Why is douchebag an ok insult, but not cunt?

[purple_kathryn]

Shag is seen as (far) less offensive than fuck in England (& the rest of the UK).

Cunt is the worst of the worst but most people don't know what a douchebag is here so it's just a weird American insult . More like saying twat.

Well, maybe things have changed since The Spy Who Shagged Me was released:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Powers:_The_Spy_Who_Shagged_Me

When the film was released, the title proved controversial in the United Kingdom, where the word shag is used to refer coarsely to sexual intercourse. Two sets of British TV adverts for the film existed, for showing before and after the watershed. The former was designed to air during daytime hours and only gave part of the title, (Austin Powers: The Spy Who—), before cutting off with one of a range of slightly suggestive scenes from the film, such as Austin squeezing out the contents of a massage oil bottle. The post watershed adverts, aired later in the evening, gave the full title. There were also two variations of the posters; one of them asterisked out the middle of the offending word. Other posters had named the film as Austin Powers 2.[5]

That's more a comment on the censors in the UK. Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles had to be called Hero Turtles originally because Ninja was too violent.

The radio version of Teenage Dirt bag blanks out the word gun & "drugs" is blanked out in Nicklebacks rockstar.


I'm not saying you can use it round your church going but it would shock her a lot less than saying fuck would.

 

[C_Mucius_Scaevola]

Where I come from, "cunt" is used as a term of endearment between heterosexual males. "Douchebag" isn't used at all.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Patton Oswalt calls a heckler a stupid douche-nozzle on one of his CDs. We need you back, Patton -- best wishes.

 

[Malintent]

I am of the opinion that if you believe there are curse words, then you are worshipping the devil.
People cannot utter curses using words. Only witches and demons can do that.
So, if you claim a word is a curse word, you are a devil worshipper.

 

[tantric]

don't know if it's been said, but 'cunt' is not particularly offensive in Australia

 

[bilby]

don't know if it's been said, but 'cunt' is not particularly offensive in Australia

Quite the reverse in fact. 'Cunt' is reserved only for one's most respected and admired friends.

There is HUGE variation amongst English speaking nations regarding what words are offensive, and how offensive those words are.

In England, the word 'fanny' is decidedly offensive, and its casual use in the up-beat theme song for the show 'The Nanny' was a source of great hilarity on the playgrounds of English schools for years. It also means 'cunt' rather than 'arse', which is the likely reason that it is seen as more offensive.

As a general rule (but with many exceptions), Americans are far more offended by religion based profanities than the English; Nobody in England could understand the furore over Rhett Butler's use of the word 'damn' in Gone with the Wind.

Australians are pretty much immune to caring what words people use; Intent is everything here, and it is expressed by inverse emphasis. Someone who is described as 'A total cunt' is probably a great bloke to take on a night out; But someone who is 'a bit of a bastard, actually' is to be avoided at all costs.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

don't know if it's been said, but 'cunt' is not particularly offensive in Australia

But it's still somewhat rude and if you call someone a cunt, you're kind of a douchebag. But then again, if you call someone a douchebag, you're a bit of a cunt.

 

[Under the Rose]

Having read this whole thread, I think Genesis Nemesis hit on the closest explanation.

While both terms are often used in a derogatory manner in the U.S. and Canada, a douchebag is an object used for hygienic irrigation and cleansing (of any body cavity) while the word cunt is usually taken to mean the female sex organ, hence it is a more personal insult.