Things that make you go GRRRRR.... (Part 2)

The latter. You're not going to jump on the fact I've used the term for a homosexual in a negative way are you?

That's what I thought but apparently not. They'll do rats for free but anything else is at a "competitive price." Would really think rent covers solving pest problems
 
We kind of are. Sorry, nothing against you or anything, but it's not OK. It normalises prejudice.
 
Actually I'd argue forbidding the use of words is what leads to them being so offensive as they become increasingly taboo. If everyone said the bad C word all the time it wouldn't be anywhere near as offensive to women as it is now. I'll edit it out though

edit: actually I won't since that undermines my point. If a mod wants to edit it out then cool.
 
fair enough. It's not by the way- the words occupy a 'negative semantic space' and over time become derogatory because of ingrained attitudes towards the group that's being discriminated against. The only way to halt the process is to challenge it. See? I knew studying english language would be useful for something
 
Heh I'm studying English and we never got told that. You're right but then its linked with my point. If a word is used to discriminate a group it becomes derogatory as you say, but then if that group accepts the word and uses it themselves possibly while encouraging everyone who doesn't discriminate against thme to use it too it loses all its power to be used offensively.
 
English language- it's a different subject involving in-depth analysis of semantics and stuff like that. You'd think that if a word became 'de rigeur' it would lose its offensive powers, but that ignores the influences of other groups and linguistic issues such as tokenism and 'in group' language. The use of gay as an offensive word in an 'in group' encourages discrimination, rather than discourages it. It's rather like the use of the 'N word'. In fact there are two "N-words". One is a subspecies used by blacks as in-group identification and reinforcement of masculine social bonding. The other is used by whites as an offensive term, and it does matter whose mouth it comes out of.
 
Yeah I'm doing a joint language/literature course. Interesting point. When I was writing my last post I ddi think that the use of the n word by certain black cultures hasn't really destroyed its offensiveness at all.
 
Actually, the "in-group identification" isn't always a positive reinforcement or social bonding experience. Sometimes, it's used to imply or exert social or interpersonal dominance. I have to agree on the point of feeding a word too much power by stigmatizing it. It's like the convo going on in the sex thread where trying to stigmitize something only makes it that much more appealing.
 
grrr random muscle spasm that made my back seize up for a few seconds. not sure if it was intercostals or rhomboids...
 
The utter stupidity circulating the net about the riots and who's going to do what to whom.
 
Disagree, sorry.

It's ok to use the word but not in a derogatory way, IMO. To put it in perspective:

How would it be if we used the word 'black' or 'short' as metaphors for being negative, inappropriate, or otherwise crappy?

'This computer's black. It won't work at all.'

'Stop being short and learn to take a joke'.

We would be enforcing the idea that being black or short was a bad thing. In a world where gay kids have ended up committing suicide due to nonstop abuse, we don't need this.
 
Interesting examples. My idea might of worked better for words like fag that are only used as a derogative rather than words that are actual descriptions.
 
[Begin inchorerant rant]

In my opinion, it depends on the context and situation in which you use a word. And example is the word "gay". The word has two definitions (feel free to correct me if this is wrong).

1. In relation to a persons sexual orientation. Gay = Homosexual

2. Gay meaning happy.

Now, like I said, it depends on how you use the word. If you use the aforementioned word to respectfully describe a persons sexual orientation, then I could care less.

However, if you curse at someone, and call them gay as a means in form of insult, then that means you are implying alerting negative to homosexual people (hence the insult).

Also calling a defective gear gay is considered offensive, as you are implying that homosexual people are defective (comparing a defective device to homosexual person).

So really, you just shouldn't say those words with negative intent.

Just in my humble opinion.

[End inchorarent rant]
 
Couldn't care less. If you could care less then that means you obviously do care about it to some extent. Sorry, that's a really big pet hate of mine and since we're discussing language I may as well take the opportunity

You're right though and as I said in reply to corona my arguement that its better to sue these words only works for those which aren't normal adjectives used for day to day description.
 
interestingly enough: in order to completely eliminate that sort of offensive language, you would have to purge a huge amount of insult/swearing vocabulary. for example all of the terms that mean someone of low intelligence (dumb, stupid, idiotic, moronic, etc). of course someone can be offended if you suggest that they are of low intelligence, but i for example can and will call anything "stupid" as a matter of habit. then there's for example the issue of the term "retarded", which is used as an insult whereas it is an actual term to refer to people who are, coincidentally, mentally retarded.

new thread on the nature of insults and swearing?
 
Like it or not, the word gay means homosexual. Using a word that means homosexual to mean crappy or not working properly is putting out the idea that homosexual = wrong.
 
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