Sick of having to be Politically Correct over nearly everything

[SickofThisCountry]

Dont want to cause some big debate but is anyone else on here getting sick to the back teeth of having to watch their p's and q's through fear of offending every tom, dick and harry.

[HoHoHoNoYouDont]

The only person who will be offended by being called a cunt, is the person being called that. And if they're being a cunt, then maybe that's ok.

I disagree

I wouldn't be impressed by hearing another person call someone a cunt in front of me. I would find it quite offensive tbh.

[HorryIsUpduffed]

That was my understanding of EyePad's post. And it may be a thing people do. It just wasn't what I intended to do.

[Andro]

There are people and organisiations who's use of 'PC' has gone completely out of control. I've generally found that these groups are the same ones that ban basic things on the grounds of 'health and safety', in such circumstances where the HSE would be scratching their heads - the decision was nothing to do with them! Over-zealous use of any umbrella term is at best unhelpful, at worst it discredits the term (and applications) completely.

[Quak]

Hohoho - in these circumstances it is your own personal boundaries of taste and acceptance that make you feel like that. Most people feel like that about stronger words which is why they are censored. It's not got a lot to do with pc, which is what this thread is about.

[TheBigJessie]

There are some people out there, who replace rational thought and consideration of discriminatory language with blanket bans, and "you can't say that, that's racist, innit".

These peripheral people, who are simply trying to do their best to be considerate in a society that now values equality, do not undermine the entire concept of not being a discriminatory bastard. They indicate that not everyone is great at linguistic analysis.

[EyePad]

Tethers - absolutely spot on. I must be shit at explaining myself!

I only used the because I would be saying those offensive words too. (think disablist, racist, whatever word)

I certainly have no problem with using the word cunt

[tethersend]

Can you give an example, Andro?

[HoHoHoNoYouDont]

Quak But surely 'cunt' is a derogatory term against the female form which in turn my be deemed as sexist.

[HoHoHoNoYouDont]

*may be deemed

[Pagwatch]

Ah, ok Eyepad.

[MadBraLady]

So are "prick", "dick(head)", "knob" etc. And "arsehole" is I guess derogatory to every creature that has one.

[Quak]

The word itself does not have the associated history. How it is used in our society depends on who uses it and why. And it is used like that almost because it is so heavily censored. It does not have the intrinsic weight of other sexist/racist/fascist terms.
I'm not sticking up for it, only trying to separate it from the true offensive terms.

[tethersend]

Cunt is an interesting word as it has a dual meaning- it means both a vagina, and a despicable person (usually male).

This does not mean that to call someone a cunt is to insult vaginas, just that the word is being used to mean the second definition.

A similar word is bastard- although it's no longer used to mean one of its meanings (child of unmarried parents).

Cunt remains a highly offensive word, but, as it stands, there are different interpretations as to why.

[Nancy66]

I have seen people object to words like:

bonkers
nutter
loony

on MN which - when not personally directed - I think is a bit overzealous

[HoHoHoNoYouDont]

A word doesn't have to have an associated history in order to be offensive or politically incorrect. And I'm not sure if it can be separated from 'true offensive terms' as like you say it depends on who uses is and why, the whole context of the thing. This whole subject can take you round in circles!!

[boxershorts]

P.C???????? why not "MANNERS CORRECT?"

[MadBraLady]

Nutter and loony, no, I wouldn't use them to be honest. They have been used as derogatory terms for people with health conditions for too long, it's just a bit too raw.

I would go to the barricades to defend "bonkers" though, which is a great word and I'd argue that is at one remove from calling an individual by a name. Similarly, I wouldn't use "nutter" but I would happily describe something as "nuts".

[boxershorts]

come on where are you lot on the MANNERS mum and dad taught you?

[HoHoHoNoYouDont]

I like the word bonkers too.

[Nancy66]

oh and I also remember a thread about whether it was acceptable to use the word 'cretin'

[flumperoo]

ImTooHecsy re your comment:

"I was talking to a black woman on the bus, she was saying isn't it weird that we've had so much snow recently! - insertion of colour totally irrelevant and therefore meaningless."

You say using the word 'black' is irrelevant to the conversation (which I agree with btw), I'm just wondering how using the word 'woman' is relevant? Using your own argument isn't the word 'person' more appropriate?

[TheBigJessie]

Hmm. Don't use nutter or loony, either. Feels too nasty. Not sure whether I'd go to the length of questioning some one else's use. I have to feel quite confident I'm in the right before I confront people!

I do like loon, but someone told me it was offensive, so I don't use it any more. Bonkers feels slightly affectionate, rather than nasty, and not as highly personal.

[HorryIsUpduffed]

Trouble with not specifying man or woman is that we linguistically specify gender - "a woman ... she said". You could use "person" but you'd still have to use "she".

[TheBigJessie]

I haven't used cretin since I looked it up in the dictionary and found out it was a medical term, when I was 12.

[Lottashakingoinon]

Interesting flumperoo

It made me realise that, quite involuntarily, I would use the word someone in that sort of conversation.