Is the word ‘master’ about to become socially unacceptable?

[sst1234]

Just heard a debate on tv about whether the word ‘master’ conjures up images of slavery and if it is appropriate as in ‘masterchef’ and ‘master bedroom’. What? Really? I am speechless. Anyone taking offence to this is not just barking mad but is politically correct to the detriment of real issues in the world that need attention.

Oh I know - I was pondering black/African cutler then remembered reading an autobiography of a Nigerian writer who lived in London (as a teacher) and would get dogs abuse for being African by her West Indian pupils. So you are right - different things.

We saw a man walking along yesterday in what I could only describe as very outdated Japanese religious clothing with his long hair pulled up into a top knot. I don’t know huge amounts but that’s what I assumed it was.

He didn’t look like he was going to work or a party and he was European looking. We couldn’t quite work out of he was appropriating not only a race and religion - but also historically appropriating it too.

Sorry! That made me luagh because it reminded me of the odd man who crossed the road in front of my car last week - just stepped out, stopped traffic!

He was dressed as a sort of 1980s Nutty Boy, doing the whole Madness walk thing to music only he could hear. He One Step Beyonded himself across the road, stopped, turned, took a bow, and walked on, still doing it! Very surreal!

@SerenDippitty

No more Masters degrees?

Well, indeed. Or Bachelors either.

Nowhere more woke than a uni, and they continue to use those terms.

Time for a rethink?

You see, in one sense I agree with challenging stock phrases - sexism and notions of male superiority are embedded in language, and to an extent our use perpetuates them.

On the other hand, the race to change so much so quickly terrifies me.

The term "master bedroom" has nothing to do with slaves. It was invented quite recently by estate agents.... along with "ensuite".

We once viewed a furnished show-home where  the master bedroom was so tiny that  the door to the ensuite couldn't open past the bed,

Nothing to do with slavery and yet the word must be banned.

If it does that well all be saying wank and not masterbate

It's masturbate. No masters involved. Well, apart from the obvious.

Ponoka7

Your post makes a lot of sense.

As a sidie: I'm black and it would be interesting to me as to whether it offends other black people.

My daughter's off to do a Masters in September.

Who dreams up this rubbish.

LesMis - Master of the House

Mastercard will be forced to change their name very shortly I would imagine.

This is a potential purity spiral. Once they start, everything and everyone in sight can disappear into the vortex.

I was thinking about this today because master/slave is used a lot in tech. In this case clocks, I might start saying primary and secondary.

I'm thinking of how convoluted and imprecise the language would be if you weren't allowed to say 'retard the throttle' - 'Whoa!' and 'Wind back' 'Ease off' (which can be interpreted as take your hand off in noisy conditions), for example.

And primary and secondary cylinders doesn't really explain the relationship between them, whereas Master and Slave cylinders means you understand the connection instantly, rather than wondering whether they are connected or they're a second, entirely separate circuit.

@Azerothi

Mastercard will be forced to change their name very shortly I would imagine.

Yeah, you can really see that happening, can’t you?

I think the problem is that this kind of silly nonsense results in real issues getting ignored because it trivialises the real problems of racism to the extent that people think it’s all ‘woke’ bollocks like this.

Oh fuck, and mastering/master recordings or the master faders. How the fuck did I forget those?

Yes, you can say 'The big one' and 'the little ones', but they aren't. And then you have the issue of subs on the desk or subs woofing out the doofs.

YANBU - political correctness has gone mad in the last month.
Words and personalities are wrong suddenly.

When will people understand that erasing the past will not change the presence? 😔
And I would recommend to those bringing up Slavery in every innocent word (master bedroom fgs!) to look up on the Nazi and Soviet era, which were a lot closer in history than the slaves. We still haven’t learned from them!

@iklboo

It's masturbate. No masters involved. Well, apart from the obvious.

Made me laugh! 😂😂😂😂

@Saladmakesmesad

I think the problem is that this kind of silly nonsense results in real issues getting ignored because it trivialises the real problems of racism to the extent that people think it’s all ‘woke’ bollocks like this.

Yes!

@MitziK yeah I hadn't really thought that through tbh primary/secondary is a different relationship compleatly. emitter/reciever perhaps (works for electrical but not so much mechanical).

I've just looked up the origin of the word.Derived from Latin Magister -a teacher or principle or leader.In Middle Ages started to be used in association with someone skilled in a craft.It is and has been used in multiple contexts through the centuries and even today and yes Master used in connection with slavery but by no means exclusively for that.
Really I grew up him the 60 and 70s when there certainly were words and terminology that have absolutely no place in society.But this ?

On the criticism of Beyoncé for approaching African culture, it does have some merit.

The fetishisation of African culture (imagining everyone to be kings and queens living in some feudal past) is a real problem in Western society. In Black communities in the US and UK, it is acknowledged that Black Africans are simultaneously fetishised and patronised with epithets like African booty scratcher etc.

Beyoncé, of course, has African ancestry, however she does not have the lived experience of an African. She is as American as any European American. As a result, instead of appreciation of African, particularly Nigerian, culture, she is guilty, like most of the western world, of appropriation. She has made money off a culture and the film is not even available to view in African nor has she ever done a tour ( apart from charity ones I think) in any African country.

Millions of Africans still exist and they continue to be subjugated due to their culture unlike Celts. Appropriation does nothing to help this.

I doubt any black person is offended by the use of “master” and I do believe it is a way for companies to avoid doing any real work in combating racism.

On the other hand, I am liking this climate of reflection. Every day words can foster racial prejudice even unconsciously, for example I don’t like to use words like “blacklist” just like every day words like “fireman” and “mankind” perpetuate sexism.

We were discussing the Times article on this yesterday with our kids, who, like most youngsters are completely woke so agree that it should be abolished.

My husband then mentioned that 'master and slave' is common parlance within his tech industry job - something dull to do with transmission paths. The offspring were aghast.

Fuck I hope not. What else will DH call me in the bedroom?