to be glad that people find more things offensive these days?

[Goldmandra]

This is inspired by a comment on another thread which implied that this is a bad thing.

Isn't it better that jokes about mental health, immigration, rape, etc, are seen as less socially acceptable than they used to be. I think it's a sign that our society is changing in a positive way.

Or is it PC gone mad?

[LewisNaiceHamilton]

I've offended myself!

[SevenZarkSeven]

I think maybe the meaning of the word is being altered.

For eg it isn't always about taking personal offence, about the way one single person feels, the word offensive can be applied in a much broader way.

I agree with the OP anyway. When I see old clips of various TV progs there is plenty in there that most people would consider offensive now - and the reason those things don't happen any more is because of the people who found it offensive then and made a fuss and over the years managed to change social attitudes / media standards.

[hazeyjane]

Lewis.

[PhaedraIsMyName]

"So hurray for Political Correctness, I say. Or, to give it it's old fashioned name, good manners

I often make that point.

[Joysmum]

I actually this that people misuse the word 'offended'.

There's lots of things I don't like and don't agree with, but unlike others, I don't deem myself 'offended'.

[Joysmum]

*think

[hazeyjane]

offensive : causing someone to feel resentful, upset, or annoyed.

(Or....insulting, rude, derogatory, disrespectful, hurtful, wounding, abusive, objectionable, displeasing, annoying,provoking, humiliating, discourteous, uncivil, impolite, unmannerly, unacceptable, shocking, scandalous, outrageous)

From Oxford Dictionary.

So, yes I do feel upset and annoyed when someone uses a term which is racist, sexist, disabilist or homophobic, because it is hurtful and abusive - surely that is exactly what offensive and being offended means.

[Hakluyt]

It's funny. "Offended" is something people are often accused of being, or deemed to have been, I don't think people very often use it about themselves, do they?

[bumbleymummy]

It depends really. Someone may be 'offended' because you are criticising their religious/cultural beliefs. However, if those religious/cultural beliefs were something to do with circumcision/FGM then I'm pretty sure most of you would have something to say about it regardless of how 'offensive' you were being.

[Andrewofgg]

The trouble is that being "offended" is subjective. The fact that some people, even a lot of people, are offended by something does not mean that it should not be allowed.

A member of the BNP probably would and a member of UKIP might feel offended at having black neighbours move in. And no doubt many people among us were offended by the publication of the Satanic Verses. JTB in both cases.

[SevenZarkSeven]

That's not a problem though is it.

We live in a society, with laws and mores which reflect the majority opinion.

Things change when the weight of public opinion is such that they should, or that it is just obvious that when it's pointed out it should (eventually).

The arguments against people saying they are offended (WTF? why shouldn't someone be allowed to say they are offended) are often directed at individuals saying they are offended by things that others deem frivolous.

So it's just about a difference if opinion.

There's nothing wrong with the word, it's a perfectly good word.

[SevenZarkSeven]

So e.g. we have laws against rape within marriage and FGM because these things offend people. They upset and anger them. That's fine.

Getting emotional about things that upset you is just fine, expressing that emotion is fine too.

[Cruikshank]

I think people toss the word around far too readily now, especially on mumsnet I have to say. There are lots of things that make me cross, lots of things that make me want to change the status quo, and lots of people who I think are fucking stupid. But none of that 'offends' me. You'd have to work quite hard to offend me, and I'm always quite surprised when other people get offended so quickly. It is often used as a way of shutting down discussion (can't talk about that any more as it is 'offensive') when what people really mean is that they disagree with the speaker.

[DogCalledRudis]

I am not glad. People get prosecuted just for voicing their opinion. Only only one step from communism.

[SevenZarkSeven]

Have you got any examples of what cases you didn't think should have been brought Rudi?

[Hakluyt]

"People get prosecuted just for voicing their opinion. "

Do they? Say more?

[Pagwatch]

Gosh yes, I want to know too.

Which people prosecuted for what opinions?

[AnyFucker]

prosecuted ? what ?

You mean the fuckheads who have abused people on social media sites ? yeah, bring it on

[FreudiansSlipper]

well if their opinion is to feel it is ok to incite hate towards a particular group of people then good they should be prosecuted

[daisychain01]

I cant stand Stephen Fry and his f'ing quote.

And I don't care who I offend by saying it, so there

And I agree with AF, the worst comeback ever is that massive passive aggressive script ending "cant you take a joke".

Um, No I cant, and by the way, you can piss right off OK?

[Cruikshank]

I am offended by people who don't understand the meaning of 'passive aggressive'.

[Pagwatch]

Cruikshank

Are you really offended by people who don't understand 'passive aggressive' or were you just making a snide joke about daisychain because you don't agree with her and she used passive aggressive in the wrong context and you didn't want to just say 'you used passive aggressive incorrectly' for some reason?

[Cruikshank]

Here you go then:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive-aggressive_behavior

[Pagwatch]

Why, thank you. I was so confused

[MaidOfStars]

Hakluyt See my previous (hypothetical) example re: paying women the same as men.

Job for job, I think women should be paid the same as men. It would be fair to pay women the same as men because there is no intrinsic reason to value a man's work over a woman's work. Furthermore, it would make me angry to work somewhere where they don't pay women the same as men, because they would be propagating the idea that women are less valuable than men.

There. Me 'being offended' by women gtting paid less than men doesn't even factor (it doesn't actually 'offend' me). If I were to tag it onto the end of my paragraph, it's nothing more than trying to manipulate the covnersation and the situation, based on my own personal feeling of what? what feelings? Say the feelings, don't cover them up with this vague blanket term that doesn't really explain anything and looks moany.