Is Everything Offensive Nowadays?

[Xanderectomy]

While it's true that these words are sometimes used wrongly by people, I think (and the irony of what I'm about to say is not lost on me) that you are overreacting. If someone calls you a racist, then, well, what's the big deal? If it's just a misunderstanding, then just explain what you meant, and it'll be fine. And if the other person doesn't get over it, then, well, that's his/her loss.
I recently used the word "nigger" without thinking, and people were like "dude...", and I said "oops", and that was the end of it. I just don't see the big deal here.

I mean, I sometimes feel like people are just WHINING when they're talking about "misogynistic movie posters" or stuff like that... But if that kind of talk is whining, then complaining about that kind of talk is just as whiny.

Honestly about the misogynistic movie posters i totally agree with you,the whole debacle over the X-Men poster was ridiculous.
Now about the racist thing,honestly u have some of the most open-minded friends because the whole i reason i made this post was because a friend of mine recently got suspended from school for using the word "faggot" in a derogatory way,she wasn't trying to offend anyone and she didn't say it to an actual homosexual person but apparently a bunch of people at my school got massively offended and complained to our principal until action was taken against and honestly i find the entire situation ridiculous.

 

[Xanderectomy]

Another thing that bothers me is how people never discuss abortion either in real life or TV and movies (very rarely at least), we've gone backwards from that point of view. If you watch 80s teen movies you were more likely to have a discussion about it pop up than in a teen film nowadays.

Theres an episode from Bojack Horseman that tackles abortion really well.

 

[Blaze]

Now about the racist thing,honestly u have some of the most open-minded friends because the whole i reason i made this post was because a friend of mine recently got suspended from school for using the word "faggot" in a derogatory way,she wasn't trying to offend anyone and she didn't say it to an actual homosexual person but apparently a bunch of people at my school got massively offended and complained to our principal until action was taken against and honestly i find the entire situation ridiculous.

This goes back to the whole you're entitled to freedom of speech, but you're not protected from the consequences of it. Maybe your friend didn't mean to be offensive, but regardless it is offensive and I think the consequences were appropriate. Gay people have been bullied, beaten up, or killed over that word in the past, a suspension isn't really too much. Same for joking about Hitler, even if you meant it as a joke, you can't really fault people for taking offense when millions of people lost their lives to his regime.

I've been guilty of making stupid jokes in the past too. But when people called me out on it I tend to just apologise and rethink my actions. I understand why jokes about Hitler and terms like faggots are offensive, so it baffles me a bit when people are complaining that everything is offensive now, when they are clearly talking of topics that are very insulting and offensive to a group of people. It's a bit like puting your hand in a Lion's mouth and being surprised that it bites you.

Seems I don't have the most popular opinion in this thread, but I'm glad we live in a world where shitty actions have consequences. Do some people take it too far? Yes, that's bound to happen in our world, but as a whole you should be held accountable for what you do. And if I'm honest as a gay person, if would make me feel a lot more welcome to school if I saw other people get offended at gay slurs, because at my school casual homophobia was completely ignored, and that in itself caused a lot of internalized homophobia. I'm just using that example because I relate to it, but sometimes you just have to think if your words beyond what you perceive them to be, and think of how other people will perceive them.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Odd that a movie poster can be taken seriously, what idiotic person cannot see an advert for what it is, an attempt to sell a product. Don't like what it says, movie companies don't often say the truth. They lie all the time.

There are lots of problems in this world, that is why I like being here, to forget about that stuff.

 

[Xanderectomy]

I've been guilty of making stupid jokes in the past too. But when people called me out on it I tend to just apologise and rethink my actions. I understand why jokes about Hitler and terms like faggots are offensive, so it baffles me a bit when people are complaining that everything is offensive now, when they are clearly talking of topics that are very insulting and offensive to a group of people. It's a bit like puting your hand in a Lion's mouth and being surprised that it bites you.

Seems I don't have the most popular opinion in this thread, but I'm glad we live in a world where shitty actions have consequences. Do some people take it too far? Yes, that's bound to happen in our world, but as a whole you should be held accountable for what you do. And if I'm honest as a gay person, if would make me feel a lot more welcome to school if I saw other people get offended at gay slurs, because at my school casual homophobia was completely ignored, and that in itself caused a lot of internalized homophobia. I'm just using that example because I relate to it, but sometimes you just have to think if your words beyond what you perceive them to be, and think of how other people will perceive them.

