Bimbo, by Ashley James, was published earlier this year. Like Jane Mills in Womanwords thirty years ago, James cites numerous pejorative terms for women (‘bimbo’ of course, but also ‘slut’, and many others), noting how the equivalent male terms are neutral or even positive.
James also discusses the issue of linguistic reclamation: “In recent years, some have begun to reclaim bimbo as a symbol of empowerment — celebrating femininity, self-expresion, and subverting the idea that being hot and clever are mutually exclusive.” But the book — subtitled Ditch the Labels. Find Your Voice. Reclaim Your Confidence. — ultimately argues against reappropriating misogynistic terminology.
James writes that reclaiming pejoratives would be a never-ending battle: “We cannot ever beat these words because if we’re not one, we’re another.” Instead, she advocates autonomy rather than conformity: “I believe in something bigger: the right to live without definition... I want us to break free of the gendered social constraints that aim to keep us compliant.”
James also discusses the issue of linguistic reclamation: “In recent years, some have begun to reclaim bimbo as a symbol of empowerment — celebrating femininity, self-expresion, and subverting the idea that being hot and clever are mutually exclusive.” But the book — subtitled Ditch the Labels. Find Your Voice. Reclaim Your Confidence. — ultimately argues against reappropriating misogynistic terminology.
James writes that reclaiming pejoratives would be a never-ending battle: “We cannot ever beat these words because if we’re not one, we’re another.” Instead, she advocates autonomy rather than conformity: “I believe in something bigger: the right to live without definition... I want us to break free of the gendered social constraints that aim to keep us compliant.”
Bimbo is one of a handful of recent feminist books whose titles refer to misogynistic insults. Other examples include Harpy by Caroline Magennis, Hags by Victoria Smith, In Defence of Witches by Mona Chollet, Bitch by Karen Stollznow, and several books that tackle the word ‘slut’ (I Am Not a Slut, This Is What a Feminist Slut Looks Like, Wordslut, and Sluts).
