Do you believe political correctness is gone too far?

Biggins

i_love_toast wrote: »

I was once telling a friend while on the bus a story about a homeless man i saw.
On hearing me referring to the man as "homeless" a woman in front of us turned around and said with a snotty look on her face that the proper term these days was "residentially challenged"......
:eek:

:pac:

Daftness!

markesmith

i_love_toast wrote: »

I was once telling a friend while on the bus a story about a homeless man i saw.
On hearing me referring to the man as "homeless" a woman in front of us turned around and said with a snotty look on her face that the proper term these days was "residentially challenged"......
:eek:

Mental! Must have been an estate agent :cool:

AnonoBoy

Ah good old Stewart Lee has some valid points to make on this subject:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGAOCVwLrXo

mikemac

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,
Catch the n****r by the toe.
If it hollers/screams let him go,
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe

At that age I didn't even know what ****** meant. That's what we sang, I'm sure I'm not alone.

A quick look at Wikipedia sees there was a lawsuit

Lawsuit in the United States

Jocular use of a form of the rhyme by a Southwest Airlines flight attendant, encouraging passengers to sit down so the plane could take off, led to a 2003 lawsuit charging the airline with racism. A United States District Court in Kansas City found Southwest not liable in January 2004, a decision that was upheld on appeal.
Two different versions of the rhyme were attested in court:
Eeny meeny miny mo
Please sit down it's time to go
and
Eeny meeny miny mo
Pick a seat, it's time to go
The passengers in question were black people and stated that they were humiliated.[12]

I wonder would somebody in Ireland sue a play school for teaching a rhyme most any child in the 1980's knew

mikemac

I also remember Enid Blython books mentioning gollywogs.

They were a toy, pic here
http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/02/uk_black_representation_in_advertising/img/8.jpg&imgrefurl=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/02/uk_black_representation_in_advertising/html/8.stm&usg=__jYenMKw3DwclxTJKXxWPQtxGzs0=&h=300&w=300&sz=14&hl=en&start=0&sig2=ouUjY-x_7NKbgiayj83IbA&zoom=1&tbnid=vgzgVcMlYpH-7M:&tbnh=159&tbnw=156&ei=cvclTdWIDJKShAeN_PC3Dg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgolliwog%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1920%26bih%3D1080%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=300&oei=cvclTdWIDJKShAeN_PC3Dg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=68&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=79&ty=70

As I understand, books are edited these days

AnonoBoy

feelingstressed wrote: »

A quick look at Wikipedia sees there was a lawsuit

Was the lawsuit successful?

mikemac

led to a 2003 lawsuit charging the airline with racism. A United States District Court in Kansas City found Southwest not liable in January 2004, a decision that was upheld on appeal.

Nope, the lawsuit failed

Common sense, good to see

Snakeblood

feelingstressed wrote: »

At that age I didn't even know what ****** meant. That's what we sang, I'm sure I'm not alone.

A quick look at Wikipedia sees there was a lawsuit




I wonder would somebody in Ireland sue a play school for teaching a rhyme most any child in the 1980's knew

I wouldn't think 'A child from thirty years ago knew this' to be an adequate defence. 30 years ago we knew homosexuals were hellbound and you could always trust a priest.

Cantona's Collars

The Mark Twain topic was discussed on The Last Word this evening,I agreed with the woman being interviewed,Twain used the language of the time to highlight the conditions and treatment of slaves.Some guy was also on advocating the changing of the word ****** to slave as it would help reintroduce Twain into schools.He claimed students were becoming upset at the use of the word and preferred slave.
I never found Huckelberry Finn offensive as the language was appropriate in the telling of the story.Will we change the wording in movies such as Boyz In The Hood or every rap track released?

LionelNashe

Its not political correctness, its just pragmatism to remove the word. How could Mark Twain be used in classrooms where there are black kids in the class if the n-word is in there? Kids are bastards - it would descend into farce.

Spacedog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGAOCVwLrXo

Ridley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0IVuGK7sAw

Ellian

LionelNashe wrote: »

Its not political correctness, its just pragmatism to remove the word. How could Mark Twain be used in classrooms where there are black kids in the class if the n-word is in there? Kids are bastards - it would descend into farce.

Exactly. I was talking to my cousin who teaches in an American high school and she was saying that Huck Finn despite being regarded as one of the top five american novels was rarely taught for precisely the reason that it would descend into farce and in a mixed race school or a school which is predominately black (such as the one she teaches in where she is white) it would take far too long to contextualize the word ******, so it was easier to just skip over it. I asked her how she would teach it and she said she would happily teach the edited version, but would tell the kids it was not original text and encourage them to seek it out. That way kids get an experience of Huck Finn and there is less chance of a flash point in a class.

