🐄 Why Being Called a “Nasty Cow” Is a Compliment Now
I grew up hearing the words “nasty cow” hurled at the women I admired — and eventually, at me.
Back then, it stung.
Now?
I take it as a compliment.
Here’s why.
1. “Nasty” Is What They Call You When You Stop Playing Small
There’s a universal phenomenon that happens the second a woman says:
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“No, that doesn’t work for me.”
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“That’s not okay.”
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“I won’t be spoken to like that.”
Immediately, she transforms — as if by magic — into a nasty, bossy, rude, ungrateful creature.
It’s almost funny.
(Almost.)
Because the truth is:
“Nasty” is just code for “You’re standing up for yourself, and I don’t like it.”
So if someone uses it on me now?
I know I’ve hit a nerve — and usually the right one.
2. “Cow” Isn’t an Insult When You Understand the Power Behind It
Let’s talk about cows for a second, because they’re actually icons.
Cows are:
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strong
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stubborn
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protective
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impossible to push around without consequences
And most importantly:
they take up space.
Unapologetically.
If someone wants to compare me to an animal that respects its boundaries and doesn’t move just because someone wants it to — honestly, thank you.
I’ll graze with pride.
3. Reclaiming the Words That Tried to Shrink Us
I remember hearing women in my family being called “nasty cows” simply for being fair and firm.
Growing up, I watched those words get thrown around whenever a woman dared to have expectations.
Or standards.
Or a spine.
Turns out, all the women I admired were “difficult” to someone who wanted them compliant.
That’s when it clicked:
Maybe the problem wasn’t the women.
Maybe the problem was the people who needed to insult them.
So I took the insult.
Dusted it off.
Painted horns on it.
And made it my brand.
4. When You Own the Label, It Stops Owning You
That’s the thing about reclamation — it’s transformative.
When I call myself a “nasty cow,” I strip the sting out of the words.
I turn them into armour instead of a weapon.
It becomes a message:
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I set boundaries.
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I know my worth.
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I won’t apologise for taking up space.
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And if that rattles you, that’s on you.
Nasty Cow isn’t about being mean.
It’s about refusing to perform softness just to keep other people comfortable.
5. Nasty Cow Is Bigger Than the Name Now
It’s become a statement for the women who:
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push back
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speak up
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don’t shrink
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own their bodies
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own their boundaries
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own their stories
It’s a celebration of the exact qualities society likes to punish in women — confidence, assertiveness, self-respect, and autonomy.
So if “nasty cow” is the price for being all that?
Charge me double.
In This Herd, Being “Nasty” Is Sacred
Being a “nasty cow” means you’re done tiptoeing.
Done shrinking.
Done apologising for existing.
If you’ve ever been called:
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rude
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difficult
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moody
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too much
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too loud
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too confident
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too opinionated
…congratulations.
You’re one of us.
Welcome to the herd.
We reclaim insults, turn them into art, and wear them like armour. 🐄