to be shocked and upset to see the term "midget" used in reference to one of the alleged new BB housemates

[emkana]

The woman the media are talking about didn't actually go in tonight, but in all the papers, even the bl*dy Independent, they call her a "midget belly dancer".

My ds has dwarfism and it makes me feel very to think that he will come across terminology like this...

you sound very morose/jaded/tired of life

I am happy and full of life and trying to stop people spoiling it for others with their search for offense in every sentence.

I think people should get out more

I think terms only become offensive if enough of the particular group object. If 90% of the community with 'dwarfism' want to be called midgets or don't object to it then I think the media will continue to use the term. However if 1 person I met found the term offensive I would not use it around them regardless of popular feeling. In much the same way I wouldn't call someone a c*&t as I know in general it offends, but i love the word, conversely no-one I know would call me a wench, it isn't considered offensive to most people but I hate it.
That wasn't the best explanation in the world. I apologise, my head is sadly elsewhere today, but I couldn't ignore the thread for some reason.
Emkana - rest assured should I ever be describing your son or talking to you about him 'midget' would not be on my list of phrases. Although 'dwarfism' and 'dysplasia' would be very far down there too . . being overruled by cute, smiley, gorgeous etc!!

"to prove a point" yes well spotted there.

Accepted by who? who decides? We could ban midgit which apparently is NOT the correct term for people with this condition and is used to indicate people who do NOT have the condition.
Do you agree that we should ban blonde as it is becoming a derogatory term?

As for men/women being offended by the terms man/woman I think you are mistaken. Consider if I go into a restaurant and say to the waitress "come here woman!"
is that not offensive? How about "come here boy!" which harks back to the way black people were refered to.

Oh and by an odd coincidence I was trying to recall the name of a song I heard when I was young. It turned out to be 'Bridgit the midgit' and by these new rules I'd have had to say "sorry, I remembered it now, but I cannot tell you what it was. The word is forbidden"

I'd be offended if you said "Come here woman" "Come here waitress" "Come here XXnameXX" It's not the woman bit - it's the order being barked at me without a please, thank you or by your leave. I believe the accepted term is "Excuse me . . ."

i think grey that you have introduced a fallacious argument

littlelapin, I'm glad you got round to trying to insult me (arrogant & wanker) because I've been meaning to start a thread on this asking people to have a go at me.

if a large crowd (or even one dangerous looking person) calls you black, wanker, midgit, chink etc you may have cause to be worried about your safety. This is valid.

An insult with no attached threat is harmless (at least to adults)

It's not that I am strong enough to stand the pain of the insult - there IS no pain. Only the immature (emotionally or in years) could feel pain from a verbal insult with no threat attached.

Please do
I am short sighted too so see if you can dredge up some insults based on that.

Oh and I am blonde lol I nearly forgot that.

And not very big/strong for a man - short in fact

I was trying to describe Thandie Newton to a friend

and tied myself up in knots at first trying not to say 'you know the thin, beautiful black/mixed-race actress'

sometimes its easier just to label someone .

it doesnt mean you hate them.

Actually insults do hurt - threat or no threat. I guess I must be immature then. Or insecure. Or oversensitive. Or maybe I'm just human. At least I can say that.

Yeah I saw your point and it misfired didn't it

Maybe I really should start another thread for this so others don't have to see the cruel words and have to lie down.

Anyway you have my permission (more importantly you don't NEED my permission) to use the worst words you can think of to describe me or my views.

enid, maybe i'm being dim, but why wouldn't you describe her that way?

i would immed describe her as "the very pretty mixed race british actress who was carter's girlfriend in ER"

idont think grey has introduced a valid or relevant argument

I can hear the tumbleweed on that thread already.
The only words I can think to describe you. random person sitting at a computer. Your views? Well they're not the same as mine. No insults required.

describing the colour of her skin no diff from describing her height/beauty/fat ankles*, surely?

(*i really hope she does)

as in his argument is fallacious by reason of lack of relevancy/logic

mistypeaks, maybe you're mixing up the insult with other things that sometimes go along with an insult.

For example, if a close friend says that they think you're dumb/boring whatever that means they have been lying to you when they smiled and said they liked you. It means you have lost a friend. Nothing wrong with being sad about that.

But there are people here who could be offended by a machine that produced random insulting words. They think the words are painful in themselves regardless of intent. That's the thing I'm mostly disagreeing with.

(no fat ankles - I saw her on monday night - thin thin thin and v trendy - but a piece of work according to mate)

(where were you enid, you sleb-hanger-outerer?)

YANBU. the whole BB thing is so crass these days.