“Butthurt”
One of the Internet’s new vernacular gems has grown on me. That term is “butthurt”. Partially because its heavy on the hard consonants, but also–let’s be real here–I like butt jokes.
However, I’m struggling to steady the wheel on how I personally use this term. The popular use of “butthurt” invokes imagery of rape; an image I’m not entirely comfortable using for metaphor. There are few reactions that accurately come close to the violation of rape. Less in hyperbole; even fewer in jest.
When I use the term, I intend to express deep regret. That is, someone who consensually enters into something (no ironic innuendo intended) but it ends up being painfully disappointing an costing them more in the long run. Kinda like someone overexerting themselves in a workout, which feels great at the time, but then they’re body is rendered sore and useless in the days following. Maybe a sense of betrayal, but no violation. Hoist by one’s own petard.
For example, my most recent visit to Play N Trade, a local GameStop alternative. I’d received coupons from them offering an additional 30% credit on game trade-ins and a $7 gift credit, valid one day only. My mission was to take in three PS3 games for trade (Street Fighter IV, Super Street Fighter IV, and Fallout 3) and the coupon to pick up the disc release of Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition.
I’d guessed that at worst, I’d be offered $15 credit for the games, plus the 30%. The actual offer, after the boost, was $12. I begrudgingly accepted, factoring that the $7 coupon would bump my return up to my expectation. This was my second mistake.
My first mistake became clear after the transaction had completed when I chose then to ask if SSF4:AE was even in stock. The truth is that they never got it in to begin with, nor do they expect new copies to arrive.
Now I feel butthurt.
The new plan (or rather, task) is to buy SSF4:AE at full retail elsewhere and also find something at Play N Trade to spend my meager credits. Luckily Amazon is offering the game for about $10 less and with free shipping.
I hope that illustrates my purpose for butthurt. The theory of “rape culture” notwithstanding, I do with great effort wield my language appropriately to communicate my ideas and emotional effects. And I support butt jokes.
July 5th, 2011 at 9:05 pm
I didn’t even think of the implications of rape culture, isn’t that weird? I find the term offensive when applied to people to completely dismiss what their saying for the LULZ… aka, “Em has serious butthurt about using the term ‘buthurt’!”
…if you read my line of reasoning and example for too long, the universe may collapse.
I guess there’s history and then there’s connotation to words. I tend to pick up connotation more than semantics. Which can be a pretty big shortcoming. :/
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The Grey Ghost Reply:
July 6th, 2011 at 6:56 am
One of the other connotations that I’d read about the term suggests that the person is butthurt cuz they got seriously spanked in some internet debate. I can dig that, but I kinda like the weight of betrayal and regret that’s suggested in how I intend to use it.
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