PCness gone MAD?!!
Jul 9th 2008 | 8:57 am
#106
Lowering the tone
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 8,154
From: Here and there
Re: PCness gone MAD?!!
So what do we call the man who is 40+, over weight, bald, wears glasses, has a speech impediment, a limp, and is of non Caucasian origin?
No the answer is not Dave or unlucky either. But if you were chatting about "him" to explain who he was at a party as he had the most amazing brain power and was really interesting....how do you describe him so that it is clear who "one" is referring to?
No the answer is not Dave or unlucky either. But if you were chatting about "him" to explain who he was at a party as he had the most amazing brain power and was really interesting....how do you describe him so that it is clear who "one" is referring to?
If you're trying to describe soemone so that others may be able to recognise him, I'm afraid that referring to his brain power or his interesting-ness really isn't going to help at all.
Jul 9th 2008 | 9:03 am
#107
half a century
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 10,222
From: Sarf Lundun to East Van :)
Re: PCness gone MAD?!!
It'd depend who I was talking to. If it was someone I knew well and was confident understood the absence of prejudice in my description, I'd probably say "you know, Dave, the fat, bald, speccy, gimpy limpy black guy." Or, on reflection, I might say "you know, Dave, my black Doppelgänger"
Jul 9th 2008 | 9:06 am
#108
Banned
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 15,706
From: In Limbo
Re: PCness gone MAD?!!
I agree though that there are certainly times when the addition of an adjective is not required and its done precisely to influence peoples perception. For example, it really is no more necessary to describe Obama as the "Black Presidential Candidate" in a newspaper article then it is to describe McCain as the "White Presidential Candidate", but if you ask me "what does he look like?" then I'm not going to stop at "tall" for the sake of political correctness.
Not using adjectives where they rightly apply is just dumbing down, and we are all the poorer for that.
Its the same thing as saying you cant fly a St Georges cross in the UK because its become a racist symbol. If all the proud multicultural, tolerant Englishmen flew it, then it wouldnt have been possible for it to have been hijacked by the BNP...If you are scared to use words like black or asian or hispanic, then it hands control of them over to the people who want them to have a negative connotation, so the mindless idiots win once again.
I really feel that we are coming to the same result from different sides. I wont even post an 'opposing argument' to the above cos to be honest there isnt one
.
Jul 9th 2008 | 9:34 am
#110
Cheesey Dippin-Dunkin
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,161
From: London Outskirts
Re: PCness gone MAD?!!
Your description is perfectly adequte... all good descriptions of physical characteristics - except one. I doubt if many people have ever referred to someone as "of non-caucasion origin" in a real-life, casual description. What's wrong with saying Chinese, or Indian, or Mexican, or black, or Hispanic. Call a spade a spade FFS, not "a manual horticultural utensil with a strong work ethic and a good sense of humour".
If you're trying to describe soemone so that others may be able to recognise him, I'm afraid that referring to his brain power or his interesting-ness really isn't going to help at all.
If you're trying to describe soemone so that others may be able to recognise him, I'm afraid that referring to his brain power or his interesting-ness really isn't going to help at all.
Jul 9th 2008 | 11:23 am
#112
Banned
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,252
From: Winnipeg
Re: PCness gone MAD?!!
indeed, back when the very first days of the kill the smoker campaign started, when they put 2 pounds tax per pack.
I said at this time you better be very careful what you ask for as the government will take it to the extreme...
It wasn't the fact that they were killing smoking but as i said at the time what would be next. What came next was even more taxes on ciggerettes, which then came all those health notices, which eventually led to the age lifting to 18 (good idea), which then became illegal to do in any building (except prisons...), which then came the idea to not display all those health warnings and locking them in a cupboard...Meanwhile the government have raised the taxes on alcohol now they are also talking of a 'fat tax'.
I pose one other question now after fat people, smokers and drinkers what is the next group to suffer?
I said at this time you better be very careful what you ask for as the government will take it to the extreme...
