Pop Star racism!

[Ketaru]

Re: Pop Star racism!

If we want to talk about changes in words to evade negative meanings, "idiot" used to be the technical term for a person with mental retardation. But you wouldn't go around calling a convention of mentally retarded folk a "convention of idiots." That would be less than shrewd. And my suspicion is that nobody would buy it if you said you were simply saying it from an objective standpoint.

[DakAttack]

Re: Pop Star racism!

How did such a gay topic make everybody so retarded?

[Ufgt]

Re: Pop Star racism!

I always like to point to this article when the discussions about the usage of the word "gay" pops up:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article671972.ece

Yes, it's from 2006. Yes, it's from the BBC. But, I think it's a fair assessment of the word. Like all words, the INTENT must be analyzed and the word gay has once again evolved to take on a completely different meaning.

[Ketaru]

Re: Pop Star racism!

When I call someone "retarded", I'm calling them slow, making the claim that their brain isn't working as fast as it should be. Because, and this is the kicker, that's what the word means. So if you do something stupid and I call you retarded...that's actually a very accurate term to use. The kicker is that I know of many mentally handicapped, developmentally retarded (aka they develop slower then the average person) people who are very smart while people with "fully functional" brains can be down right moronic

Ah yes, "retarded" does in fact mean that their mind does not function as fast. But we can play the euphemism treadmill game to the ends of time. If this world was a perfect place, everybody would be given the respect they are due. But this is not a perfect world so to vainly combat substandard use of words, the politically correct people...use a substandard use of words!

Gay was a term long before it was used as a label for certain people.

Surprise of all surprises, words change over time. When somebody calls a math test retarded, I don't think they actually mean that the math test is a mentally disabled person. We made up words like "ridiculous" or "difficult" or "undesirable" strictly for these purposes. Maybe people should...use them?

Political Correctness just adds to the problem.

And political incorrectness makes it all better? You may think you take the high ground, saying you merely call it whatever it is. Others aren't so virtuous. They are, in fact, using words like "retarded" as insults.

[Ziero]

Re: Pop Star racism!

It really is all about whether you accept that these are still individuals or not.

Gay was a term long before it was used as a label for certain people.

Or better yet, if you call someone "retarded", bear in mind you're also making fun of somebody's son, daughter, nephew, niece, uncle, aunt, cousin, friend, or coworker (yes, some "retarded" people make a living too).

When I call someone "retarded", I'm calling them slow, making the claim that their brain isn't working as fast as it should be. Because, and this is the kicker, that's what the word means. So if you do something stupid and I call you retarded...that's actually a very accurate term to use. The kicker is that I know of many mentally handicapped, developmentally retarded (aka they develop slower then the average person) people who are very smart while people with "fully functional" brains can be down right moronic.

Here, in the state of NJ, we recently changed laws such that mentally handicapped persons are no longer referred to as "mentally retarded" in official documents. The new lingo is "intellectually disabled". I can sense some Jersey folks snickering out there, the same ones who wear political incorrectness like it's a badge of honor.

Political Correctness just adds to the problem.

A bit like the N word, It's culturally acceptable to use it if you are of the ethnic grouping it belongs to but if not then if you repeat the word you should burn at the stake.

This is more or less a glaring example of pure and utter racism. It's ok for one group of people to use a word simply because of the color of their skin while another group of people can't? Yea no, it shouldn't work that way. You can't go crying for "equality" while asking for special treatment at the same time, it's one way or the other. But "Political Correctness" does just that, it lets people have their cake and eat it too.

As Feba points out, there's a difference between actual, real, hate filled Racism and simple, innocent ignorance. In this situation, there was no hate, there was no malice, there was no attempt to insult or harm anyone. Thus there is no racism, only ignorance and hyper-sensitivity. Words mean jack squat unless you let them mean something, being too sensitive to perceived insults is just as bad as being too careless in regards to the feelings of others.

[Murphie]

Re: Pop Star racism!

Takes one to know one, after all.

[Feba]

Re: Pop Star racism!

And Murphie knows about the super gay.

[Murphie]

Re: Pop Star racism!

To be fair, rocket launchers are super gay.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Pop Star racism!

Even before I came to accept that I'm something that is not really heterosexual, I've always been rather uncomfortable about people who use words like "gay" or "retarded" to describe something not to their liking. Somehow, it just seemed idiotic and didn't make any sense. We don't go around saying things like "Oh my god, that's so African!" or "That's the most Wiccan shit I've ever seen before!" It really is all about whether you accept that these are still individuals or not.

I've never quite understood it myself, but I just use it as a means of gauging the intelligence of someone I'm dealing with. When something is "gay" or "sucks" and that's the best way someone can express their feelings, I will keep my dealings with them to a minimum, if at all.

Its mostly why I don't play online shooters.

