pejorative terms 1
Asshole. Asshole is unquestioningly a term for those that try to extend their personal control of a situation, person, resources, culture, society, drunk college chick, further than is dictated by the norms of their station in society. The term itself is fraught with mammalian territorial marking behavior (i.e. excrement). So basically when you call someone an “asshole”, you are saying ” that person is making me feel uncomfortable by trying to extend their territory into my territory.” or something like that. Think of the times when the term itself is used, “that guy is a drunk asshole”, ” (x politician) is an asshole.” , ” (x evangelist/ minister/ priest/ pope) is an asshole.” “that cop is an asshole.”. Personally I use the term when describing someone with a recognized authority is attempting to extend their influence (or trying to quash mine) into territory that is quite clearly marked by my boundaries. It occurs to me that a couple of Jehovah’s Witlessness that came to my door one fall afternoon probably thought I was an asshole. The conversation went like this.
Me: Hello? oh you guys are Jehovah’s W(h)itnesses….
The pitcher: Why yes we are.
Me: I’m not interested.
The pitcher: Oh, well if I may ask what are your beliefs?
Me: No, you may not, it’s none of your business.
The Catcher: WOAH! (big smile on his face)
Me: ::: shutting the door:::
The pitcher: well, God bless you.
Me: :::mumbling something inarticulate::
In this case, they were hoping to spread a little of their influence on my face. I did not want to accept. Of course to them they know better than I do about my own salvation, and faith, is their sole (soul?) territory, so by effectively stonewalling all their little crazy arguments, I cut them out of their own territory that existed within my eternal soul. I am an asshole. No doubt they were walking away from my apartment thinking I was an asshole for so forcefully (verbally) crapping upon (claiming) territory where they were indeed the kings…. well maybe not the kings. Really I don’t think they were thinking ”asshole”, but probably the christian equivalent, “I’m going to pray for his soul”. So yes….. asshole, in my mind is clearly a pejorative term that deals with the human compulsion to claim territory. Claim too little, and you are a pussy, overextend yourself and you are an asshole.
That last part guided my brain to something someone once told me, “in the south we don’t say ‘fuck you’, we say ‘bless your heart/soul’ “. That to me seems a natural extension of the Christian ideas of turning the other cheek, The Golden Rule, and look both ways before you cross the street (its only Christian “Scientists” that just run and pray for God to help them). In short, passive aggressiveness. I have yet to find a fix for passive aggressiveness that is both effective and hilarious. Suggestions?