It wasn't the fact that they were killing smoking but as i said at the time what would be next. What came next was even more taxes on ciggerettes, which then came all those health notices, which eventually led to the age lifting to 18 (good idea), which then became illegal to do in any building (except prisons...), which then came the idea to not display all those health warnings and locking them in a cupboard...Meanwhile the government have raised the taxes on alcohol now they are also talking of a 'fat tax'.
I pose one other question now after fat people, smokers and drinkers what is the next group to suffer?
Jul 10th 2008 | 12:39 am
#114
Banned
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,252
From: Winnipeg
Re: PCness gone MAD?!!
Jul 10th 2008 | 1:50 am
#115
Moderαtor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 30,771
From: Upstate South Carolina
Re: PCness gone MAD?!!
Why shouldn't society interject to protect people from themselves? It wont work in all cases, but its worth it if it works in some cases.
Smoking kills people. Just this week one of my lead hands was diagnosed with Lung Cancer...she was a smoker. I say was because strangely she has quit cold turkey after years and years of never being able to do it.
Drinking isnt all that good for you...never mind the health effect, what about the effect on society of the binge drinking in the UK...DO you need a teenager to throw up on your shoes to drive that one home?
SUVs? Give me a break. Are we still in denial about the effect of CO2 emissions on global warming?
A fat tax? Why not? God knows what the long term effects of all the obese and overweight people is going to be on society.
There is a dividing line between trying to influencing peoples choices, and political correctness run rampant. Sometimes its a thin one, but there is a distinction.
Smoking kills people. Just this week one of my lead hands was diagnosed with Lung Cancer...she was a smoker. I say was because strangely she has quit cold turkey after years and years of never being able to do it.
Drinking isnt all that good for you...never mind the health effect, what about the effect on society of the binge drinking in the UK...DO you need a teenager to throw up on your shoes to drive that one home?
SUVs? Give me a break. Are we still in denial about the effect of CO2 emissions on global warming?
A fat tax? Why not? God knows what the long term effects of all the obese and overweight people is going to be on society.
There is a dividing line between trying to influencing peoples choices, and political correctness run rampant. Sometimes its a thin one, but there is a distinction.
Last edited by iaink; Jul 10th 2008 at 1:54 am.
Jul 10th 2008 | 2:38 am
#116
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,280
From: Inverkeithing ,Scotland.
Re: PCness gone MAD?!!
Oak - at school we all called each other JOey - as in Joey Deacon, the mentally disabled (oh god can you say that now?) who was given a new house, from Blue Peter.
MMC - yellow zipper head?? ok I can see the yellow connotations - but zipper head???
did you see the news headline last week that local Uk Councils are not aloowed to say "brain storming" any more as it is offensive to epilieptics.
National Epiliepsy society said - "No its not!"
tis a mad mad world!
MMC - yellow zipper head?? ok I can see the yellow connotations - but zipper head???
did you see the news headline last week that local Uk Councils are not aloowed to say "brain storming" any more as it is offensive to epilieptics.
National Epiliepsy society said - "No its not!"
tis a mad mad world!
It is a mad world, I was in Princes street Edinburgh last week, i asked for a "Black Man " from the ice cream vendor, and nearly got shot down in flames !!!! "It is a double chocolate wafer you know" came the reply.
So i ended up just getting a 99 cone instead
But the uk has been going pc mad for some time, remember them taking the Gollywogs of the jam jars etc ?
Jul 10th 2008 | 3:13 am
#117
half a century
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 10,222
From: Sarf Lundun to East Van :)
Re: PCness gone MAD?!!
It is a mad world, I was in Princes street Edinburgh last week, i asked for a "Black Man " from the ice cream vendor, and nearly got shot down in flames !!!! "It is a double chocolate wafer you know" came the reply.
So i ended up just getting a 99 cone instead
But the uk has been going pc mad for some time, remember them taking the Gollywogs of the jam jars etc ?
So i ended up just getting a 99 cone instead
But the uk has been going pc mad for some time, remember them taking the Gollywogs of the jam jars etc ?
