Quote:
Originally Posted by Hackey
I don't really use it but it's an expression. Anyone who knows the comedian Joey Diaz knows he uses the word as a term of endearment towards his friends. "Whats up C### sucker?" Other people use it to call someone an ahole or a jerk. Some people just yell it as a swear when they are pissed off. I'd say the vast majority of it being used has nothing to do with gay people or even the actual act. I have a good friend who when we pull pranks on him thats what he will call us. People are taking it way too literally. When you call someone a mother f'er you don't literally mean that. Anyways don't need to go down that road. This should be a good game. There's no way the Hawks are going down without a fight.
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I completely agree... all about the context.
However, the issue stems when you are interacting with people that don't understand the context behind your's and your friends' words. Someone with a loose understanding could easily interpret the meaning differently, and that someone could feel that meaning potentially aimed at them.
That's where Andrew Shaw's issue comes. He is on a national stage. People don't know Andrew Shaw. Is he a homophobe? Almost for sure he isn't. This is an expression that is probably ingrained in his head as a token insult after years of being around it tolerated as used in that context in hockey locker rooms and such. When people are angry they don't think clearly about what they are saying and just say the buzz words ingrained in their heads.
This whole topic is really about thinking about those words that are ingrained in our heads and understanding that many have meanings well beyond how they are being used. People can be hurt. A closeted player hears those words being used in an angry context and I can understand why they wouldn't necessarily be comfortable hearing that or associating themselves with a player that finds it reasonable to use a word like that in a hateful way.
Should Andrew Shaw be vilified? I think not. He's a human and understanding the context means he likely was caught in a heated moment on a national stage. In the average person's life they could be accused of the same or worse, but they don't get heard.
I hope this sets an example for the average player to think about their words they have ingrained and hopefully the next time Shaw loses his cool he doesn't choose words that can be interpreted as anything further than emotional blather.