These "speech macros" are an interesting phenomenon.
How many people who have no problem with homosexuality still use "gay" as a derogatory term: "Oh man, that's so gay."
If they were raised in the US or Canada in the last 30 years, it's just probably something they heard in the school-yard and now don't examine at all.
I've said such things, and the subsequent introspection has given me a new insight into those old fogies who say things like "Nigger brown", without meaning to be racist.
They were socialized in a racist culture, and although their individual views may be different, they can't fully shake the legacy.
They were socialized in a racist culture, and although their individual views may be different, they can't fully shake the legacy.
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So true, mod that one up.
If you ever travel in the Balkans and parts of Central Europe you will be amazed how cruel the language still is to gypsies. "Lying gypsy", "stupid gypsy", "lazy gypsy", "dirty/shaggy like a gypsy"; also gypsy women are stereotyped as highway whores. In these parts of the world PC doesn't exist. There are adverts on television and billboards which make fun of the way gypsies speak. The PC straw man argument exists, but not actual political correctness. This kind of language is so mainstream you look weird when you speak against it.
Most people who use the awful racist language aren't really racist. They don't know what eugenics is, they don't have any ideologies that systematize or justify gypsy-bashing: there aren't any "Protocols..", or the "International Gypsy" books. There aren't any lynchings. They might be nice to gypsies and treat them as equals. To most people the anger those gypsies from the stereotypes are just a generalization and it is widely acknowledged that "there are good gypsies".
People actually think they are tolerant: they sometimes begin their sentences with "I am not a racist, but.." before they bash gypsies. In the old commie days people were taught that America was the place where they beat the black people.
There isn't any official discrimination in the countries gypsies live, but there is no PC. The unofficial discrimination still takes its toll. Most gypsies are poor, ill-educated, have short life-spans and trouble with the law. There isn't anything that provides deterrence against discrimination, which manifests itself in "common-sense": you aren't racist, but you don't want to take risks. When faced with such "common-sense" and prejudice you lose enthusiasm for trying. It happens in usually in high-school. And of course there are those bad-apples - the "nationalists" and the neo-nazis. Most people disapprove of them, but the extremists are not a problem when you have the rule of law.
Its the racist culture.
So please be careful with the language. Its does matter how much you mean it, but any amount of prejudice does harm.
Yes, you're right. It's high time someone blew the whistle on all the silly prattle about revamping our language to suit the purposes of certain political fanatics.
The word gay is an interesting example mainly because it originally meant happy or carefree then also meant homosexual and now also means stupid/dumb (for some people).
That's overly simplistic. It overlooks two relevant facts.
1) I use your words to judge what you think, or how you might act. I can reasonably expect people who use certain words in grossly inappropriate circumstances (context is important) to be a threat to me or my aims.
2) For people with a living memory of oppression or injustice, words associated with those events are not simply neutral -- they're highly charged. It's not that the words "nigger" or "faggot" are somehow offensive in their glyphs. It's that there are people who are alive who have been humiliated or injured while having to listen to these words.
Now, none of this should be viewed as a defense of people who freak out at the slightest mention of an objectionable word, or people who want to ban any possibly offensive speech.
It's true that choosing not to be offended is easier to control than forcing everyone else not to offend you, but this "they're just words" argument is hollow.
Words are the result of intentional speech or writing actions. On hearing or reading words that we attribute to a conscious speaker or writer, we're naturally interested in their intentions, and possible future actions.
You make some interesting points, but the biggest casualty in "being offended" is comedy.
In this case it was being used in a comedic tone, as is most often the case. Some people just see the word, and not the context/back story, and assume it's offensive.
If the joke is just being rude for the sake of shocking the audience, then yes, that's cheap humor. What about satire though. There's some classic comedy that was 'offensive' to people who had no idea what the joke was.
For instance the Brasseye pedophilia special is some of the funniest, cleverest TV ever.
How many people who have no problem with homosexuality still use "gay" as a derogatory term: "Oh man, that's so gay."
If they were raised in the US or Canada in the last 30 years, it's just probably something they heard in the school-yard and now don't examine at all.
I've said such things, and the subsequent introspection has given me a new insight into those old fogies who say things like "Nigger brown", without meaning to be racist.
They were socialized in a racist culture, and although their individual views may be different, they can't fully shake the legacy.