Confessions of an Eavesdropper

Confessions of an Eavesdropper
In the way that gays have reclaimed the word “queer” and black rappers the N-word, “eavesdropping” should be reclaimed by those of us who listen in on others’ conversations. Reappropriation is the cultural process by which a group reclaims—re-appropriates—terms or artifacts that were previously used in a way disparaging of that group. For example, since the early ...