Incidentally it's nothing new. I am sure I am not the only one here who remembers reading Hamlet for the leaving where in my classroom about half the kids texts did not have the lines

Hamlet: Lady, shall I lie in your lap?
Ophelia: No, my lord.
Hamlet: I mean, my head upon your lap?
Ophelia: Ay, my lord.
Hamlet: Do you think I meant country matters?

And the teacher said that some editions just skipped over that section because they thought it was too rude. "Geniuses that you all are, I'm sure you can figure it out for yourselves" was how he put it.

prinz

LionelNashe wrote: »

Its not political correctness, its just pragmatism to remove the word. How could Mark Twain be used in classrooms where there are black kids in the class if the n-word is in there? Kids are bastards - it would descend into farce.

No, it's the opposite to pragmatism. Being pragmatic would be to teach the kids history as it happened, explained the significance of the word and why it shouldn't be used. By skipping over it as if it never occured you do two things; firstly you create a taboo about the whole thing, which could lead to more kids using it the word in ignorance (kids aren't stupid, teach them that it's inappropriate and drop the matter and they will lose the attraction to using it, create a furore and you will see it become more popular) secondly the word exists, what happens when these black kids get older? Does it come as a shock or a suprise that this history existed? You get a generation of kids growing up being pandered to and sheltered from the realities of the past.

thinking about it, kids aren't stupid, but they can be smartarse pr*cks. It makes sense to me to choose the edited version to teach in schools, so that the smartarse bollixes aren't given a chance to start using "N word" like a super controversial curse word that'd be all over the playground by lunchtime. Would you teach a classic text that had the word "c-nt" or "sh*t" in it?

whatsamsn

Seems you cant say anything these days....
I find even alot of political correctness can be found on boards.ie!


Whats peoples thoughts?

chin_grin

whatsamsn wrote: »

Seems you cant say anything these days....
I find even alot* of political correctness can be found on boards.ie!


Whats* peoples thoughts?

*too
*a lot
*what are

Give us an example, you can't leave us hanging like that!

prinz

It must be a politically correct policy to have at least one thread a day complaining about political correctness. Madness Joe, sure it can't go on.

fedor.2.

GTFO:cool:

thebigbiffo

someone is now going to tell you that there is no such thing as pc.

*coughs

that'll be nodin

ejmaztec

Only part of the world is too PC, while most of the rest of the world couldn't give a rat's arse what they say about anything or anyone, because they don't get done for it.

sensibleken

Oh for the love of......didn't we JUST go through all this?

kippy

Personal Computer?
How would the world be getting to Personal Computer.
Does someone have the directions to Personal Computer?

Mike 1972

whatsamsn wrote: »

Seems you cant say anything these days....

You mean like pointing out that there is no such thing as "Political correctness" and how the entire concept is a myth mainly propagated by bitter old bigoted cranks with a persecution complex ?

Dunjohn

Given the state of the government, I prefer the term "socio-ethical correctness." Please try not to offend me again.

chucken1

I've a laptop :cool:

thebigbiffo

thebigbiffo wrote: »

someone is now going to tell you that there is no such thing as pc.

*coughs

that'll be nodin Mike 1972

Mike 1972 wrote: »

You mean like pointing out that there is no such thing as "Political correctness" and how the entire concept is a myth mainly propagated by bitter old bigoted cranks with a persecution complex ?

.

mikom

whatsamsn wrote: »

Whats peoples thoughts?

"Thoughts" generally refers to any intellectual or mental activity. It can refer either to the act of thinking or the resulting ideas or arrangements of ideas. Similar concepts include cognition, sentience, consciousness, and imagination.

chucken1

sensibleken wrote: »

Oh for the love of......didn't we JUST go through all this?

Not everyone was in that day..flu or something?!

Unless the 'we' you refer to are 'they'..in which case.....




























































mumbles something about pc ness

DanGlee

A quick jump to : http://www.sickipedia.org/ should fix all your PC problems! LOL

Aldebaran

Which world?

whatsamsn

Well,
As for examples (off the top of my head) :P
Using the word "fat" to describe someone - it would be so "wrong" of me :rolleyes:

Or what about saying certain statments like some romanians in this country are mooching gits. A person would get back and say how wrong I was and that I shouldnt say that etc.

Dudess

Jesus not again...

whatsamsn wrote: »

Seems you cant say anything these days

No it doesn't.

thebigbiffo wrote: »

someone is now going to tell you that there is no such thing as pc.

There is, but the notion it's taking over the world is bollocks.

Dudess

whatsamsn wrote: »

Using the word "fat" to describe someone - it would be so "wrong" of me :rolleyes:

You're imagining that, surely?

Or what about saying certain statments like some romanians in this country are mooching gits. A person would get back and say how wrong I was and that I shouldnt say that etc.

I don't think anyone would disagree with the assertion that some ROMA are mooching gits - in fact that would be deemed the fair way of looking at it, rather than "Them Romanians are all scum and should be shot!"