Jul 10th 2008 | 3:19 am
#118
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,280
From: Inverkeithing ,Scotland.
Jul 10th 2008 | 3:28 am
#119
Banned
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,252
From: Winnipeg
Re: PCness gone MAD?!!
Why shouldn't society interject to protect people from themselves? It wont work in all cases, but its worth it if it works in some cases.
Smoking kills people. Just this week one of my lead hands was diagnosed with Lung Cancer...she was a smoker. I say was because strangely she has quit cold turkey after years and years of never being able to do it.
Drinking isnt all that good for you...never mind the health effect, what about the effect on society of the binge drinking in the UK...DO you need a teenager to throw up on your shoes to drive that one home?
SUVs? Give me a break. Are we still in denial about the effect of CO2 emissions on global warming?
A fat tax? Why not? God knows what the long term effects of all the obese and overweight people is going to be on society.
There is a dividing line between trying to influencing peoples choices, and political correctness run rampant. Sometimes its a thin one, but there is a distinction.
Smoking kills people. Just this week one of my lead hands was diagnosed with Lung Cancer...she was a smoker. I say was because strangely she has quit cold turkey after years and years of never being able to do it.
Drinking isnt all that good for you...never mind the health effect, what about the effect on society of the binge drinking in the UK...DO you need a teenager to throw up on your shoes to drive that one home?
SUVs? Give me a break. Are we still in denial about the effect of CO2 emissions on global warming?
A fat tax? Why not? God knows what the long term effects of all the obese and overweight people is going to be on society.
There is a dividing line between trying to influencing peoples choices, and political correctness run rampant. Sometimes its a thin one, but there is a distinction.
Smokers complain that one of the main reasons they smoke is stress...so making them poor and a hated part of society is going to relieve them of that stress?
Fat people complain they eat because they are depressed...so making them poorer and even more hated by society is going to make them happier?
I'm not defending SUV's...
Drinking again should be discourage but it is as you said ...Should we all dumb down and pander to the lowest common denominator? I'm sure that there are very few people in the UK that can be claim to be 'non-drinkers' but i'm sure that the majority of drinkers can claim they are not 'binge drinkers'. So rather than costing every single drinker how about we pay people on welfare to fine the drunk and disorderly?
Again Iain I don't disagree with the principle it is the method and the question what next? People who get caught insulting the government? People who protest against things like the war or groups like Fathers for justice?
Jul 10th 2008 | 3:32 am
#120
No time for muppets!
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 585
From: Alliston, ON
Re: PCness gone MAD?!!
Why shouldn't society interject to protect people from themselves? It wont work in all cases, but its worth it if it works in some cases.
Smoking kills people. Just this week one of my lead hands was diagnosed with Lung Cancer...she was a smoker. I say was because strangely she has quit cold turkey after years and years of never being able to do it.
Drinking isnt all that good for you...never mind the health effect, what about the effect on society of the binge drinking in the UK...DO you need a teenager to throw up on your shoes to drive that one home?
SUVs? Give me a break. Are we still in denial about the effect of CO2 emissions on global warming?
A fat tax? Why not? God knows what the long term effects of all the obese and overweight people is going to be on society.
There is a dividing line between trying to influencing peoples choices, and political correctness run rampant. Sometimes its a thin one, but there is a distinction.
Smoking kills people. Just this week one of my lead hands was diagnosed with Lung Cancer...she was a smoker. I say was because strangely she has quit cold turkey after years and years of never being able to do it.
Drinking isnt all that good for you...never mind the health effect, what about the effect on society of the binge drinking in the UK...DO you need a teenager to throw up on your shoes to drive that one home?
SUVs? Give me a break. Are we still in denial about the effect of CO2 emissions on global warming?
A fat tax? Why not? God knows what the long term effects of all the obese and overweight people is going to be on society.
There is a dividing line between trying to influencing peoples choices, and political correctness run rampant. Sometimes its a thin one, but there is a distinction.
