Looking For Things To Offend Us

danny_bhoy

danny_bhoy

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Ok it's Monday, I'm working my 18th day in a row and I'm in a grump.....but here's the issue:

These days, do you feel that people in general are just looking for things to be offended by and therefore complain about?

Here's an example from the BBC today: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-28522450

Now I'm no fan of Jeremy Clarkson, or any form of discrimination for that matter, but because two people made a complaint about a misused word the BBC have felt the urge to make a grovelling apology.

Why, as a whole, are we so offended by words? Take a step back for a moment, they're only words! There is no place in society for actual discrimination that causes harm or even disadvantage to anyone, but a do you get the feeling that the Politically Correct brigade have really stepped it up in recent times?!

We, in general, are now a populous of overly sensitive whingers and complainers. The aforementioned people need to spend a fortnight in Gaza, Syria or the Ukraine and get a dose of what discrimination really is.
 
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Yes....there are too many people out there that either get offended far to easily and their parents need a slap for raising thin skinned annoyance, or that look to be offended just so as you rightly point out they can make a complaint

I'm sick to death with dealing with both types
 
Im also sick of the people that feel the need to get offended on behalf of others, whether the 'victim' is offended or not.

if I see someone having a go at someone eles unecessarily, I may say something, but some take it to real extremes.
 
Most definitely, yes.
 
Call me politically correct if you will, but that language is crossing the line.

ETA - this should be directed at ST4
 
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Plenty of it goes on in this very forum. Does my head in.

In the shop once someone felt the need to be offended when I referred to myself as special having forgotten to bring the till keys down with me to open the till. Oddly enough I wasn't offended by myself.
 
robhooley167 said:
Call me politically correct if you will, but that language is crossing the line.
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Are you referring to the BBC article Rob? If so, I'm genuinly interested to know why you feel that way? That's not me saying you should or shouldn't be offended by it, I'm honestly interested to know.

The guy he was making light of in the episode had no idea that Clarkson had said it and even if he did, I'm pretty confident that he wouldn't have given two hoots (this is based on the fact that being easily offended seems to be a very British trait).
 
No, sorry, I should have quoted ST4 but my connection is a bit iffy here.

I'm not overly bothered by Clarksons language in this case.
 
I heard about this a month or so ago.
I had no idea that slope had racial connotations, and I bet there are millions of others like me also.
All this story has done is Given Clarkson loads of free press, and many others a
supposed racial slur to use.
It seems the origins lead back to the Vietnam war,
Also referred to as "Charlie"

danny_bhoy said:
, I'm pretty confident that he wouldn't have given two hoots (this is based on the fact that being easily offended seems to be a very British trait).
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So this is a seemly innocent saying, that has been around for a lot of years.
The same source (Urban dictionary) that quotes Slope as racial comment,
quotes hoots as
Marijuana is sometimes referred to as "hoots." Having a "hoot" is also the same as ... Do you have any hoots? ... Meaning dumb, Whack, stupid, gay, etc.
I guess there are also a couple of insults in there, not least homophobic?

Lets face it there are far too many people willing to be out raged on someone elses behalf these day.
"PC" at its finest No?

Edit I also looked up the word "Mong" and one definition
From Old English gemong (“mingling”) (whence Modern English among)
Where will it all end?
 
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Cobra said:
I heard about this a month or so ago.
I had no idea that slope had racial connotations, and I bet there are millions of others like me also.
All this story has done is Given Clarkson loads of free press, and many others a
supposed racial slur to use.
It seems the origins lead back to the Vietnam war,
Also referred to as "Charlie"



So this is a seemly innocent saying, that has been around for a lot of years.
The same source (Urban dictionary) that quotes Slope as racial comment,
quotes hoots as
Marijuana is sometimes referred to as "hoots." Having a "hoot" is also the same as ... Do you have any hoots? ... Meaning dumb, Whack, stupid, gay, etc.
I guess there are also a couple of insults in there, not least homophobic?

Lets face it there are far too many people willing to be out raged on someone elses behalf these day.
"PC" at its finest No?

Edit I also looked up the word "Mong" and one definition
From Old English gemong (“mingling”) (whence Modern English among)
Where will it all end?
Click to expand...

Aaahh I always assumed that hoots had some sort of 'Owl' origins for some reason.

Well, well.........you live, learn and get more inadvertently offensive by the day eh :)
 
Cobra said:
Its a PC mine field ;)
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I'm deeply offended by your use of the term "PC" I feel it discriminates against people who use other computing equipment such as Mac - I demand you disembowel yourself by way of apology imediately :lol:
 
big soft moose said:
I'm deeply offended by your use of the term "PC" I feel it discriminates against people who use other computing equipment such as Mac - I demand you disembowel yourself by way of apology imediately :LOL:
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And there we have it case proven I believe? ;)
 
Cobra said:
Its a PC mine field ;)
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I have a friend who is a policeman and your remark deeply offends me on his, and all PCs behalf. Oh, and in case I offer offence to the distaff side I'm offended on behalf of all WPCs as well.

