Depending on how it is used, the word bitch can describe a multitude of females. But, if a woman owns that word, the power of the word is given to her. 

Sophomore child development and French double major Bree Conn, said the connotation behind the word has everything to do with the woman being called it and not the word itself. 

“Bitch can definitely be used as a positive term, if the woman in question wants it to be,”  Conn said. “Personally, I don’t get offended by it because to me, I see myself as someone who doesn’t take crap from anyone, so it’s a compliment.”

Growing up, the term bitch in my mind was used to describe a woman who spoke her mind and never apologized for who she was. The word says more about the people using it than the person labeled by it. I was raised that the word could be seen as a compliment. 

“There are a lot of pictures and quotes on the internet (nowadays) that use bitch as an abbreviation for positive words like Beautiful, Intelligent, Talented, Creative, Happy,” Conn said. 

If the term is used in a song like Lil’ Kim’s song “Queen Bitch,” the word is synonymous with a female in power, like a queen. But there are also lines like, “Get ya own dog ya heard? That’s my bitch” from Jay-Z’s song “That’s My Bitch,” where he compares females to dogs and asserts ownership over them as a gender.

This is when a line is crossed. Comparing females, no matter their current situation, with an animal that has been bred and dominated by man for centuries, is disgusting and shows more about the man saying the words than anything else. 

So it all boils down to who is saying the term. For a man to use it against any woman it is unacceptable in any form, but with woman using it with other woman, there is a blurry line.

It depends on the familiarity and relationship between the women, but there is the opportunity for it to be meant with love and even admiration. It’s like when females call Beyonce a “bad bitch” –  it is meant in adoration, not admonishment.