I hear a lot of my liberal friends surprised MSNBC suspended reporter David Shuster for saying the Clintons were "Pimping out Chelsea." 

I'm not concerned about the suspension.  Maybe it was justified, maybe not.  The casual use of the word "pimp" as both a noun and a verb disgusts me. 

Ed Schultz, the liberal talk radio host, said it was "In the common vernacular thse days."  Like, everybody says it, it doesn't mean anything degrading.  I don't say it and it is degrading.  The fact that a professional journalist on cable news could not think of a better phrase than "pimping out" is pitiful.  What does he do on his own time?  Play video games and listen to Snoop Dogg records?

When I was growing up--and when Mr. Shuster was growing up--if you said a woman was pimping out her daughter, you mean she was being prostituted, and you could count on gett your teeth knocked out. 

Thanks to Gangsta Rap and the corporations that, ahem, pimp it, the pimp--the sexual procurer--has been turned into a pop culture icon.  A person who extorts money from women and children in prostitution is a figure of emulation.  Swell.  Just what our culture needs.

Don't try to tell me the word means something different.  It may be an analogy sometimes---as it was when Shuster referred to Chelsea--but the original meaning is lot on no one. 

Anybody who defends David Shuster forfeits the privilege of bashing Don Imus. 

Now that Shuster has some time off, perhaps he can buy himself a thesaurus and do some thinking about words and what they mean.  A journalist who work with words is like a mason who cannot work with bricks.
::)

We need some video clips:

Statement and "apology":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIxgw04Y0Fc

Hilary's reaction:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-CaXDO52eA


"The fact that a professional journalist on cable news could not think of a better phrase than "pimping out" is pitiful" - quite true. I think saying "used", "taken advantage of", etc. would have been a much better way of getting his point across. None of that would have caused the least little bit of controversy.


"What does he do on his own time? Play video games and listen to Snoop Dogg records?" - you forgot MTV, one of the greatest sources of crap in the entire universe.

Sadly, many younger people probably don't know what it means.

I'm not going to defend Shuster, but I'm not going to slam him either. He picked a bad choice of words out of ignorance, unlike Imus who intentionally chose to try to be funny by using unfunny racial humor.

Ant

I'm not going to defend Shuster, but I'm not going to slam him either. He picked a bad choice of words out of ignorance, unlike Imus who intentionally chose to try to be funny by using unfunny racial humor.

Ant



Excellent point. 

While I'll agree pimp isn't a good word to use usually, when it comes to the Clintons... it almost seems appropriate

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=4273078&page=1

While I'll agree pimp isn't a good word to use usually, when it comes to the Clintons... it almost seems appropriate

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=4273078&page=1

Yeah, but I still wouldn't use phrase talking about somebody's daughter, especially a decent young woman like Chelsea Clinton.  Heck, if I was a TV journalist, I wouldn't even say that regarding skanks like the Bush twins. 
:P

Yeah, but I still wouldn't use phrase talking about somebody's daughter, especially a decent young woman like Chelsea Clinton.  Heck, if I was a TV journalist, I wouldn't even say that regarding skanks like the Bush twins. 
:P


That was the wrong term.  You wouldn't use the word pimp but you would use the word skank to describe Jenna who is engaged to some dufus "strong arm Republican wannabe".  Actually Barbera is the problem skank, Jenna could be taught to imitate an intelligent proper lady.

That was the wrong term.  You wouldn't use the word pimp but you would use the word skank to describe Jenna who is engaged to some dufus "strong arm Republican wannabe".  Actually Barbera is the problem skank, Jenna could be taught to imitate an intelligent proper lady.

Witch Which Barbara?

Witch Which Barbara?



The younger witch Barbara.  Which one of Saddam's sons had the hots for the Bush twins?  Guess it's a weird freaky power thing. ::)

Which one of Saddam's sons had the hots for the Bush twins?

Lucky that one was never consummated.. the kids'd be like something out of a horror movie

What about the TV show, "Pimp My Ride" ? ???

What about the TV show, "Pimp My Ride" ? ???

How about calling it "Sexually-Exploit-for-Financial-Gain My Ride"?
:-\\

How about calling it "Sexually-Exploit-for-Financial-Gain My Ride"?
:-\\


Well, that would not have the same cachet.

But nobody complained back in the day when Gladys Knight and The Pimps ruled the airwaves with "Midnight Train to Georgia"  :-\\

Well, that would not have the same cachet.

But nobody complained back in the day when Gladys Knight and The Pimps ruled the airwaves with "Midnight Train to Georgia"  :-\\

D'oh!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/10/unhappy.gif

How about calling it "Sexually-Exploit-for-Financial-Gain My Ride"?
:-\\


Better still, how about calling it "cancelled".

Ant

Well, that would not have the same cachet.

But nobody complained back in the day when Gladys Knight and The Pimps ruled the airwaves with "Midnight Train to Georgia"  :-\\


Gladys Knight and THE PIPS. ::)

Let's not instigate.

Gladys Knight and THE PIPS. ::)

Let's not instigate.


I just looked it up on Google... I guess you are right. (169,000 hits for Pips and only 269 for Pimps).

I always thought they were called the Pimps because they dressed flashy.  I wonder what a Pip is?  ???

I just looked it up on Google... I guess you are right. (169,000 hits for Pips and only 269 for Pimps).

I always thought they were called the Pimps because they dressed flashy.  I wonder what a Pip is?  ???