Hmmmm…I'm not sure I've covered all bases there.
 
We are fast being denied the right not to be outraged! There's a whole industry driving it!

Having said that, I was complained about myself last week, but I sympathise with @robhooley167 that this thread shouldn't become an excuse for 'absolutely anything goes'! Even though words have no permanent power - as I said in the other Tetchy thread.

Of course, context and intent is everything. Last week we were at "Words and Wickets" which is a festival of cricket and literature. One of the players/speakers was the comedian Mark Steel. I don't think many people would call him a racist, but for one story he was mimicking the patois of teenaged, South London black cricketers and everybody laughed along at the accuracy of the joke! Clarkson can't have the same freedom because of his perceived position. Someone would choose to take huge offence if he told the same story! Bet it wouldn't be a cricketing black kid from South London!

FWIW, the slope on the bridge line was a clever little in-joke and so subtle it whooshed straight past me ... and I say that as someone who spends his time desperately looking for the funny side in everything to laugh at it rather than looking for the offence to complain about!
 
I saw that episode and I've heard the term "slope" before in regards to Asians. To be honest I had a good giggle, not because I am racist. Not once did I think about ringing the BBC to complain. People get too easily offended about anything nowadays and it's more than just pathetic.

Edit. There was a similar complaint about Peppa Pig where someone complained that they heard the F word when it was actually "rocking" that was said. Oh and they also had to make a changes to a few episodes because someone complained that Peppa wasn't wearing a helmet on her bike. :banghead:
 
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remember the One show when clarksons comments about taking strikers families outside was completely taken out of context?
two people complained after the show, next day after the youtube clip (shortened to show just the clip out of context) they had over 100, which is when the media got involved and then they had over 10,000.

The internet, making it easy to type 'I'm appalled...' whereas before if they had to write a letter, walk to post it, they wouldn't have bothered.
 
As eminem says

" you find me offensive ? , I find you offensive for finding me offensive ! "
 
Cobra said:
I heard about this a month or so ago.
I had no idea that slope had racial connotations, and I bet there are millions of others like me also.
All this story has done is Given Clarkson loads of free press, and many others a
supposed racial slur to use.
It seems the origins lead back to the Vietnam war,
Also referred to as "Charlie"

So this is a seemly innocent saying, that has been around for a lot of years.
Click to expand...

Yip. 'Slope' was a derogatory expression for Vietnamese people in general, not just the enemy, during the war. 'Charlie' comes from Vietcong, aka VC, aka Victor Charlie in the phonetic alphabet used for military radiocoms.
 
MartynK said:
Yip. 'Slope' was a derogatory expression for Vietnamese people in general, not just the enemy, during the war. 'Charlie' comes from Vietcong, aka VC, aka Victor Charlie in the phonetic alphabet used for military radiocoms.
Click to expand...

indeed - slopes , dinks, gooks - the murricans had a way with words. Mind you as it was slang for Vietnamese, Clarkson wasn't being offensive just being inaccuarate (as he was in Burma/Myanmar at the time)
 
Oh dear, what do I substitute slope with at work? I believe black and white photography is now also termed as racist. Monty Python or Blackadder would be totally illegal. This is INSULTING to me!!!

I wonder how long I would last on BBC. I sort of want to give it a go!
 
Language is the essence of your sense of self, who you are. If there was no language or society then theres a very real likelihood there would be no way to define who you are. The ability to understand others and to see how the react to you and the language we use is fundamental in how we feel about ourselves and others too. Derogatroy language a powerful tool used to separate us from others to give us a sense of superiority. If, as I do, feel that language holds such power then you really

Personal I though slope was grossly offensive, perhaps its my gage but it was and is a very derogatory term used to define those from the east asia
big soft moose said:
indeed - slopes , dinks, gooks - the murricans had a way with words. Mind you as it was slang for Vietnamese, Clarkson wasn't being offensive just being inaccuarate (as he was in Burma/Myanmar at the time)
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Except of course it is not just a slang for the Vietnamese and Clarkson new exactly what he was doing at the time. Pretty much as he did at the N tape that surfaced a few months ago
 
jakeblu said:
Language is the essence of your sense of self, who you are. If there was no language or society then theres a very real likelihood there would be no way to define who you are. The ability to understand others and to see how the react to you and the language we use is fundamental in how we feel about ourselves and others too. Derogatroy language a powerful tool used to separate us from others to give us a sense of superiority. If, as I do, feel that language holds such power then you really

Personal I though slope was grossly offensive, perhaps its my gage but it was and is a very derogatory term used to define those from the east asia

Except of course it is not just a slang for the Vietnamese and Clarkson new exactly what he was doing at the time. Pretty much as he did at the N tape that surfaced a few months ago
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isn't it - I thought we just established it came from the american war in vietnam - which wasn't fought in myanmar.

