I've long been intrigued by the feminist-touted phrase “slut-shaming.” Firstly, because the term “slut” is a crass word that those of us with decent manners don’t use in polite company. Or any company, for that matter.
But also because – using basic deductive reasoning – the phrase suggests that in order for a woman to be “slut-shamed,” one must assumedly be a “slut” for which to, well, be shamed. After all, no one “fat-shames” skinny women. The implied admission here is that the woman, to at least some noticeable degree, is a bit on the heftier side, and is being unduly mocked for it.
In fact, according to the Oxford Dictionary, “slut-shaming” is “the action or fact of stigmatizing a woman for engaging in behaviour judged to be promiscuous or sexually provocative.”
Which is what makes the following incident all the more awkward: In a tweet Tuesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren accused President Trump of “slut-shaming” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. (Which also allegedly happened in a tweet. Because that’s where we live now, in 2017 America.)
Which I’m fairly certain means Warren just inadvertently called Gillibrand a slut.
The whole thing started when Trump tweeted Tuesday morning that Gillbrand had previously come to him “begging” for campaign contributions, which he claimed she “would do anything for.”
Though, as my colleague Ola Olgubemi has previously pointed out, the president said the same exact thing of Mitt Romey back during the election, and we’re pretty sure he wasn’t implying sexual favors.
Nevertheless, Warren took that fairly innocuous statement and ran off a cliff with it, channeling her inner super-hip, attention-starved feminist and accusing Trump of “slut-shaming” the New York senator.
And I’m apparently not the only one who thinks Fauxcahontas may have just opened her virtual mouth and inserted her moccasin-clad foot.
How is Trumps tweet slut shaming? Is Pocahontas saying @SenGillibrand is a slut? Something we don’t know?
— Ex-Dem🇺🇸Latina (@ExDemLatina) December 12, 2017
Democrats are sick!
Nice wording
— Won Covfefe (@americanwon) December 12, 2017
Why did Pocahontas call her a slut?
— Rebecca (@rebeccajoc) December 12, 2017
Are you calling @SenGillibrand a slut? Because it’s you saying that, not @realDonaldTrump
— Jeff Kuhner (@TheKuhnerReport) December 12, 2017
Maybe just go sit down, Liz. You're not really helping.