Thats where i disagree with you
I think what matters is a person's intentions not what they actually say
If she had gone up to a gay person and said the word "faggot" in a demeaning,insulting manner then that would be homophobic but just saying the word by itself shouldn't be offensive.
I think what matters is the context the word is used in not the actual word.

 

[Blaze]

Thats where i disagree with you
I think what matters is a person's intentions not what they actually say
If she had gone up to a gay person and said the word "faggot" in a demeaning,insulting manner then that would be homophobic but just saying the word by itself shouldn't be offensive.
I think what matters is the context the word is used in not the actual word.

I guess I just have a hard time seeing anyone use the word in a non-demeaning way. Even if it wasn't said to a gay person, using such a word usually has a negative connotation and is used as an insult.

 

[Blaze]

@Mr. Pole I use gay and queer too, but faggot, I have a hard time seeing that one used in a non-negative way. If someone can show me otherwise I won't have a problem with it.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

@Mr. Pole I use gay and queer too, but faggot, I have a hard time seeing that one used in a non-negative way. If someone can show me otherwise I won't have a problem with it.

Well, if I were living in the Great White North where I needed to chop wood for my stove I could see using the word faggot in a non-negative way. Unless you couldn't get your faggots to burn and you cursed them for prolonging the frigid temperatures.

 

[Last Watcher]

@Mr. Pole I use gay and queer too, but faggot, I have a hard time seeing that one used in a non-negative way. If someone can show me otherwise I won't have a problem with it.

Okay, I'm not going to get involved in this discussion but I do have a bit of an issue with this word as in my generation it means either a bundle of sticks for firewood, or a ball of chopped liver to make a meatball! It's another word that has been hijacked to be used as an offensive term. (Like Gay used to mean happy & nothing more)
I realise you can't use these words now, but it saddens me that they never used to have offensive meanings.....

 

[Xanderectomy]

I guess I just have a hard time seeing anyone use the word in a non-demeaning way. Even if it wasn't said to a gay person, using such a word usually has a negative connotation and is used as an insult.

Thats the thing the word faggot is just another generic insult
And yes when its used in a homophobic context it can be very offensive
but most of the times its just that a generic insult.

 

[The Bronze]

There's a whole episode of South Park called The "F" Word that looks into language and the changing meaning of words. Very amusing and food for thought.

 

[VisionBoy]

Language evolves, but to be fair, if someone has spent their life being abused and the word "faggot" is a big part of the verbal part of that abuse, they're more than likely going to be offended by it. What you do with that is up to you, but at the end of the day it's the chance you take.
Now yes, freedom of speech is important, but so is a bit of empathy. Of course we can't always be on high alert 24/7 just on the off chance that we offend someone, but when you're using language which you know full well has connotations that could be offensive, that's the risk you're taking. Now I'm not saying anyone should be punished or whatever just for saying "faggot" (unless they're being straight up antagonistic to someone obviously), but if we want freedom of speech then that includes the response we get.

 

[Fuffy]

The blond girl (wearing a Bill Maher t-shirt!) turned to me and smiled. "We'll get him impeached this year, right?"

As much as I hate Trump, I don't want him impeached either, mainly because of POTUS Mile Pence and VP Paul Ryan...

Off topic:We need more people like you in this world, more people would develop a much needed backbone.

And remember kids. Always, always wear something on your shoulders.

Is Tom Hiddleston an exception ???

Then asked me if I was left wing or right wing. I said I'm somewhere in between and I started to explain some of my right wing positions. But nope, I could see her eyes glaze over and pretty much cut me off and wished me a nice day,

I hate how people expect everyone to choose one extreme of the political spectrum and agree with all of it's policies, that's too extreme 😡

There is nothing wrong with being in between, both sides have their pros and cons 🙂

But I am really worried about some of the coming generation though; all these safe spaces on university campus' doesn't create harmony, it just fosters intolerance for other opinions. People need to toughen up as they get older and realize that other people have a different world view. If you're not exposed to that world view then how on earth can you find any common ground?

I think it's because parents and educators tend to enforce their views on their kids and teach them that any views that isn't 100% alike is wrong and invalid.

As a result, they are not exposed to anything different until they are adults, and that's where the trouble begins...