I'm sorry, LB, I...I thought you were joking.
:-\\

According to the Wiki entry, Gladys Knight's group named themselves after their cousin, James "Pip" Woods.  Why this individual was called Pip is a question only the family could answer. 

The Pip I know best:
Philip Pirrup, the main character in Dickens' "Great Expectations," whose nickname was "Pip."  The English boy on South Park is also called "Pip" after Dickens' "Pip."  When they made a modern adaptation of "Great Expectation" for Hollywood in the '90s, they changed the name to "Phin."  I guess "Pip" sounded too twee for the contemporary period.  Anyway, the class issues of Victorian England aren't applicable so the modern adaptation was a dumb idea. 


Other Pips, pips, and PIPs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pip

I just looked it up on Google... I guess you are right. (169,000 hits for Pips and only 269 for Pimps).

I always thought they were called the Pimps because they dressed flashy.  I wonder what a Pip is?  ???


Most people during the 70's dressed flashy.  A pip is kind of like a waif.

I want a pimp cup.  ;D

http://www.shopkitson.com/cache/37340.jpg

I want a pimp cup.  ;D

http://www.shopkitson.com/cache/37340.jpg


Think I saw one of those at Spencer's Gifts.

Think I saw one of those at Spencer's Gifts.

I didn't realize Spencer's Gifts was still around.  I remember them form the '80s.  Home of the Chippendale's dancers car air fresheners and the "You're ugly and your mother dresses you funny" pin.  At least...that was Spencer's in the '80s.  Funny it was called "Gifts."  If your boyfriend gives you a gift from Spencer's, you're going out with the wrong guy!
:P

I think it's offensive or at least low class, when people use it as a synonym for guys who hit on women or have alot of girlfriends, etc. It's almost glamorizing its original meaning in a way. Same thing for when guys casually call women "bitches", I hate that. Even if it's not actually meant in a derogatory sense, if we say this stuff enough, I think it kinda sanitizes us to how offensive and hurtful it really can be.

I didn't realize Spencer's Gifts was still around.  I remember them form the '80s.  Home of the Chippendale's dancers car air fresheners and the "You're ugly and your mother dresses you funny" pin.  At least...that was Spencer's in the '80s.  Funny it was called "Gifts."  If your boyfriend gives you a gift from Spencer's, you're going out with the wrong guy!
:P


Yes, there still around.  My friend wanted some tacky "dragon/occult" crap for her birthday.  Got the stuff, got out.  The damn place makes me cringe. 

I don't know about the gift from Spencer's bit, someone's keeping them in business. Most likely people who have no clue as to what a real gift is.

I think it's offensive or at least low class, when people use it as a synonym for guys who hit on women or have alot of girlfriends, etc. It's almost glamorizing its original meaning in a way. Same thing for when guys casually call women "bitches", I hate that. Even if it's not actually meant in a derogatory sense, if we say this stuff enough, I think it kinda sanitizes us to how offensive and hurtful it really can be.


You bring up a good point.  To some (much to some dismay) the words pimp, bitches, hoes are common place.  That kind of stuff just goes right through me.

We had a guy at work recently who used to always talk about how he wanted to live "with pimp style",  When he left our company to get a job as a manager at the Post Office, his coworkers got him one of those bejeweled "Pimp Mugs".  :o

We had a guy at work recently who used to always talk about how he wanted to live "with pimp style",  When he left our company to get a job as a manager at the Post Office, his coworkers got him one of those bejeweled "Pimp Mugs".  :o

I know when I see a dude strutting around in one of those postal uniforms, I say "Daaayum! You baaaad!"
:D

You bring up a good point.  To some (much to some dismay) the words pimp, bitches, hoes are common place.  That kind of stuff just goes right through me.


Yeah, even though I think they're offensive to a point, no matter who's using them, it's even worse in a way that they're generally male-oriented words. So it makes women seem less valued. What's worse? Some girls themselves don't seem to mind it! That sorta sends the message that it's okay. I mean I can barely say that stuff for its literal terms, so I could never use them casually. That's just scummy.

You bring up a good point.  To some (much to some dismay) the words pimp, bitches, hoes are common place.  That kind of stuff just goes right through me.


Just for yuks I looked up "Pimp Cup' over at eBay.

They have all sorts of pimp cups, all bejewelled and you can get various phrases on them, like "GANGSTA" or "PLAYA".  They also have a pink one that says 'HO', I guess that one is for the ladies.  :-\\

You can also get a custom pimp cup, with words of your choosing on it.

Hmmm... Maybe a custom MAXWELL SMART pimp cup??  ;D

I know when I see a dude strutting around in one of those postal uniforms, I say "Daaayum! You baaaad!"
:D


The cup would just add to it.

Devil's advocate here, would you say that to a woman in a postal uniform?

Just for yuks I looked up "Pimp Cup' over at eBay.

They have all sorts of pimp cups, all bejewelled and you can get various phrases on them, like "GANGSTA" or "PLAYA".  They also have a pink one that says 'HO', I guess that one is for the ladies.  :-\\

You can also get a custom pimp cup, with words of your choosing on it.

Hmmm... Maybe a custom MAXWELL SMART pimp cup??  ;D


I don't think most women want to be hoes they'd rather be bitches.  Did they have a BITCH cup.

How the heck would you design a MAXWELL SMART pimp cup?http://www.unixboard.de/vb3/images/smilies/sm-nachdenk.gif

The cup would just add to it.

Devil's advocate here, would you say that to a woman in a postal uniform?




"Daaayum! You baaaad!"
???

"Daaayum! You baaaad!"
???


So much for my feminist interjection. ::)