R-word - I felt like such a ###### - Ad Discussion

[ShaolinFlame]

Originally Posted by fotze

Hopefully someday the phrase "hands down" will be an insult to doggy-stylers and that phrase will go the way of the ######.

I scrolled through all this thread just to see your inevitable joke.

Although I did laugh, I still you think you could have done better Fotze.

[Schultzie]

What a ######ed ad.

[Canuck-Hater]

Originally Posted by flip

Wow. They just reduced themselves to PETA like status in my books. ###### by definition means slow. If they would stop promoting it as an offensive word, it wouldn't be a problem. Makes me want to be less tolerant out of spite.

Are they offended when French people say they are late and use the phrase En ######?

Agreed. The context is what makes it offensive. Calling one of your buddies a ###### in good fun is completely different than calling someone with Downs Syndrome a ######.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by Canuck-Hater

Agreed. The context is what makes it offensive. Calling one of your buddies a ###### in good fun is completely different than calling someone with Downs Syndrome a ######.

Not picking on you personally here, Canuck-Hater, but your post is what made me think enough to decide to jump into the thread.

I think what makes re-tard more offensive than N****r, S**c, Ch**k, P**i, etc etc etc is that a "re-tard" is actually a disabled individual whereas all those other terms are just really a geographical reference turned into a diss.

So...Re-tard, imo, is more offensive than even the N-bomb.

[FireFly]

This is why I've decided to call everything white. About to call something ######ed? Just call it white. About to call it ghey? Call it white. White is about the only thing you can say without anyone getting offended because white people aren't allowed to get offended unless they're gay or ######ed.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Not picking on you personally here, Canuck-Hater, but your post is what made me think enough to decide to jump into the thread.

I think what makes re-tard more offensive than N****r, S**c, Ch**k, P**i, etc etc etc is that a "re-tard" is actually a disabled individual whereas all those other terms are just really a geographical reference turned into a diss.

So...Re-tard, imo, is more offensive than even the N-bomb.

Not necessarily. To ###### something is to hamper it's progress. Something ######ed is slow.

When I call something ######ed, it's because it's stupid or slow. It's not a mock of mentally challenged people, who may also be ######ed, but through no fault of their own. It's just like when I call something gay, I don't mean it's homosexual, I'm using the original meaning of the word gay in a sarcastic manner. However, gay people (not all of them however,) have decided that this is slandering them. Is it? Is that the intent? No it isn't, that's the intent THEY gave it.

But then perception is reality for those who are the perceivers.

[Antithesis]

I get the message and all ... but I wish it could have been delivered in a more positive way rather than in this ad which is clearly designed to just shock people. Seems kind of Howard Stern-ish to me.

[Antithesis]

Originally Posted by FireFly

It's just like when I call something gay, I don't mean it's homosexual, I'm using the original meaning of the word gay in a sarcastic manner.

I'm just curious - and not trying to 'catch' you in anything or act like an intellectual superior, but what do you mean by 'original meaning' ... like 'happy, full of glee'?

Maybe I'm overly sensitive being a white male, but I do have many gay friends and I absolutely can't stand when the word gay is used as a synonym for stupid ... though that might be because I hear it used by teenagers hundreds of times a week ...

"This assignment is gay."

"We have to go outside for lunch? That's gay."

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

I'm just curious - and not trying to 'catch' you in anything or act like an intellectual superior, but what do you mean by 'original meaning' ... like 'happy, full of glee'?

Maybe I'm overly sensitive being a white male, but I do have many gay friends and I absolutely can't stand when the word gay is used as a synonym for stupid ... though that might be because I hear it used by teenagers hundreds of times a week ...

"This assignment is gay."

"We have to go outside for lunch? That's gay."

That would be it. No one ever thinks of that, however, they're always, "OMG, you can't say that! Gay people will be offended!" (As a side note, it irritates me that my gay roommate calls things lesbian in protest. He doesn't get it either.)

[Antithesis]

Ah, gotcha. "Gay=stupid" is one of my pet peeves, again, probably 'cause I hear it from my intellectual superiors (don't you know people reach the height of the intellectual prowess at 14) many, many times a week ...

[Circa89]

I had this debate years ago with my friend that I discussed here once. I understand that term oriental is passe and often considered verging on inflamitory but for the life of me I can't understand why. Oriental would mean originating from the EAST. How is that offensive in anyway? Oriental rugs is offensive? Why do we refer to someone from SE Asia as Asian, oriental used to work fine. My point is someone from Tibet is Asian, Bangladesh is Asian, Afganistan is Asian ...heck even Nik Antropov is an Asian.

[KTrain]

A couple more ads. The image on the last one is worse than the first two. It really detracts from the message.

[fatso]

Originally Posted by FireFly

Not necessarily. To ###### something is to hamper it's progress. Something ######ed is slow.

