still, when you limit my role to just sex then you discredit all else that I may be, as a submissive. You can dress it up however you want to, with whatever adjectives you like. A slut is still a slut though, and nothing more. 

A sexy woman sits at the edge of the bed

3. It Can Be Sexist

Although (typically bisexual or gay) male “sluts” exist, the term is overwhelmingly used towards women, and often with a derogatory tone. Some people may choose to use the term with pride and power. but it is mostly used to cut women down for their sexual practices and attitudes. Even in pop culture, men who have lots of women are portrayed as cool and attractive, but women with lots of men are portrayed as “easy” or slutty.

4. It Has Bad Memories For Me

I was in my family kitchen ahead of a Saturday night out, grabbing a bite to eat. I was wearing a black long-sleeved top, a denim knee-length skirt, black sheer tights and black calf boots – a perfectly fine look for a night out on the tiles with my friends! To my mother though, I was inviting trouble. I tried to reason with her but she said that I “looked like a slut” and I was “asking to get raped”. In the end I swapped my skirt for a pair of jeans, but I didn’t return to the family home for four days. 

5. It’s Just Not True For Me Anyway

By definition, a slut has “many” sexual partners – that’s just not applicable for someone who has only (ever) had three. Applying a crude and inaccurate term like “slut” to someone who prefers long-lasting relationships to casual encounters is just laughable, and will probably get you laughed at (by me). I’m sure my Dominant partners would want me to take them seriously when they speak to me, no? 😉 

Until next time.

Stay safe & have fun,

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7 responses to “Don’t Call Me A Slut: 5 Reasons I Hate The Term”

  1. As a reader of Olivia’s blog, I have read both posts on the subject and the thing I enjoyed most is that both of you are right. It is such a double edged sword of a word. It can be used in a playful way, or a reclaiming agency manner, but it is often more used as a weapon against women, one that is often used to avoid thinking. It does make me realise how such a simple phrase can mean different things to different people at different times, many words like this are gendered and your post has reinforced the idea of thinking of the words we use because every word has a trinity of meanings. The word itself, how you mean or intend it’s use and how that word is received. Too often we think of the first two, do we think of the third one enough?

    1. You are absolutely right and I can recall incidents both where I have said something in a playful way and had it taken offensively, and also had things that seemed playful, that were actually intended criticisms of me. The thing is, sometimes what we say IS a judgement, whether we mean it to be or not. I grew up in a home where we judged one another playfully and not playfully, and if the other took offence then that was their problem. Having my husband call me out on my learned behaviour made me realise that it’s much nicer to stop, ask and understand someone than it is to pass judgement on them. It’s amazing how many wonderfully strong connections I’ve made ever since I learned to stop passing judgement on people. Thankyou for commenting.

  2. […] Helen recently put up a post on her blog, “Ten Shades & Me,” about her reactions against the… I agree with what she says, and I highly recommend the read. […]

  3. This is such a great explanation of why you object to the word! It makes perfect sense that you wouldn’t want the word used for you. I love that we can have such different perceptions and perspectives and hold space for each other’s opinions.
    💜

    1. Of course! And that’s only right to do. It’s the foundations of YKINMK (YKIOK) – Your Kink Is Not My Kink (Your Kink is OK). It was one of the first things I was taught when entered the community: don’t judge what others are into. It’s okay to have an opinion of what others do but sometimes it’s best to keep our opinions to ourself, unless of course something seems genuinely not OK! Thankyou again for this exciting exchange, Olivia 💜

      1. Thank you, Helen!

  4. […] not! I wrote here about my detest for the term “slut”, and I don’t respond to “cunt” or “bitch”, […]

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