PC Police: A New Low

[bigblue_dl]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

Don't dislocate your shoulder with these gyrations, folks. If something becomes hurtful, just stop using the freaking term. How hard is that? Does it really destroy your personal freedom not to call some poor kid a "retard"?

We don't want to call a poor kid a retard, we want to call our buddy that acts moronic a retard!

 

[Bakunin]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

We don't want to call a poor kid a retard, we want to call our buddy that acts moronic a retard!

Right, I mean what's next? Are they going to run PSA's telling us we can't call our buddies "****ies" because it's offensive to women? Where does it all end?

 

[FreshFish]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

We don't want to call a poor kid a retard, we want to call our buddy that acts moronic a retard!

Now that is a great, if unintended, example of the "euphemism treadmill" in action, except that the original term may not actually have been a euphemism....

When IQ testing first came into vogue, terms were developed to apply to various ranges of scores:

0 - 25: idiot
25 - 50: imbecile
50 - 75: moron

These terms soon came out of the diagnostic manual and became part of every day language; at one time there was even a joke, "I may be a moron, but at least I'm not an idiot" which of course would just be a head-scratcher today.

I guess I understand both sides here, if a person maliciously uses a hurtful word knowing ahead of time it will injure, that is mean. If a person innocuously uses a term that has multiple meanings, some of which are purely denotative, they deserve a little slack.

More broadly, people are getting pretty aggressive about hurt feelings, it seems, no? Has the entitlement mentality really become so pervasive that hurt feelings over a misunderstanding (i.e., where clearly no malice was intended) are now a legitimate source of moral outrage?

 

[Bakunin]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

The purpose behind using the words in question with our friends is to get a rise out of them. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the various groups that are apparently itching to be offended by the words' usage. People need to grow a thicker skin and find something more worthwhile to generate their outrage of the day.

 

[CLS]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

. . . If a person innocuously uses a term that has multiple meanings, some of which are purely denotative, they deserve a little slack.

If you're talking about the word "retarded", I give that slack. If you're talking about the term "retard", IMO, that was a slang, pejorative term from the get-go and never had a purely denotative meaning.

More broadly, people are getting pretty aggressive about hurt feelings, it seems, no? Has the entitlement mentality really become so pervasive that hurt feelings over a misunderstanding (i.e., where clearly no malice was intended) are now a legitimate source of moral outrage?

I think you’re oversimplifying here. For one thing, I don’t think it’s just because of a sense of “entitlement” that’s causing people to be offended when they didn’t use to be, or to speak up when they’re offended when they used to remain silent.

For one thing, now there isn’t a penalty, or there’s less of a penalty, for expressing the hurt feelings. There was a time that complaining about the use of a racially pejorative term at best wouldn’t change any behavior, and at the extreme worst it might mean you get lynched. Now, at best it changes behavior and at worst doesn’t.

Today, I think that many more people are aware of the effect that their language had on others, and I think that’s a good thing. If I someone tells me that a term that I use is offensive, I’ll probably stop using it, not because of a desire to be “politically correct”, but out of simple courtesy. There’s almost always a term that’s equally easy to use, and probably more accurate anyway.

With regard to “misunderstanding” , to some extent, that’s what the link in the base note could be all about (I haven’t seen it, so I don’t know) If the message is “That term is hurtful to me, please don’t use it” then all it’s doing is trying to prevent misunderstandings. If you’re using a term that offends someone, don’t you want to know? There’s a point where “misunderstanding” becomes “willful ignorance”.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

I use the terms retarded and retard at work everyday and I promise that neither are ever taken as being offensive or disrespectful.

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

Much ado about nothing. I've got no problem 1) Calling a buddy a fa**ot as friends are prone to do nor 2) Saving it for a rainy day depending upon who else is around.

"Wait a minute, dear sir!!! Your being offended offends me to the highest order!!"

 

[geezer]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

I use the terms retarded and retard at work everyday and I promise that neither are ever taken as being offensive or disrespectful.

friendly warning - because I used to have the same attitude - you're in for a conflict when you call someone a retard in front of the dad whose daughter actually is retarded and doesn't think she deserves any less respect because of it.

 

[The Rube]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

Much ado about nothing. I've got no problem 1) Calling a buddy a fa**ot as friends are prone to do nor 2) Saving it for a rainy day depending upon who else is around.

"Wait a minute, dear sir!!! Your being offended offends me to the highest order!!"

Yup.

My SIL has a relative that is retarded, and I made some sort of joke about retardation. SIL snapped at me. I replied, "If people with 'mental disabilities' want to be treated like everyone else, like I'm sure they want to, then they get made fun of, too. How often do you hear 'That's mighty white of you?'" SIL didn't like that answer.

 

[duper]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

This thread has no point.

To guarantee that no one is offended when you say things is ignorant.

