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?

I categorically do not have a low intellect.

I dont think for a minute that you do Fanjo.

This thread is bizarre.

The words offended and offensive are words which have been in the language for ages and are widely understood, and merrily defined in the dictionary.

The suggestion that people should stop using them because some people on the thread think other words are better is ridiculous!

Replacing one perfectly good word by using 4 or 5 others instead is a weird suggestion.

And the actual problem is that some people think that other people are getting offended (or upset and angry and taken aback and shocked and so on) by things that are frivolous. Changing the words used won't mean that the people magically start agreeing with each other.

The idea that it is attached to individual emotion and so a weak thing t say is odd as well.

Firstly there is nothing wrong with expressing an emotion. That makes me feel angry / that makes me feel upset / that makes me feel offended. All reasonable things to say.

Similarly, it can be used in a wider sense. The majority of people find that offensive / the majority of people are angered by that / the majority of people are saddened etc.

The problem is not with the word, it is that some people are using the word about things that others feel they should not be getting upset / angry / offended about. A different word used will not stop that difference of opinion.

Weird thread really.

"some people are using the word about things that others feel they should not be getting upset / angry / offended about."

Who can judge whether someone is right to be upset/angry/offended at something?

I mean this:

"Are you saying that you think only one in ten people would respond to, say, a racial pejorative with "That's unacceptable to the vast majority of the population and makes you look like a bigoted twat" (or similar), while the remaining nine out of ten would only be able to manage "That's offensive"?"

Well. Um.

You're on a tube and someone uses a racial insult to someone else. The vast majority of people IRL (if they feel in a position to say anything) will say something like "oi that's really offensive" "you can't say that" "you should apologise" or similar.

Most normal people will not front up with "That's unacceptable to the vast majority of the population and makes you look like a bigoted twat" because that is not actually how normal people speak. The first part is terribly long winded and the second will get you a slap.

That is not Maid's point bumbleymummy.

Seven has got the point.

Eh? I was asking Seven a question. I wasn't talking about Maid's point.

I also find the word "offensive" a little meaningless, it's a bit of a catch-all, non-specific slap on the hand. And I also find it strange that it implies that someone, somewhere is offended - surely if someone is being racist or sexist or disablist, they are being so, and are in the wrong, regardless of whether or not they are causing offense to someone?

In fact I'm struggling to think of an equivalent word in my language, I don't think there is one. But then we're a pretty sexist and racist bunch :-/

Ah, ok bumbleymummy. My mistake.