Language is after all somewhat fluid, and any accusation might be used without cause just to be mean, but the origin of the term remains the same; hostility towards women who violate the monogamy of relationships. Intruding sexually on a relationship provokes the most primitive forms of jealousy and hostility in both men and women, therefore engenders the worst kinds of slurs.

I still feel it’s different for men and women for natural reasons. Men who are cuckolded don’t want to slur the guy who did it, they want to beat the hell out of him. Women are more inclined to socially destroy women who interfere with their relationships, and won’t use slurs as much against men because men just don’t care about it as much.

Its also worth noting that only in specific cultural arrangements, (usually disadvantagous to women and situations in which property and status are patrilinally inheritable) that the problem you describe is a major one.

Could you elaborate?

Thanks an argument, but I’d disagree that “slut” is usually or only applied in that way. Its also worth noting that only in specific cultural arrangements, (usually disadvantagous to women and situations in which property and status are patrilinally inheritable) that the problem you describe is a major one.

In my understanding, the word slut doesn’t accurately apply to a woman who is merely sexually active, it applies to a woman who is having, or has had concurrent sexual relationships with multiple partners. When a woman engages only in monogamous relationships, even if it were a long string of short-term relationships, and always refrains from sex with anyone outside of her current relationship, the term is used less often, or never used.

The difference in it’s applicability to men and women lies in the fact that of the two people involved in a hetersexual family, the mother is the only one that will never be confused about whose child she’s carrying. If she has had many partners it’s possible she might not know who the father is, but it would clearly be ‘hers’, and would always satisfy her desire for having a child of her own. Maybe this fact makes it hard for women to understand that a man’s perspective is different.

The man has to take it on faith that if she tells him the child is his, that it is his. For a woman known to be loyally monogamous, that is easy, and a husband is expected to trust his wife in this respect. For a woman known to freely have sex with other men even while in a supposed ‘exclusive’ relationship, especially if she is known to do it behind their backs, how can he ever be sure? It’s possible that she herself would not know for certain whether he is or isn’t the father, and is merely telling him he is in order to maintain the relationship.

The prospect of unwittingly raising someone else’s child, believing it’s your own, is an experience that women are unlikely to ever have. It’s hard to imagine a set of circumstances where an unscrupulous husband might switch babies on his wife, so that one day a random blood test tells her ‘I’m sorry, your child isn’t your child’ but imagine the devastation you might experience if that were to happen. Since the consequences are slanted against the man, society’s condemnation in this case is slanted against the woman.

There are acts that are worse for men to commit than women, too. A woman can rape a man, but it isn’t taken nearly as seriously by society.

I’m not so sure. There are socially enforced consequences for men for fathering a child. At the very least, they are legally responsible for child support; not even steven, but something.

But instead of evening things out, the double standard with regard to sex means that some men resent being ‘punished’ for ‘what comes naturally’ and are mad at women whove ‘tricked’ them in to becoming fathers. This attitude only really makes sense in a world where the slut exists without a male equivalent.

If you want to change public perception, change the conditions that bring it about or you’ll be fighting the same fight over and over and over again. Make the consequences of a pregnancy equal for men and the condemnation will become gender-neutral all by itself.

So even the closest equivalent to “slut” is more about insulting women than about insulting men.

Totally not the same thing.

its not the same at all. the implication of the terms you mention is dishonesty and a lack of ethics, along with misdirected priorities. A slut is on the other hand is worthless, probably stupid and likely suffering from low-self esteem or a full blown mental disorder. The difference is that men are expected to pursue sex for its own sake; the ‘pussy hound’ just does so in manner which suggests poor taste. The slut, on the other hand, is seen as irrational for making the same decisions.

Stigmatising - whatever it is - is not the way to go!

Subsidizing her behavior without question and without comment is tactic approval of her behavior. Accepting a government subsidy a valid alternative to a father’s presence is tacit approval of his behavior. Is that the way you want to go?

BB is not suggesting we cut anyone off. I believe his concern (and I agree with it) is that we must be clear that providing funds to protect children from mismanagment at the hands of absent, immature or unprepared parents should not be misconstrued as acceptance of their high-risk actions. There must be a cost when society picks up your tab for you or you invite everyone to rely on society instead of themselves. Do you believe any society could support that?

Brandon Berg - ‘promiscuity’ is a very subjective term. Stigmatising - whatever it is - is not the way to go!

And :Welfare allows women to externalize part of the cost of single motherhood, which reduces the disincentive to engage in risky sex and make bad reproductive decisions.

Are you serious?! Yes, let’s encourage so-called responsible behavior by reducing a family’s access to health, education and social inclusion. Good grief Brandon Berg!

Would not safe sex education be a better option?

SJ xx

I would argue that stigmatizing promiscuity is much more appropriate now that we do have welfare programs than when we didn’t. Welfare allows women to externalize part of the cost of single motherhood, which reduces the disincentive to engage in risky sex and make bad reproductive decisions. Stigmatization could potentially serve to restore some of that disincentive and encourage more responsible behavior.