Because everything is gay there. Snipers are gay. Shotguns are gay. Rocket Launchers are gay and so are AK-47s and melee attacks. I guess they just like sodomy, because everywhere you go something gay is happening and i have to be told how gay it is.

[Raydeus]

Re: Pop Star racism!

[Mhurron]

Re: Pop Star racism!

Also in related news, I've seen Japanese students push their eyes together to look like westerners. Again, not to be insulting, these kids at least actually like the foreign students. They just don't see it as offensive.

That's funny, I pull my eyes all slanty so that I get better at working on computers.

[Satori]

Re: Pop Star racism!

I think when it comes to matters of "gay" being used as a negative, I've never really had a problem with it. The way I see it, It depends on how it was used. I'm guilty of using gay as a negative term and being a gay guy myself I have no problem with others using it too. The only time I'd suggest any particular words are bad to use are when they are used in a way to verbally attack a person or groups of people.
A bit like the N word, It's culturally acceptable to use it if you are of the ethnic grouping it belongs to but if not then if you repeat the word you should burn at the stake.

Words are a powerful tool, the right combination/timing/occasion can have the biggest impact on people. So many famous phrases and speeches throughout history is just evidence that our language is one of the most effective weapons we weild.
In todays world we put too much thought into what words are good or bad usually resulting in strengthening that power we originally gave it.
Combine that with the ever increasing "rights" people are apparently granted and the constant worry over the thought of if somebody will take offence or not. You can't please everybody and everyone has different standards of what is acceptable or not, We'll never avoid things such as this because traditions and customs around the world seem perculiar to others whilst they fascinate others. Etiquette varies worldwide too so there is no standard of "Bad Taste"
Therefore we'll constantly be p*$$ing each other off.

As a nurse if I have a partient that has suffered a stroke, I can be disciplined for using the term "Bad" arm/leg or any other part you want to describe that isn't functioning.
People have too many rights nowadays and it's come to a point where the penpushers higher up and their constant BS regarding being pollitically correct and peoples feelings now prevents me doing my job, I'm meant to be saving lives and caring for people not treading on eggshells wondering if I'm going to face discipline over something trivial that in the grand scheme of things just doesnt matter.
I once had to apologise to a patient who spoke no english at all, I had no way of communicating so to me looking at her she was indian/pakistani "still not sure to this day but even using those two words people can take offence" So I used the little bits of Urdu I had been taught by the hospital for occasions such as this, My hopes were she either knew what I was saying or she'd have a rough idea or maybe the odd word would stand out.
Well it turned out she heard me crystal clear and still took offence, The reason being I was white and I had to apologise. I still to this day can't get my head around why.

[Ketaru]

Re: Pop Star racism!

When will people learn we're not seperate races, We're all the same just we have genetic mutations/variations that are different depending on where in the world people are living and the climate and that is how we adapted to suit the environment.
We laugh at gingers, sexuality even the disabled in some cases. People need to stop labeling things and learn to accept one another as individuals.

Even before I came to accept that I'm something that is not really heterosexual, I've always been rather uncomfortable about people who use words like "gay" or "retarded" to describe something not to their liking. Somehow, it just seemed idiotic and didn't make any sense. We don't go around saying things like "Oh my god, that's so African!" or "That's the most Wiccan shit I've ever seen before!" It really is all about whether you accept that these are still individuals or not.

Or better yet, if you call someone "retarded", bear in mind you're also making fun of somebody's son, daughter, nephew, niece, uncle, aunt, cousin, friend, or coworker (yes, some "retarded" people make a living too).

Here, in the state of NJ, we recently changed laws such that mentally handicapped persons are no longer referred to as "mentally retarded" in official documents. The new lingo is "intellectually disabled". I can sense some Jersey folks snickering out there, the same ones who wear political incorrectness like it's a badge of honor.

[Murphie]

Re: Pop Star racism!

When will people learn we're not seperate races, We're all the same just we have genetic mutations/variations that are different depending on where in the world people are living and the climate and that is how we adapted to suit the environment.
We laugh at gingers, sexuality even the disabled in some cases. People need to stop labeling things and learn to accept one another as individuals.

That's the way I feel about it as well. If anything, culture is really the defining difference in people at this point. It's not like we're a separate species or anything.

[Satori]

Re: Pop Star racism!

When will people learn we're not seperate races, We're all the same just we have genetic mutations/variations that are different depending on where in the world people are living and the climate and that is how we adapted to suit the environment.
We laugh at gingers, sexuality even the disabled in some cases. People need to stop labeling things and learn to accept one another as individuals.

As for the eye thingy chinese and Jp folk eyes seem a different shape when they are the same as everybody elses. The only difference being is they have an extra layer of fat around the eye which gives the almond shape from the eyelid.
^^ Memory not so good but I think that's how the consultant put it when I did my nurse training.