*eyeroll*

[conuly]

"Oh, I can call people and things retarded because my sister is retarded and she uses the word all the time! Heeheehee!

Well, bully for you and your sister. It's still not a nice word to be throwing around.

Cue random interlopers:

"Oh, but you don't know she was using the word to insult people! It's mean of you to assume that! Maybe she said her zipper was retarded! That's not insulting, because zippers can't be insulted!"

Fortunately, I was spared the indignity of having to point out how baseless that statement is. Somebody else did, only to get the "dictionary definiton" of retarded - to have been caused to slow down. "So it totally applies to zippers!"

Because people really talk like that, of course. They don't apply perjorative connotations to those words, it's just me and you and our sick sad minds! Yeah!

Sometimes, I could just... just.... I don't know. But it's not pleasant, anyway.

(And yes, TNT is quite hypocritical for allowing dumb but not retarded. Normally I'd ignore it, but now I'm struck with a nagging feeling that I should complain and see if they'll ban the word dumb as well.)

And now comments are frozen. Because calling people out on their offensive and prejudiced language is wrong.

Comments

[caprinus.livejournal.com]

What are the conuly-approved pejoratives? (no 'r', btw, you ignoramus) Are there any non-offensive ways to forcefully denigrate people when they do or say things that one feels deserve censure, or should we be against insults altogether?

It's something I am struggling with, btw, because I find a well-placed insult an invaluable rhetorical device, and I frequently feel the need for them to cap an argument, especially those which refer to a person's level of cognitive or communicative ability. But maybe that's just because I am a dick? (Ooops -- no offense meant to people with penises and people without them).

No, seriously. I am a careful and deliberate insult-monger. I also see myself as a progressive who is a supporter of equality and the rights of the variously disadvantaged or put-upon members of society. How would you suggest I wean myself off them?

[conuly]

1. Damn, I know there was no r! Because it's from peior. Of course.

2. Well, the point of insulting people is to be offensive. The goal, however, is to insult only the one person, and not entire groups of people.

I prefer to stay away from easy insults altogether, though I do use the word "stupid" a lot more often than I should.... I'm not sure how I do it, though.