http://ms-douchebag.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] ms-douchebag.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] vaginapagina2006-10-21 01:07 am
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Attitudes Towards Genitalia---Rant

I feel like I'm being an asshat for writing this, but it's been on my mind lately...

Why does the concept of "having balls" have connotations of courage/strength?

I think it's quite interesting that the phrase is so common. As a woman struggling with the functions of my sexual organs, I think it makes no sense whatsoever. Having testicles is certainly vulnerable, but I think it's safe to assume that a woman goes through more suffering throughout her life due to her ovaries and uterus than a man experiences with some shots to the nuts. How many times in his life does a man receive a blow to his testicles? Often enough for his tastes, I am quite sure. And based upon the observable reactions, it's clear that the contact is quite painful. But the pain will go away, and the balls will recover relatively soon.

I'm happy with my sex organs--I think their hidden nature adds a bit of mystery to my anatomy. I like being a woman. I believe that our organs undergo so much more stress with their functions. The pain and stress of periods, every single month, for decades. Not only do we swell and stretch in order to produce children, we carry them around for nine months. And after that feat, we must somehow let them out of our bodies through our vaginas. We have to deal with painful changes in our breasts, whether due to the menstrual cycle or childbirth. And then menopause.

I'm certainly not complaining about being a woman. I feel quite strong as I survive the antics of my body. I believe, however, that the expression of "having balls" is ridiculous, taking the female situation into perspective. I've been trying to replace "having balls" with "having a uterus" in my everyday speech, because it tells of such struggles which the testicles can only dream about. What's so tough about balls anyway? Sure, it takes strength to be vulnerable, but once hit, the owner of the pair curls up on the floor. What do women do with our organs? We continue to have children. That's what. Birth control, smirth control. It's a well needed break.

I have one tough uterus.

[identity profile] mein-liebe.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 03:55 pm (UTC)(link)
That's great!

I've gotten into the habit of substituting 'ovaries' for 'balls' myself, though. But this is great!

[identity profile] poonchkie.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 04:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Guys may have "to get balls" for courage. However, I have the ovaries to get through tough times. I've got ovarian fortitude which I think is so much more hardcore cuz it's a lot harder for someone to chop off, kick, damage my ovaries compared to testicles.

[identity profile] futuristicplans.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 04:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Hee.

My friends and I always refer to our "big brass ovaries."

[identity profile] spacegirl-spiff.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
my friend's mom has been using "brass ovaries" for years!
and i agree with the person above me. my frickin ovaries are a lot harder to damage with a kick to the groin, or blade, or whathaveyou.

[identity profile] capnhowdie.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 05:20 pm (UTC)(link)
i also find it funny that you "become a woman" an menarch and boys "become a man" the first time they get laid....not exactly fair is it?

[identity profile] obvious.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 05:29 pm (UTC)(link)
hehehe, yeah. I always joke around with my friends about how poorly designed males are. The most sensitive part of their body just hangs right there for anyone to kick. *shakes head* I don't get it.

[identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/__recidivist/ 2006-10-21 06:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I say "that takes a lot of box", even when talking about men. Take that, inherited ideas of patriachy!

[identity profile] jitteryladybug.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 06:39 pm (UTC)(link)
the testes would be agressive, loud and obnoxious, call names, and run around trying to intimidate.

the ovaries would wait, and wait, and wait, and watch them, listening, smirking, waiting for the testes to finish their rant, and then once the ovaries tired of the game, go over to the now spent and tired testes still muttering epithets, and smack the testes, cajoling them and getting them to apologize for their rude behavior.

the testes would comply, because there's nothing quite as terrifying as a pissed off uterus

[identity profile] jitteryladybug.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 06:41 pm (UTC)(link)
or in the case of some primates, bite off and thus sterilize the competing males

[identity profile] obvious.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 06:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Maybe that's why nature put them there. *ponders*

[identity profile] hamster-lemming.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
ironically it's actually the other way around from a language context...I don't have the exact quote with me at the moment but once I dig it up I can let you know...female came first, male is the derivative of that...

[identity profile] persephonesix.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
heh, this is a great post :-)

[identity profile] loonylupinlover.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 07:22 pm (UTC)(link)
I've told both male and female friends to 'grow a pair' when they're being whiny/chicken about something. I've also called male and female friends jerks, bitches, whores, dicks, cocksuckers, fuckers, and assholes. I try to be equal opportunity when insulting those I care about! ;)

[identity profile] zapps.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I think it's becuase testosterone makes guys do some pretty stupid things, which are either considered foolhardy, brave, or, well, stupid and inconsiderate, thus covering all uses I've heard of the word. :P

On the other hand, being a female, I have been told I had balls, after doing somethings that were extremely hard/dangorus....guess it's not just testosterone poisining, after all :p

[identity profile] hamster-lemming.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 08:26 pm (UTC)(link)
actually if you go back far enough much of today's language was created by women and merely appropriated by men and twisted to mean something negative or derrogatory towards women...I don't have the exact quote but a perfect example of this is the word bitch. Originally bitch was in reference to the hunting goddess (mostly known as Athena)or her sacred hunting dogs. saying someone was a son of a bitch wasn't an insult then like it is now, it was saying they were the child of a goddess. Cunt is another one as is just about everything else out there...a good reference if you are interested is Barbara G Walkers Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets.

[identity profile] laughing-dreams.livejournal.com 2006-10-21 09:13 pm (UTC)(link)
i like the word cunt but i use it in a positive manner, i like calling my vagina a cunt, in fact i like it better than other words such as pussy, ick i hate the sound of pussy

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