Also clarkson is speaking from a script - so its more the script writers who are to 'blame' - inasmucvh as anyone is
 
big soft moose said:
I'm deeply offended by your use of the term "PC" I feel it discriminates against people who use other computing equipment such as Mac - I demand you disembowel yourself by way of apology imediately :LOL:
Click to expand...
Yeah because I have read numerous studies on pc users being subject to derogatory language and how that helps them to construct an identity that is seen as being inferior, oh wait no, Ive never read such a paper, unlike the ones I have read about derogatory language and people of a different ethnicity.

Do you know why we use derogatory language to other nations/races, it helps ease the conscience when we're sticking the boot in. I would like to add metaphorically of course, except that's not always the case is it.
 
big soft moose said:
isn't it - I thought we just established it came from the american war in vietnam - which wasn't fought in myanmar.

Also clarkson is speaking from a script - so its more the script writers who are to 'blame' - inasmucvh as anyone is
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Slope
 
Oh good, thanks for the link. Having read that now I can really be offended by being called a sassenach.
 
How about this. Would society as a whole crumble into anarchy and chaos if, wait for it, everyone was just allowed to say what they liked.

Nobody will die, get injured or even graze their knee because of being called a name.

Of course, discriminatory action completely different. But my original point was people being offended by words.

Maybe I'm just being overly simplistic and not seeing the bigger picture, if there is one. On the other hand I might be spot on. Who knows.
 
CaveDweller said:
Edit. There was a similar complaint about Peppa Pig where someone complained that they heard the F word when it was actually "rocking" that was said. Oh and they also had to make a changes to a few episodes because someone complained that Peppa wasn't wearing a helmet on her bike. :banghead:
Click to expand...

I just find Peppa Pig offensive, end of!
 
chadders said:
Oh good, thanks for the link. Having read that now I can really be offended by being called a sassenach.
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It's not the offence that's the problem, I'm an aging bald fatty and your quite welcome to offend me at will. It means nothing there's no historical context, they're not words that have been used to subjugate whole groups of people by rendering them 2nd class citizens, in living memory I might add. Derogatory terms of different races are used because it makes it easier to behave towards them in a manner we wouldn't dream of. Many nations have branded others with terms such as subhuman, just a word but one that has helped to facilitate some of the worst crimes against humanity often perpetrated by ordinary people.
 
Please tell me that "Cheese eating surrender monkeys" is still ok when referring to the French :-)
 
Are the people these "derogatory" terms aimed at insulted? We have a Chinese takeaway near us and the owner quite happily wears a t-shirt with "The Slinky Chinky" on it. Also my boss was asked advice by a Pakistani on owning and keeping a Rottweiler as he wanted to be know as "The Paki with the Rotty"
 
jakeblu said:
It's not the offence that's the problem, I'm an aging bald fatty and your quite welcome to offend me at will. It means nothing there's no historical context, they're not words that have been used to subjugate whole groups of people by rendering them 2nd class citizens, in living memory I might add. Derogatory terms of different races are used because it makes it easier to behave towards them in a manner we wouldn't dream of. Many nations have branded others with terms such as subhuman, just a word but one that has helped to facilitate some of the worst crimes against humanity often perpetrated by ordinary people.
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You sound like the type of guy the OP might have had in mind when he started this thread. Apologies to him if that's not the case.
 
chadders said:
You sound like the type of guy the OP might have had in mind when he started this thread. Apologies to him if that's not the case.
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:yawn:
 
MartynK said:
Yip. 'Slope' was a derogatory expression for Vietnamese people in general, not just the enemy, during the war. 'Charlie' comes from Vietcong, aka VC, aka Victor Charlie in the phonetic alphabet used for military radiocoms.
Click to expand...
strumstrum said:
I am 42 and in my childhood the bad words/phases were slope,darkie,indian giver,honky and jew'd, I cannot say I have heard them used that much if at all past the 80s
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I'm quite a bit older than David, and truely have never heard of most of these words, until the Clarkson thing over a month ago

STOP PRESS
Sorry guys, (in a non gender or racial sense)
CHRISTMAS is CANCELLED this year.
Santa went on strike over the fact that he is no longer allowed to say

"HO-HO-HO"

Apparently some Spanish / Hispanic speaking "girls" were being offended,
He called for 3 and then refused to pay. :(
 
Political correctness has gone mental. People go to court for calling someone a name?! I was teased as a kid for being fat. It wasnt my fault I was on lots of steriods but I got over it. People need thicker skin (hope that's not offending elephants or anything).
 
viv1969 said:
Please tell me that "Cheese eating surrender monkeys" is still ok when referring to the French :-)
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Well, they are our natural enemies, but as I love France and spend some time there, I guess it'll be ok to insult Parisians, who I find the rudest people.
 
Byker28i said:
Well, they are our natural enemies, but as I love France and spend some time there, I guess it'll be ok to insult Parisians, who I find the rudest people.
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You'll be English or Welsh then. :sneaky:
 
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