Because I adore El Rushbo, I’ve stayed off of all the threads about him since this eruption, because I didn’t want to contribute to any kind of pile-on or perceived disparagement of Rush.
As a woman, I cringed when Rush used the *s* word to describe Ms. Flake. It was a visceral reaction. He could have called her a *fornicator* and I wouldn’t blink. He could have called her *promiscuous* and it wouldn’t have phased me. Actually, when he called her a *prostitute*, that word didn’t disturb me at all.
It was the *s* word that did it. Yeah, I know, a lot of people will say “It’s just a word, it’s just 4 letters, what’s wrong with you, are you a brainwashed feminazi?” The answer would be no.
There are some words that are so offensive to particular races and ethnicities that generally “everyone” understands that you don’t use them...such as the *n* word. For me, and millions of American women, being called the *s* word, the t**t word, or the *c* word are similar to that. Yes, I know that some muddle-headed liberal women refer to each other by the *s* word. It makes no difference. See *n* word example for the same phenomenon, and refer to Dr Laura Schlessinger.
Yeah, I know, Bill Maher and his sicko buddies can use these words with impunity towards conservative women, like Governor Palin, and they have used them without consequence or penalty. That’s them, not us. I want our men to be better than that. Who will ever forget Zell Miller challenging Chris Matthews to a duel, just for the sin of being rude to Michelle Malkin? Not me, not ever. I was filled with such respect for Zell as a result of that single display of sincere gallantry!
I’m glad Rush apologized, and only apologized for the use of a single word, recognizing that it is offensive and that it’s the purview of the disgusting leftist pigs who call themselves men, but who are not. Leave it to those perverse freaks to publicly wallow in filth and fling poo at women who disagree with them.
Rush didn’t need my forgiveness for his lapse. There’s so much in his “good deeds and words” bank that he’s automatically pre-forgiven by me for many things. Still, I respect him even a little more for having the cojones to apologize, knowing that the left will go into an orgiastic feeding frenzy over this evidence of them having bloodied his nose.
Outstanding post! I agree with your analysis that there are some words that are deeply offensive to different groups of people and the s$%t word is one that offends a lot of women. I know that Rush was just using absurdity to illustrate the absurd, so I completely understood his intent when he used the word. I was not so offended as a result. I will definitely continue to listen to Rush, one of my personal heroes. He is partially responsible for helping me to amend my liberal ways and become a conservative some years ago. And on another note, I hope he refuses to take back Sleep Number and all the other advertisers that bailed when they come crawling back (He made them big bucks, after all.).