To say that no one has the right to be offended is asinine.

I see 2 things that could really be argued here:

1) This word isn't as bad as that word.

2) Freedom of speech allows me to be an a-hole if I want.

Both of those things are true.

Now, what is there about this video that's offensive? Does it bother you to be reminded that some people have an affliction that they can't control, and might be sensitive about being made fun of, in a way that they historically have been. (Seriously, do you think any of us were made fun of more or more cruelly than the kids in special ed in school?) Does it bother you for someone else to exercise their right to put a goofy ad on tv? I don't understand how this could possibly be more annoying than, say, a Shane Company commercial, which I find truly offensive.

 

[The Rube]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

duper:

What makes me mad about this commerical is that they are trying to say that a word that describes a certain condition of a small number of humans (in relation to the number of humans on this planet) is just as bad as a word that disparages an entire race. Exaggerate much? It's terrible, IMO>

 

[duper]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

duper:

What makes me mad about this commerical is that they are trying to say that a word that describes a certain condition of a small number of humans (in relation to the number of humans on this planet) is just as bad as a word that disparages an entire race. Exaggerate much? It's terrible, IMO>

I get being irritated by the commercial. My thing aboput Shane Company (I'm guessing they have reached far enough outside Denver by now that everyone knows them, but if not their radio spots make a heavy implication that the only way to prove your love for your wife/girlfried/etc. is to buy her jewelry) was only half in jest. Those ads **** me off. But I suppose that they also have a purpose.

I agree that the racial epithets are worse, but in this day and age, although racism is by no means gone, I would bet that in a given day in a given school, more kids call each other retard as an insult than any racial epithet. To me, that balances the severity out a little bit.

 

[leswp1]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

duper:

What makes me mad about this commerical is that they are trying to say that a word that describes a certain condition of a small number of humans (in relation to the number of humans on this planet) is just as bad as a word that disparages an entire race. Exaggerate much? It's terrible, IMO>

I think you are missing the point. The person who is hearing 'retard' doesn't really care if it is worse than the n word. They just feel bad at the insult, probably as bad as the black person. I would think the person who is offended, ie the mentally challenged person or the black person, shouldn't have to have a contest over who should be more offended. Saying everyone calls thier buddy that so it is OK, get over, it loses me completely. That sounds like something a teenager would say to excuse something dumb. My logic teacher would have fits. (Do they teach the course Logic in school anymore?)

 

[BassAle]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

seriously Brent? You're all bent out of shape over this?

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

I think you are missing the point. The person who is hearing 'retard' doesn't really care if it is worse than the n word. They just feel bad at the insult, probably as bad as the black person. I would think the person who is offended, ie the mentally challenged person or the black person, shouldn't have to have a contest over who should be more offended. Saying everyone calls thier buddy that so it is OK, get over, it loses me completely. That sounds like something a teenager would say to excuse something dumb. My logic teacher would have fits. (Do they teach the course Logic in school anymore?)

seriously Brent? You're all bent out of shape over this?

This was what I was getting at originally. This is what the OP and a few others want to get excited about?

If you want to call your buddies retards or fags or whatever, knock yourself out. It's your right to be/sound ignorant. I've certainly done it myself although maturity and enlightenment has curbed that activity and I strive to find less universally offensive insults to throw at my buddies. I try to check myself and think, could this hurt someone who overhears it or would I want my teenage son to hear me using this language - and don't think I don't swear in front of him, I just try (and succeed) to refrain from racial terms and things like retard the "c" word etc.

Just can't imagine what would cause someone to make this psa an issue. If you don't like it, just move along. It's not hurting anyone including blacks that some feel the need to defend as the more oppressed. Again...

 

[Biddco]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

I hate when people use the word and think people shouldn't use it.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

friendly warning - because I used to have the same attitude - you're in for a conflict when you call someone a retard in front of the dad whose daughter actually is retarded and doesn't think she deserves any less respect because of it.

No, I don't think you understand. These words have perfectly acceptable, non-offensive definitions and uses.

 

[BassAle]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

No, I don't think you understand. These words have perfectly acceptable, non-offensive definitions and uses.

And almost no one uses them that way anymore. Plus there is a big difference between calling someone a "retard" and saying someone's development has been retarded. Just because words have acceptable meanings doesn't mean it isn't offensive to call something "gay" or "retarded" e.g. "that's so gay!" or "that's retarded!"

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

And almost no one uses them that way anymore. Plus there is a big difference between calling someone a "retard" and saying someone's development has been retarded.

There are other definitions, other than referring to people.

 

[BassAle]

Re: PC Police: A New Low

There are other definitions, other than referring to people.

no ****. "gay" and "fag" have other definitions too. that doesn't mean they are OK to use as insults. Would it kill people to say "that's stupid" instead of "that's so gay" or "that's so retarded"?