You know how TV shows bleep out or substitute curses, and sometimes it just sounds more than incredibly dumb? (Think of Samuel L. Jackson’s infamous line from Snakes on a Plane: when edited for TV, it becomes, “I’ve had it with these monkey-fighting snakes on this Monday-to-Friday plane!”) Networks are getting around that now, because the FCC now allows “fleeting expletives“–as in, you can swear on TV.

Ever since that ruling came down, it hasn’t been a minefield of F-bombs on kiddie shows or anything necessarily vulgar, but one word has come out more than any other: bitch. Some women and girls find it demeaning, while others use it to affectionately describe their besties. So is it actually offensive? Now way, bitch!

At the risk of opening a huge can of worms here, it really depends on the context, similar to the N-word: it’s a lot different when Kanye West says it than when a member of the Klan yells it out of a car window (obviously not okay). There’s no male equivalent of “bitch,” though the ever-popular “douchebag” seems to be grabbing for a close spot, just like there’s no Caucasian equivalent of the N-word.

Tina Fey and Jane Krakowski drop it on 30 Rock (often targeting one another), Betty White slips it Hot in Cleveland–and it’s not offensive. It’s just a word, and, when wielded by the likes of Tina, Jane, and Betty–a pretty hilarious one. The b word is not offensive or degrading to women when women use it, because it means we’re taking ownership of it. These actresses’ intent isn’t to bring viewers or listeners down, it’s to be funny and fierce. (Especially Tina Fey, who actually dedicated an entire 30 Rock episode to the C-word.)

Like any other word, whether or not “bitch” is offensive simply is a matter of context. When murderers and sex offenders blurt it out on SVU, it means something entirely different (aka creepy!) from calling Krysten Ritter’s character one in the title of Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23. When a guy says it to a scantily clad dancer in a music video, it’s not the same as Lady Gaga calling herself a “free bitch, baby” in “Bad Romance.”

“Bitch” was, and often still is, thrown around whenever a woman or girl is assertive, confident, or strong. Some insecure dudes will spit it out to try to insult us or keep us passive and subservient. But words only have as much power as we give them–and truly powerful people won’t be threatened by a bitch. You know who will?

That’s right. Douchebags.

Do you think the word “bitch” is demeaning to women or no big deal? How do you use the b word, if at all? Do you think the b word or the f word should be used on TV? Tell us in the comments!

There Is One Word I Hate Though . . . You’ll Be Surprised By What It Is!

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