See You Next Tuesday? How the ‘worst word’ became a compliment (SUMMER SERIES)

See You Next Tuesday? How the ‘worst word’ became a compliment (SUMMER SERIES)

From Quick Smart by ABC Australia

December 15, 2025 · 12 min

About this episode

The episode explores how the c-word has transformed from an offensive term to a compliment, featuring insights from guest Virginia Trioli.

When many of us were growing up, the c-word was the worst thing you could say. Now, it’s having a renaissance. How has an "offensive and hateful” term transformed into a compliment? And why are drag queens, actors and K-pop girlies at the forefront of reclaiming "See You Next Tuesday”? Guest: Virginia Trioli, host of Creative Types on ABC TV and iview. Check out Virginia’s article on how the the c-word is being reclaimed by women in pop culture here . If you liked this chat, you might also enjoy our episodes on how teenage girls are shaping our vocabulary or whether Stockholm Syndrome a sexist myth . If there's a story or topic you'd like us to cover, drop us a line at quick.smart@abc.net.au ------ You’re listening to Quick Smart's summer season. We’ll return with fresh episodes next year, but in the meantime please enjoy our special curation for the holidays. This episode originally aired on 15th April, 2025.

People in this episode

Guest: Virginia Trioli

Topics covered

  • language evolution
  • reclamation
  • pop culture
  • drag queens
  • K-pop
  • societal norms

Keywords

  • c-word
  • language
  • reclamation
  • pop culture
  • Virginia Trioli
  • drag queens
  • K-pop

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ABC TV, iview

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