Like Gay used to mean happy & nothing more

The opposite of gay is sad, not straight 😉

if someone has spent their life being abused and the word "faggot" is a big part of the verbal part of that abuse, they're more than likely going to be offended by it.
Now yes, freedom of speech is important, but so is a bit of empathy. Of course we can't always be on high alert 24/7 just on the off chance that we offend someone, but when you're using language which you know full well has connotations that could be offensive, that's the risk you're taking

Good point, that's the main reason why I've cut back on swearing and don't swear around most people...

 

[Puffy]

it seems like these days no matter what u do ur bound to offend someone.
Thoughts?

No thoughts. Only reality. While I have to work with a lot of different people every day, yeah, everybody has to be very very very carefully. Because in a world of lies, the truth is high treason. You can talk about everything you want (the biggest bullshit doesnt even matter), except the truth. If you do (talk about the truth) you are always attacking someone (direct or indirect). Its always the same. 🙂

 

[thrasherpix]

I can see the left are taking a bit of a kicking here with regards to free speech. No doubt there are some people that identify as left wing who have a very irritating habit of blowing things out of all proportion and appearing professionally offended. Some of these people probably do stand to make some money out of being in the spotlight, so yeah it happens.

Accepting that is the case though I would urge people to take a browse over to the right when it comes to free speech

First, I don't like how many automatically assume anyone who disagrees is part of some radical Left or Right when life is much more complex than that (apparently too complex for many brains to process). I want to make clear I'm not saying you did this, but plenty of others do, and I'm talking about them, not you (or anyone else on this board at this time).

Heck, I was once called a "right wing extremist" by a Clintonista (back in 1999 by someone who loved Bill Clinton and working tirelessly to get Gore elected) and a "leftist looney" by a Rush Limbaugh ditto-head (who took the name "ditto-head" with pride, this isn't me calling him names) within the same month or two for saying about the same thing about individual liberty and the government's right (or lack thereof) to interfere with such unless they can show that it's demonstrably harmful (and thus interfering with the rights of others). As it was so long ago I forget many of the details, the point being was that this conflicted with their personal ideology and thus I was automatically made into a radical member of the opposite side of the political spectrum. It was easier to dismiss me as such than actually deal with my point.

That said, I can think of when the self-proclaimed Right got ridiculous in the same way they complain of Leftist PC. I believe it was Michelle Malkin who started a stink over a Dunkin Donuts commercial regarding a scarf saying it promoted jihad and it spread like wildfire (I think even FOX News promoted this idea). I can't believe enough people took that seriously so that DD pulled the commercial. That's just one example, but one that's easy to explain and something that even some people who don't keep up with politics can remember. (And I'd like to point out that a Republican friend of mine, though he's currently dismayed with his party and has been abstaining from voting for the most part, about banged his head over the brouhaha over that commercial, which he said didn't even qualify as a tempest in a teapot, it was outright hysteria.)

 

[thrasherpix]

I just recalled this comic that made me laugh hard when I first saw it and think it would go perfect in this thread!

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Bloody Mary

 

[thetopher]

I use gay and queer too, but faggot, I have a hard time seeing that one used in a non-negative way.

In Britain 'faggots' is a type of food. You can buy pork faggots in the supermarket.
So you can have actually overhear somebody say 'I'm going to gorge myself on faggots tonight!' or 'Oh, man I hate faggots' and no offense is meant eithger way.
The beauty of the English language (or any language) is the possiblity of misunderstandings. It's also the joy of puns.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

pork faggots in the supermarket.

Holy crap. You could offend three groups of people with that! right on.

 

[vellavu]

Holy crap. You could offend three groups of people with that! right on.

Pardon me but how is supermarket offensive?

 

[Bluebird]

Lol, yeah, when someone says faggots I assume they mean the food. They are like cheap meatballs. I'm not a fan. But outside of weird English food, when people use the word fag or faggot as an insult, I understand what they mean when they say it's become a generic insult. But the fact it is seen as a generic insult is insidious really. Why use a word that was originally used in such a hateful manner? It's like when guys insult each other by calling the other a woman. Because it's seen as lesser, the same way as being called gay is. For something to become a generic insult there has to be a negative connotation attached to being 'a faggot' in the first place, and then I have to ask why?

Saying that, I do like Doug Stanhope and he uses the word a lot. His justification is quite funny.