This is a tricky one, because as an insult I'd find it really offensive (I think the only time I've used 'cunt' myself was in a training roleplay when I was deliberately trying to piss off the trainee, and oh my did it work), but as amyhit said, that's probably more because of the cultural connotation of it as being a horrible, misogynistic word. I'd feel the same about being called 'whore'.
In the context of fanfic (or other literature) it's really context-dependent. Sometimes it's sexy and sometimes it just doesn't work, but I'm not sure I could pin down why.
I think I'd rather be called a 'whore' than a 'cunt'. as an insult I find it terribly offensive.
but I agree with you where fics are concerned, it is really context dependent. It really depends which level of 'pornage' you're trying to achieve. Still, I think the term 'cunt' should be used parsimoniously. Iolokus for instance in all its 500 pages of outrageousness uses the term only a couple of times and one of them is an insult. The other is "exquisite cunt" which in the context worked really well, I thought.
I think it is one of those words where it will really depends on the reader's sensibilities, and if you use it you have to take the risk that it will pull some people right out of your story.
i certainly agree that is it dependent on the context of the fic. in general, as a term, i approve of it above most of the others, but in a fic with the wrong tone, boy! not good.
for me, there is something at once passionate yet intellectual about the use of it in a character's thought or speech. if the story has so far been light and frivolous and truly PWP in the sense that the characters are being written as smutty (and probably frivolous) versions of themselves, and suddenly the word cunt in used, that can be very unpleasant - at least i find. i imagine it must be something equivalent to turning dead sober in the middle of a drunken one night stand. (yes, i did say imagine *cough
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I think there is a cultural element also. In French the word "putain" (whore) is used as often as your "fuck" so the impact of the word has somewhat been eroded over the years. which is probably why it shocks me less than 'cunt' does.
In the context of fanfic (or other literature) it's really context-dependent. Sometimes it's sexy and sometimes it just doesn't work, but I'm not sure I could pin down why.
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but I agree with you where fics are concerned, it is really context dependent. It really depends which level of 'pornage' you're trying to achieve. Still, I think the term 'cunt' should be used parsimoniously. Iolokus for instance in all its 500 pages of outrageousness uses the term only a couple of times and one of them is an insult. The other is "exquisite cunt" which in the context worked really well, I thought.
I think it is one of those words where it will really depends on the reader's sensibilities, and if you use it you have to take the risk that it will pull some people right out of your story.
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for me, there is something at once passionate yet intellectual about the use of it in a character's thought or speech. if the story has so far been light and frivolous and truly PWP in the sense that the characters are being written as smutty (and probably frivolous) versions of themselves, and suddenly the word cunt in used, that can be very unpleasant - at least i find. i imagine it must be something equivalent to turning dead sober in the middle of a drunken one night stand. (yes, i did say imagine *cough ( ... )
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I think there is a cultural element also. In French the word "putain" (whore) is used as often as your "fuck" so the impact of the word has somewhat been eroded over the years. which is probably why it shocks me less than 'cunt' does.
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