Quote:
Originally Posted by GGG
If you're retarted your ######ed. It's not the medical term but it describes the person pretty well they are ######ed mentally compared with the average person just like fat.
If a kid uses it as an insult on the playground it probably is a hurtful word and should be used carefully. If as language evolves "plus sized" becomes an insult at that point we can move on from it. It is not about being PC. It is about being considerate.
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I disagree.
Firstly, "######ed" is actually considered a universally offensive term for someone who is mentally handicapped. "Fat" isn't. Fat is a real, still currently used term not deemed universally offensive. Consider the definitions for both:
Quote:
Fat
adjective
adjective: fat; comparative adjective: fatter; superlative adjective: fattest
1.
(of a person or animal) having a large amount of excess flesh.
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Quote:
######ed
adjective
adjective: ######ed
dated offensive
less advanced in mental, physical, or social development than is usual for one's age.
informal offensive
very foolish or stupid.
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Note that "######ed" is actually defined as offensive, which makes it yet another in a string of false equivalence.
Maybe the simple dictionary definition does not speak well enough for the real world application for you. That's fine. As I said, I find the term to be, at worst, insensitive. Some fat people have no problem calling themselves fat, others prefer overweight, or simply suggesting they have weight issues. That's fine too.
Kids use plenty of things as insults. The issue is when a phrase is offensive at a base-level or when people are simply offended by it, because in one scenario, it's an issue with the word or phrase, in the other, it's an issue with it's use in the situation.
Trust me, I can use "overweight" or "plus sized" or "plump" or "big" with the exact same effectiveness as an insult as "fat." The word isn't the issue, it's the intent and the audience.
I do believe Wal-Mart probably screwed up given the variable audience and scenario, but I disagree with any notion that "fat" is offensive at a base-level or that it's even nearly equivalent to "######" or "redskin" or the N word.
I also find it a bit frustrating when people suggest a remark about the current (changeable) state of one's body is even remotely equivalent to a remark about the way one is born (unchangeable). But oh well.