When I call something ######ed, it's because it's stupid or slow. It's not a mock of mentally challenged people, who may also be ######ed, but through no fault of their own. It's just like when I call something gay, I don't mean it's homosexual, I'm using the original meaning of the word gay in a sarcastic manner. However, gay people (not all of them however,) have decided that this is slandering them. Is it? Is that the intent? No it isn't, that's the intent THEY gave it.

But then perception is reality for those who are the perceivers.

You have got to be kidding me. You can't really think it's only the perceiver who bears responsibility for perpetuating stereotypes. THat is such a total cop-out.

Let me give you two examples.

The car's progress through the intersection was ######ed due to construction.

Firefly is such a ######.

Are you telling me the use of the word '######' in each phrase has the same meaning and that both can only be offensive insofar as they are perceived by a listener? The speaker of each sentence bears no responsibility for their language usage?

By the way, your post on 'white' was probably the whitest thing i've ever read.

[fatso]

"jew him down"? You know, I don't think I've ever heard that before. I get it and all, but I can't recall ever hearing it. And "tar baby"? Is this the 19th century?

[FlamesKickAss]

That pink picture is the creepiest one yet. The ads are ridiculous

[mikey_the_redneck]

What a bunch of watered down pansies!
This thread is gay and ######ed.

I'm tired of people sitting around waiting to be offended by something. What happened to good ol' free speech?

People have called me lots of names over the years, like a white trash honky or a midget or whatever. I don't cry about how I was offended.

No matter what someone wants to call me, I suck it up and realize that I don't need approval or validation from someone else, and that their words don't hold any power over me.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by fatso

You have got to be kidding me. You can't really think it's only the perceiver who bears responsibility for perpetuating stereotypes. THat is such a total cop-out.

Never said that, did I? I said perception is reality for those who are perceiving it. I also never said anything about stereotypes. But let me ask you this: when a mentally challenged person is BY DEFINITION, ######ed, is that a stereotype?

Let me give you two examples.

The car's progress through the intersection was ######ed due to construction.

Firefly is such a ######.

So I'm confused here. In calling me a ###### are you insulting me, or ######ed people? I'm fairly certain here you're trying to insult me, so why would someone who is by definition ######ed be offended by that? It wasn't directed at them.

Are you telling me the use of the word '######' in each phrase has the same meaning and that both can only be offensive insofar as they are perceived by a listener? The speaker of each sentence bears no responsibility for their language usage?

What I'm saying is why do the mentally challenged feel the need to take offense at things that aren't directed at them? Oh wait, I don't even think it's the mentally challenged people who are taking offense, I think it's the people around them who do so.

By the way, your post on 'white' was probably the whitest thing i've ever read.

Glad to see you get it.

[fatso]

Originally Posted by FireFly

So I'm confused here. In calling me a ###### are you insulting me, or ######ed people? I'm fairly certain here you're trying to insult me, so why would someone who is by definition ######ed be offended by that? It wasn't directed at them.

It seems to me though you're proving my point.

The word '######' has many uses no doubt. My car example strikes me as an 'acceptable' use of the word... slow, impeded, etc.

But is it not also the case that '######' is used to insult people? You've clearly picked up that was my intention in making that statement. And why is it an insult? Because it means simply "slow, impeded, etc."? Or because it means something more? I'd say it can mean something more...
it can only be an insult because ######s are or have been thought to be inferior and less than deserving of the dignity and rights of average citizens. That's precisely how analagous insults work, no? That's what those kinds of insults play off of. And in repeating such innocuous statements the problem people like myself have with them is that they implicitly rely on quiet concepts of discrimination and reinforce that discrimination in a seemingly harmeless manner.

[Gozer]

Originally Posted by fatso

I'd say it can mean something more...
it can only be an insult because ######s are or have been thought to be inferior and less than deserving of the dignity and rights of average citizens.

Will that sentiment cease to exist if we all promise to not use a certain word?

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by fatso

It seems to me though you're proving my point.

The word '######' has many uses no doubt. My car example strikes me as an 'acceptable' use of the word... slow, impeded, etc.

But is it not also the case that '######' is used to insult people? You've clearly picked up that was my intention in making that statement. And why is it an insult? Because it means simply "slow, impeded, etc."? Or because it means something more? I'd say it can mean something more...
it can only be an insult because ######s are or have been thought to be inferior and less than deserving of the dignity and rights of average citizens. That's precisely how analagous insults work, no? That's what those kinds of insults play off of. And in repeating such innocuous statements the problem people like myself have with them is that they implicitly rely on quiet concepts of discrimination and reinforce that discrimination in a seemingly harmeless manner.

Here's the thing though. If we're saying using the word "######" in talking with friends (ie. "you're a ######!") is offensive to people with disabilities, is that not admitting that the actual word "######" is used to label people with disabilities? Shouldn't they be trying to distance themselves from the word altogether, rather than giving in and be insulted by people who use it? I dunno, that's just my two cents.