Why do Americans call their friends "bitch"?

Coming from Italy, we use a lot of swear words, at least young people do, but since I came to the United States I noticed one huge difference: many people here use swear words in very friendly ways. The most noticeable one I found was the word "bitch". I remember my American friends saying "How are you, bitch?" or "You're such a bad bitch" and it took me a while to figure out that they were actually being nice to me and not insulting me. In Italy, calling someone bitch is taken seriously, as it is a very offensive term, but here, it seems to signify strong female friendship, why?

Image result for bitch please

I went to my bible for American slang: The Urban Dictionary. The definition they give is very interesting:
one of the most versatile words in the english language; it is used to express a multitude of emotions; anger, anticipation, despair, endearment, envy, excitement, fear, horror, joy, shock, surprise, warning; all achieved by one's enunciation and intonation.
Endearment: Hey bitch! 
Joy: Oh my god, bitch! 
Anticipation: Bitch, guess what? 
Shock/Pain: Stubs toe Ah, bitch! 
Envy: She's SUCH a BITCH. 
Fear: Bitch. What was that noise? 
Surprise: BITCH! 
Warning: Bitch. Don't try me. 
Despair: Biiiitch.
Basically, bitch is a universal term that applies to practically every situation ever. But I went a step further than that, what about bad bitch? What does that mean? From what I've understood in my experience here bad bitch can be used to refer to an independent woman. In fact, on the definition of "bitch" on Wikipedia, they say this:
n the context of modern feminism, bitch has varied reappropriated meanings that may connote a strong female (anti-stereotype of weak submissive woman), cunning (equal to males in mental guile), or else it may be used as a tongue-in cheek backhanded compliment for someone who has excelled in an achievement.[23][24][25] For example, Bitch magazine describes itself as a "feminist response to pop culture".[26]
Feminist attorney Jo Freeman (Joreen) authored "The BITCH Manifesto" in 1968:[27][28]
A Bitch takes shit from no one. You may not like her, but you cannot ignore her....[Bitches] have loud voices and often use them. Bitches are not pretty....Bitches seek their identity strictly thru themselves and what they do. They are subjects, not objects...Often they do dominate other people when roles are not available to them which more creatively sublimate their energies and utilize their capabilities. More often they are accused of domineering when doing what would be considered natural by a man
This was so interesting to read because in most countries or situations, bitch is derogatory term usually used towards women to offend them. In the United States, though, they turned this term around to not only make it friendly, but to empower women.


 

Comments

  1. AM. DadakMarch 22, 2019 at 9:09 AM

    The process of taking a pejorative word and using it openly in ways to challenge the stigma is a linguistic process known as "r appropriation." I was looking up a quick source to share with you about this process, and I quickly found one from The Guardian newspaper in 2015...and it starts with b****! https://www.theguardian.com/media/mind-your-language/2015/oct/30/power-grab-reclaiming-words-can-be-such-a-bitch.

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