Bitching About the Lost Art of Bitching

'Bring back the red-blooded bitch' is an article in Guardian by Julie Burchill.

It is a highly-enjoyable rave on what the writer deems to be the lost art of the clever female insult, particularly in film. Insults that are not wrapped in faux pity, or born out of writhing jealousy.

As the writer puts it:

These days, bitching is low-fat, decaffeinated and kick-free.

Overall, her primary protest is that women shouldn't be afraid to disagree and that such fear has caused the loss of the mighty female one-liner:

That woman speaks eighteen languages and can't say "No" in any of them.

- Dorothy Parker (1893 - 1967)

I am the first to admit that slinging a cutting insult with abandon isn't one of my strengths or natural forms of habit, yet the idea - on some levels - appeals greatly.

Being able to form an honest bitchy remark requires great skill (verbal and mental) and is ultimately, to my mind, less destructive than the petty passive aggressive path we too often take.

Maybe I should add it to my list of new year's resolutions.