DB10

whatsamsn wrote: »

Well,
As for examples (off the top of my head) :P
Using the word "fat" to describe someone - it would be so "wrong" of me :rolleyes:

Or what about saying certain statments like some romanians in this country are mooching gits. A person would get back and say how wrong I was and that I shouldnt say that etc.

Tell them to **** off then.

Have more confidence when you speak.

Is it rude to call a fat chubby piece of lard, fat?

Of course not.

What is the world coming to? You can change these peoples opinions if i bothers you. You won't change anyones on here though!

chucken1

whatsamsn wrote: »

Well,
As for examples (off the top of my head) :P
Using the word "fat" to describe someone - it would be so "wrong" of me :rolleyes:

Or what about saying certain statments like some romanians in this country are mooching gits. A person would get back and say how wrong I was and that I shouldnt say that etc.

Not all Romanian people are Roma..I'm sure thats the group you're referring to!?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roma_in_Romania

Pherekydes

kippy wrote: »

Does someone have the directions to Personal Computer?

Yes. Go forward for about 100mm. That gets me to my PC.

sensibleken

Im thinking about dinner.

now im thinking about sex

now i just remembered its my sisters birthday.

now im feeling confused as to why i made that link........ew

What are your thoughts OP

Caliden

8 page topic on the matter started 8 days ago:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056137216

Topics are being recycled waaaaay too quickly

Jeboa Safari

There's alot of politically correct nonsense, but it's usually up-on-their-moral-high-horse dogooders that make it their business to get offended on behalf of others than people actually getting offended.

Mike 1972

Biggins wrote: »

However because of civil servants of the state afraid to speak up and have the claim of "racism" thrown at them, for fear of not been see to be politically correct, this matter alone has been apparently sweeped under the carpet.

Hardly given how widely the matter has been reported in most UK newspapers and the BBC in the past couple of days ?

NoDice

chucken1 wrote: »

Not all Romanian people are Roma..I'm sure thats the group you're referring to!?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roma_in_Romania

This is starting to feel like inception. Except instead of dreams it's threads-that-have-been-exhausted-and-had-everyone-screaming(typing in caps)-at-each-other...... Why oh why would you guys do this?!

chucken1

NoDice wrote: »

This is starting to feel like inception. Except instead of dreams it's threads-that-have-been-exhausted-and-had-everyone-screaming(typing in caps)-at-each-other...... Why oh why would you guys do this?!

cml387

Can I tell my joke again (third time in Boards).

I was in PC World last week.

You have to be very careful what you say there.

NoDice

cml387 wrote: »

Can I tell my joke again (third time in Boards).

I was in PC World last week.

You have to be very careful what you say there.

Facepalm.

First Post

Not true, I tell dead baby jokes all the time, and everybody laughs. I also say that we should round up all he roma gysies and the knackers(I refuse to call them travelers) and gas them. Everytime I say it, everybody agrees(But seeing as this is the internet, I'll bet somebody does today).

Mod note, user banned for racist remarks.

amacca

Deleted User wrote: »

thinking about it, kids aren't stupid, but they can be smartarse pr*cks. It makes sense to me to choose the edited version to teach in schools, so that the smartarse bollixes aren't given a chance to start using "N word" like a super controversial curse word that'd be all over the playground by lunchtime. Would you teach a classic text that had the word "c-nt" or "sh*t" in it?

Controversial perhaps, but I actually would. Its amazing how quickly they get bored of everything when its no longer forbidden etc

tell them exactly what it means get them to repeat it a couple of times...within a couple of days its no longer a boundary they feel the need to overstep....on to the next thing to outrage the authority figure....kids would probably be fine with it, some parent would be bound to object (maybe correctly ...but not imo) - possibly lots of problems in America where they tend to get orders of magnitude more hysterical about this sort of stuff

Anyway, I would much rather the emphasis was on teaching them to be tolerant etc than sheltering them from words they are not going to be able to avoid anyway.........

Mike 1972

zerks wrote: »

Do you believe political correctness is gone too far?

Yes political correctness (TM) has gone too far in that there are at least three (and counting) active threads about it (and how its gone too far) on AH at the moment (with no doubt more over on Politics/Humanities/Whateveryerhavinyerself). If this trend continues I predict that by 2020 there wont be anything else discussed on Boards. :pac:

Seriously do they even have as many threads discussing imaginary mythical concepts over on Soc > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity right now ?

sensibleken

First Post wrote: »

Not true, I tell dead baby jokes all the time, and everybody laughs. I also say that we should round up all he roma gysies and the knackers(I refuse to call them travelers) and gas them. Everytime I say it, everybody agrees(But seeing as this is the internet, I'll bet somebody does today).

me. id like to see you try

biko

Ok I'm not the most PC guy ever but "First Post" guy banned. That's way out of order.