When a Taboo Word Stops Being Offensive

When we first told people we were writing a book called Everyone’s a Cunt, we expected backlash.

Not from strangers, but more so from family.

The religious aunties. The older relatives. The people who genuinely hate the word. The ones who would normally pull you up for saying it at the dinner table. The ones that would glare at you thinking, did she really just say that word?

But something unexpected happened.

Not only did many of them accept the book, they bought copies for friends. They laughed.

Which made me wonder…why?

How does one of the most taboo words in the English language go from offensive to funny?

Maybe it’s because humour changes context. Maybe it’s because Australians use profanity differently. Or maybe it’s because the title isn’t aimed at one person, it’s aimed at everyone, including ourselves.

Maybe because it’s written and not spoken. There isn’t an ugly intent behind it.

The word stops being a weapon and becomes satire.

And once people understood that, the shock started to disappear.