Godfrey Bloom

Think I've heard this kind of 'joke' before.
Men use it to explain away their actual insults.

This has also been raised and is being discussed on the 'Bongobongoland' thread.

I remember in the 70s I had a friend who loved to refer to herself as a slut. She was proud of not doing housework.

The term is often used in an affectionate way.

Godfrey Bloom should be more media savvy though.

Godfrey Bloom is a silly little man who shouldn't be worrying his pretty little head about things he doesn't understand, like politics. He should leave that to the ladies.

My mother used to refer to me as a slut when I was a teenager, because of the state of my bedroom. Just as well she can't see it now...

Wasn't he making a reference to Nigel Farage's comment a while ago about how women should stick to cleaning behind the fridge. Not a good move.

Flickety A senior teacher, when I was in the Sixth Form, called me a slut. you, Miss Jones! (I used to walk home holding hands with Theseus. That was 50 years ago.)

Now I come to think about it one of Katharine Whitehorn's most famous Observer articles - in 1963 - was on sluts, in the sense of slovenly women. She identified herself as a slut and received great support from women all over the country. It resonated with me and one of my housemates - the other one was obsessive about hygiene and tidiness.

"Have you ever taken anything out of the dirty-clothes basket because it had become, relatively, the cleaner thing? Changed stockings in a taxi? Could you try on clothes in any shop, any time, without worrying about your underclothes? How many things are in the wrong room—cups in the study, boots in the kitchen?"

I use slut jokingly to mean having a dirty house, not immoral. The man is an idiot, but I think he is being unfairly criticised over this. (I do clean behind my fridge, but it is only a little under-counter type!)

Words like slut and slag are insulting sexists words inasmuch as they have no masculine equivalent.

It's ok for a man to sleep around but a woman who does it is a slag?

It's ok for a man not to clean the house but a woman who doesn't is a slut?

I think not.

Aka I'm not sure that it is always gender specific but I think the male equivalent of slut (meaning dirty, careless and untidy, i.e. not a sexual description) is slovern.

I think you'll find it's a very nasty word

There are words that can be used in the private domain, by consenting families in private, that are absolutely taboo in the public domain.

Godfrey Bloom's problem is that he lacks the judgement to know the difference. This is a fatal flaw in any would-be politician. Imagine him in power and casually using the four letter abbreviation of Pakistani or referring to a USA President as a n*****. He is quite capable of it.

There is no place for him in public life, except as a bar room bore.

I think the man has been publicly both racist and sexist recently.

But have you noticed - he didn't get the whip withdrawn for that, but because he distracted people from the big man's speech. Tut-tut.

There is all the difference in the world between Geoffrey Bloom using the word in a public arena - 'joke ' or not and some of the examples given above. We keep getting instances of politicians just thinking they can be 'jokey' in a way which puts down or insults women - DC is another example. What bothers me as well is not they they are not funny - which they never are- but the appalling judgement they demonstrate politically and the fact that their comments probably do represent what they really feel about women. Flick

Crossed posts Flick - you summed it all up

A dear friend, a lady, once told me that she knew she was a slut when she realised one day she was brushing crumbs off the table - with a kitten...

I agree the man is an idiot, a bore, a misogynist and a racist - excellent, his party will never get into power but may split the right wing vote.

'Slob' is usually applied to a man who doesn't care for his appearance or his surroundings.