Hysterical? Yes, we know this term was originally used to discredit women. So was “Historical”. Also, so was history itself.
We have considered other terms. Heretical and Hilarious were both sent to committee for discussion. Hysterilyrical was reserved for the hymnal supplement, and Hysterrible was forwarded to the pun committee for consideration.
It was an emotional discussion, actually, and you can find the thread here. In the end, we decided to reclaim hysterical. Because there’s a poetic justice in taking something that has been used to discredit women, and making it a platform for our belly laughter.
Belly laughter is a powerfully transformative thing.
Topics: Women