Duchess Meghan makes what others might discuss with their therapist the subject of their “Archetypes” podcast. This time it’s about the “B-Word”. It reveals a lot about the person saying it, the Duchess says. Similar to the attribute “difficult” as a label for women.
For the new episode of her Spotify podcast “Archetypes”, Duchess Meghan welcomes comedian and actress Robin Thede, among others. Prince Harry’s wife talks about the “B-word” in the episode. Thede often calls her friends that, but in a positive context, she explains. However, when a man uses the word and calls her an “ugly b*tch,” for example, she feels “humiliated and offended and I want to fight.” But as she gets older, she doesn’t mind being called that. She then often only thinks that the other person has unpacked the simplest swear word that this person could find because they are not smart enough to express what they want to say.
Meghan calls it a “very charged word” that many people use too lightly. It feels like a label that is constantly being thrown around. The “B word” has undertones and reveals a lot about the person using it. According to Thede, “a woman who takes what she wants, who has an opinion that is different from that of a man, who rejects you in the club” is still described today. While Meghan has said she hates the word, Thede says she’s trying to change the meaning of the “B-word.” She loves how women use the phrase “Bad B*tch” in a positive way.
“What these people imply when they use that very charged word is, ‘Oh, she’s difficult.'” Meghan says. Claiming to be “difficult” is just code for the “B-word”. Perhaps people who use the “B word” or “difficult” label on a woman often just wanted to distract from something else entirely: “A way to hide some of her really great qualities – her consistency, her strength, her tenacity , their strong opinions and maybe even their resilience.”
In her podcast, Duchess Meghan had previously spoken to actress, producer and director Issa Rae about the fact that women in show business are often labeled as “difficult”. Among other things, Meghan explained: “Just say what you need. You are allowed to set a limit. You are allowed to be clear. That doesn’t make you demanding. It doesn’t make you difficult.”
(This article was first published on Tuesday, November 08, 2022.)
