You know what I hate?

[conuly]

The phrase "politically correct". People use that phrase when they don't like something. Usually, however, the correct phrase for what they don't like is either closer to polite or to stupid than to "politically correct".

You don't like the name a group has picked for themselves? Calling them a name that they consider offensive isn't being un-PC, it's being rude. Call people what they want to be called. There's no crime in ignorance (does this person prefer "handicapped" or "disabled"? Is he black or African-American?) but when somebody tells you "I prefer this term", it's only polite to use that term. And, of course, some things we can guess are rude. Most people will automatically shy away from "crippled" or "nigger" without even thinking.

What about insults? You're so upset because your favorite insult is now a victim of the so-called PC police? You think that you should be able to say "gay means stupid" and "gyp and jew mean stealing"? Yeah, you need to knock it off. First of all, they're insults, they're rude anyway. Secondly, here's something important. Even though *you* think that you're not actually talking about gays or gypsies or Jews, nobody else knows that. Find a better word, one that doesn't imply that gays are stupid, or Jews and gypsies are thieves and stingy.

Some things derided as "politically correct" really *are* stupid, of course. I am too busy to list them, but I'm sure you can think of some. I still hate the term. Just say "that was stupid" not "OMG! THE PC POLICE ARE HERE!!!!" Please? It'll make you sound a lot less reactionary, and possibly more mature.

Course I can't stop you from saying what you will. I can just rant in my journal.

Comments

[farraige.livejournal.com]

"Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thieft" -- one piece of history, now considered un-PC, is lost.

"eenie, meenie, miney, moe, catch a nigger by his toe" -- yes, we just plough ahead re-making history.

=-=-=-=-=-
my sentiments are not meant to be in favour, or against, PC policies.

[conuly]

Farr, that was originally not even English. Nigger, tiger, nickle, none of those come into the rhyme because originally it was a different word altogether.

[joeymew.livejournal.com]

I bow before your awesome wrath. You ranted the rant I've been wanting to rant for awhile but never found the words for. *applauds you*

[yadfothgildloc.livejournal.com]

I lost all faith in PCness when a freind and I realized that "fucktard" was more PC than "retard."

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Yeah. The whole "anti-PC backlash" is basically just a way for people to say "I want to call blacks niggers, make fun of the cripples, bash the faggots, and otherwise berate bitches and hoes whenever I feel like it."

Anti-PC backlash is an expression of privilege.

--Kynn

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

am I the only person that did not connect 'I got gypped (spelled gipped over here, in Texasland at least) with the gypsies?

or that jew was another term for gip?

otherwise, yes.

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

I didn't make the connection either, and I say "what a gyp" all the time... I don't think anyone thinks about gypsies when they say it, it's a commonplace word. o.O I've never heard of "jew" as a synonym either. Learn something new every day.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

good. I don't feel so silly then.

I always spelt it gip, anyway.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

or is it spelled?

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

I did too, until Word corrected me. And I still didn't make the connection.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

o_O

[davidkevin.livejournal.com]

Hear, hear!

[xydexx.livejournal.com]

Remember the days when political correctness was called "consideration for others?" You know, manners, common courtesy, that kinda thing?

Unfortunately, being rude and offending people is trendy these days. -:(

It explains a lot how folks like Ann Coulter became popular.

[xydexx.livejournal.com]

i.e., the excuses people give that they're "just telling it like it is" or "I'm just saying what everyone else is afraid to say!" (No, everyone else has things like tact.)

[feathered.livejournal.com]

People here spell it "jip." I never really made the connection at all...

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

where do you live?

I spell it gip becasuse jip looked silly.

[feathered.livejournal.com]

Wyoming.

Mind you, I have never actually written it until this conversation, but that is the way it is always spelled in my collection of notes written by jr. high children, so I assumed it was the common spelling.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

Texasland.

in fact, *ahem* ZOMG SNOWING IN HOUSTON AAAH! *ahem*

but yeah, I spell it gip.

[carakarena.livejournal.com]

*applause* I fully concur!

[interactiveleaf.livejournal.com]

"Jew" is not a synonym for "gyp," exactly, but the phrase "to jew down" (on a price, for example) means to haggle someone to the lowest possible price. It's an insult in the way it is used.

And, yes, the phrase "to gyp" means "to cheat" and is a direct reference to gypsies.

[push-the-limits.livejournal.com]

You have to admit, though, it gets very tedious when you have to remember to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas."

At work today a checker got barked at by a customer for saying "Happy Holidays."

"It SHOULD be Merry Christmas," she said. Yikes. How the hell are we supposed to know what people prefer, when we spend all of 5 minutes with them, and deal with about 300 them a day?

Up here, they've even changed street signs and mountain names. "Squaw Creek Road" was changed to "Council Springs Road" a few years ago.

[conuly]

It's no more tedious to remember that than it is to remember to say "fine" when people ask you how you are... incidentally, don't ever ask me how I am. You'll be met with silence for a few seconds, and it's all very embarassing.

[conuly]

No problem.

[conuly]

Both.

Spelt is also a type of wheat, if you're curious.

[conuly]

I'll certainly agree that the word's taken on a life of its own, but Christmas really isn't the time for me to rant about kids dressing up as gypsies for Halloween (but not asians or blacks or even native americans anymore).