PUSSY-UP?
There’s a new phrase in our house and though I am rarely surprised anymore, after douche made it’s debut, I was initially taken aback.
I was listening to my daughter share a sticky social situation. She felt the girl in the story was being too timid and needed to: pussy-up. take a stand, share their opinion, risk the fallout, etc.
Not “Man-Up” but “Pussy-Up”
She waited for me to react, she’d imperceptibly paused (being her mom I’d felt the bump in her cadence before dropping her verbal bomb). I inhaled sharply. Pussy was once a word I classified with bitch and cunt. Now bitch is gender neutral and cunt is still, in my opinion, an awful word.
I thought about pussy-up the rest of the day and I’ve decided I kind of like it.
When a person needs to face controversy or state their opinion when it isn’t the popular opinion? They need to pussy up.
Pussy-up. A strong vagina with the ability to prop a person up through a rough situation. Sure.
Thoughts? Is this just verbal bravado and endorsing misogyny…
(Image: Flickr/Creative Commons/Lucid Delirium)
Lauren
July 25, 2012
I think I’d prefer “cunt up” but that’s cool.
Miriam Novogrodsky
July 26, 2012
ha! try it out, might catch on
Suzanne Hegland
July 26, 2012
“a strong vagina with the ability to prop a person up…” Hell, that is one STRONG vagina!
Cate
August 8, 2012
“Man up” and “pussy up” are not equivalent to me. “Pussy” refers to a female body part whereas “man” refers to the whole male. If instead of “man up” the phrase were “dick up” or “cock up” or “penis up,” would we (or teenagers) say it so easily? Why not the equivalent “Fem up?” or “Woman up” or Girl up”?
Is it misogynistic to refer to a woman by her genitalia, even if it’s about power and strength — I’m not sure. On the other hand, if it pushes women toward greater self-acceptance and empowerment, then it’s positive long-term (and I will endure my short-term discomfort). Where’s the line?
Miriam Novogrodsky
August 8, 2012
i like ‘cock-up’ — shall we start using that? seriously, your point is spot on and i agree that if the long term use of pussy up could be pos in terms of self-acceptance etc enduring discomfort is worhwhile — however, i doubt that would be the case. sadly. grow some balls? grow some pussy? maybe that could work as an equivalent…
Hayley Krischer
August 8, 2012
Grow some pussy makes me think of images of very loooong pubic hair. Though I kind of agree that using body parts might be too misogynistic–I also think it works in a beautiful way. I like the idea of a teen using “pussy up” because she’s taking back the word – i.e., the way the Vagina monologues does. In fact, after seeing that play, I started using “cunt” more regularly.
Mike
August 30, 2012
It’s funny how every instance of getting tough seems to be male related. Betty White’s vagina/balls analogy is spot on. She said “Why do people say grow some balls? Balls are weak and sensitive. If you wanna get tough grow a vagina.Those things take a pounding.” In other words. pussy-up.