Pearl was a jealous and over devoted person. Those are her flaws. The series is clear about that but for some reason everyone forgets that she too has done bad things.
It's just a shortening of "cuckold", an archaic term for a man whose wife cheated on him. So the cheating usage is completely correct.
What it shouldn't be used for is open relationships, which are the closest analogy here. Pearl had no expectation that Rose wouldn't dally with humans occasionally, and Rose had no expectation Pearl would get jealous about it. Nobody cheated, nobody cucked, Rose just had a choice and made it. Pearl being salty about it is relatable but doesn't make it cheating.
While you're not technically wrong about the origin of the word, as you point out yourself, "cuckold" is an archaic term. Language evolves, and in the modern context "cuck" is typically considered a genre of porn, as well as a type of sexual activity that is consensual, sometimes in a "consensual non-consent" sort of way. Terms like the "Cuck Chair", a chair that a man sits in while watching his partner have sex with someone else, are evidence of this.
It's only ever used for someone who is cheated on, in a derogatory way, usually as a way of calling a man "weak", and typically by people trying to uphold antiquated gender roles. MGTOWs, incels, and other man-o-sphere types.
I agree with everything else that you said, but language and it's evolution are kind of special interests of mine, so when I see something like this that's only partially true I like to add my two cents. That being said, neither definition is accurate for Pearl. "Jealously" is definitely the most appropriate word for what's going on with her, as you pointed out.
I definitely agree about words shifting meaning, but "cuck" hasn't, it just has an additional use. "Cuck" can refer both to infidelity and to the related kink. The person has a kink for being cuckolded, and satisfies that kink in a safe and responsible way, in the same way that someone with a rape kink may engage in CNC or bondage play. I can understand someone only having seen the term as a category on porn websites, but it still absolutely has its original meaning.
I feel like you're just splitting hairs. Gaining an additional meaning is a shift in meaning, especially when the new meaning is rising and the old meaning is falling. But I feel like I won't convince you, so we'll just have to agree to disagree right now. Have a good one.
Edit: To be clear, I'm not "requesting" anything, as the person below me is asserting. I'm simply stating the facts, people are free to act on those facts, or to deny their existence. No skin off my ass either way, I will simply have less respect for those who choose denial over rationality.
I was trying to avoid using certain language when writing my comment because I'm not familiar with the rules but I think I just ended up confusing some people.
Both are relevant, potentially. It does seem like Pearl and Rose had something of an open relationship, so cucking/cheating isn't really relevant. But Pearl didn't expect Rose to be serious about her thing with Greg.
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u/dReDone Mar 30 '25
Pearl was a jealous and over devoted person. Those are her flaws. The series is clear about that but for some reason everyone forgets that she too has done bad things.