According to the New York Times, the use of the word "bitch" has tripled in the last decade alone, rising to 1,277 uses in 685 shows in 2007 from 431 uses in 103 primetime episodes in 1998 (Wyatt, 2009). Several years later, the use of the term has increased tremendously since 2007. Today the term has been found not only on television, but in popular music, literary works, online media, and everyday conversations. What will be studied and analyzed to better understand the complexities provided by the term will include everyday conversations, especially between women; as well as some popular culture lyrics that include misogynistic lyrics, particularly in the hip hop and rap genres. How has the term “bitch” evolved to the point of desensitization? What are the flexibilities of its meanings and rules of use? Why and how do women claim the word towards themselves and others? The term is mainly used towards women when they show qualities of honesty, frankness, assertiveness, strength. It is also used against men who do not fit the standards of hegemonic masculinity created by society. Finally, it is used to describe a person or object that may be subordinate to another, such as "Work is a bitch!" or "You're my bitch!" As mentioned, women have also started using the word "bitch" towards each other to express friendship or empowerment with phrases like "I'm that bitch/I'm the boss bitch in charge." The fact that there is a correlation between a female dog (bitch) and a female dog is highly critical. The excessive uses of the word and the contexts behind them do not benefit women in any way. In fact, it oppresses women, even though it has become much more common for women to use it in a… middle of paper… harsh story and has become its own culture. The word has great influence and is powerful in meaning. It's important because the word is gradually turning into something normal in our vocabularies. Although feminists of previous years have highlighted the negativity that comes from the word “bitch,” modern feminists are appropriating the term and challenging society to improve the definition(s). It is also important because the word is used and applied primarily to women who make up a large population of our demographic. The growing use of the word leads to the future of our society labeling people and objects as whores without understanding the meaning behind the rich and colorful, yet sexist and empowering term that it is historically. References Haber, T. (1965). CANINE TERMS APPLIED TO HUMANS AND HUMAN EVENTS: PART I. American Speech, 40(2), 83