Now this is plain PC bollox

[Waylander]

I seem to recall reading in the Herald a couple of years ago there was a town council somewhere in this land who wanted to ban the use of the words "nuts" and "nipples" in an automotive context (as in fastners grease-nipples) as the council members felt these words were offensive and innapropriate or some such. Don't think it got anywhere tho...

...sigh some people are just too stupid.

Why does this make me think of the whole Aussie parliment thing about the use of the word "mate".

[mstriumph]

PRICELESS!!!!!

Escalate it... write back to their HR dept and ask if you're ok to use the words "Penis" and "Vagina" at work? How about "pussy", "gay" or "come"

Let them know you're taking this seriously and would appreciate a complete list of words and phrases that are to be avoided, and an example of the offending context or contexts would be similarly needed.

When they write back, let them know you've notice people removing clothes at work in a seductive manner. Raincoats, gloves, that sort of thing - oh and there was that small issue of a woman eating a banana... she did seem to be enjoying it in a perverse sort of way.

Go get 'em dude... I'll help.

[Skyryder]

I have a letter in front of me from the a well known international organisation. An organisation that my organisation does a considerable amount of business with. The letter comes from their "Human Rights Division". Get a load of this shit:

It's with much dismay that upon reading some of your organisations technical literature.........we feel that the use of the term Master & Slave (Biff - a term used by techies around the world to describe everything from hard drives to servers) is totally inappropriate.......using the terminology "male & female" (Biff - which is used to descibe plubgs ans sockets for fucks sake!) has sexual connotations and does little to reduce the barriers found in many organisations between male and female workers.......we feel that using the term "coloured wires" could incite racial prejudice....

Oh for fucks sake - get a proper job you twats!
It's an American organisation by the way.

All inspired by the Religious Right.

I was in Mitre 10 the other day looking for a female socket. Asked the female 'salesman' where I could find it. Should have seen the dirty look I got another female customer as she walked by.

Skyryder

[mstriumph]

The really annoying thing is that nobody stopped to analyse these descriptions [male, female, coloured, et al] until the pc crowd stood on their hind legs, bleated and made people self-concious about what they were saying.

Language is about communication. It does not improve communication to replace simple, graphic, universally-understandable descriptions for connectors [ie male & female] with something obscure just because it is politically correct to do so.

I think it's sad that people waste precious time and resources to try to artificially change the language to reflect principals important only to a tiny minority .............. even sadder that the majority has to make a semblance of listening to them.

[jazbug5]

Personally, I think that to put a negative connotation (sp?) on words simply for referring to gender or whatever betrays more about the weird mental machinations of these idiots.

It's like deciding that 'black' is (for some reason) offensive but the wishy washy 'coloured' or 'brown' are better... well, isn't that a bit like saying, well, 'nearer to white' and therefore more acceptable'...? *shakes head*

Mind you, this is quite amusing... although someone was actually paid to come up with it, which is less so.

P.S. -Waylander? What research have you done on the history of New Zealand and the Maori to feel so able to comment on it?

[Lias]

All inspired by the Religious Right.

Skyryder

Actually its nothing to do with the religious right (who for the most part are conservative , and are generally anything but politically correct.. One of the few things they have going for them IMO).

If you read the snopes link, when some poor persecuted nigger(err negro..err black.. err coloured.. err african american ...err afro-american etc) laid a complaint because a piece of video equipment had the terms "master and slave" written on it.

I wonder how terribly offended he'd be by this lego diorama lol

[ManDownUnder]

Personally, I think that to put a negative connotation (sp?) on words simply for referring to gender or whatever betrays more about the weird mental machinations of these idiots.

EXACTLY RIGHT! - BLINGO!

This and other similar comments based on race, colour, sexual orientation etc etc etc

It's like deciding that 'black' is (for some reason) offensive but the wishy washy 'coloured' or 'brown' are better... well, isn't that a bit like saying, well, 'nearer to white' and therefore more acceptable'...? *shakes head*

Yes yes and YES - It is all contextual, and for that reason alone, a general and sweeping rule is not going to work, and is actually going to offend (as it has in here) albeit the sensibilities.

I spoke with a black family in Houston a while ago, very dear friends of mine. I told them of my fears in calling them the wrong thing - and asked them what I should say...

"Black" was the answer. Negro wasn't acceptable, Afro American was also fine.

[scumdog]

EXACTLY RIGHT! - BLINGO!

This and other similar comments based on race, colour, sexual orientation etc etc etc



Yes yes and YES - It is all contextual, and for that reason alone, a general and sweeping rule is not going to work, and is actually going to offend (as it has in here) albeit the sensibilities.

I spoke with a black family in Houston a while ago, very dear friends of mine. I told them of my fears in calling them the wrong thing - and asked them what I should say...

"Black" was the answer. Negro wasn't acceptable, Afro American was also fine.

Why is Negro unacceptable??It's what they are, just like I'm a Caucasian ('Cauc') and Raybon Kan is an Asian etc.

[MSTRS:Me]

I think it's sad that people waste precious time and resources to try to artificially change the language to reflect principals important only to a tiny minority .............. even sadder that the majority has to make a semblance of listening to them.

Can't help myself here, there's a principle involved......I think Principals are important only in their own eyes.

[RiderInBlack]

I spoke with a black family in Houston a while ago, very dear friends of mine. I told them of my fears in calling them the wrong thing - and asked them what I should say...

"Black" was the answer. Negro wasn't acceptable, Afro American was also fine.

The stupid thing is that the Africian-American Rappers a calling themselves "Neggers". There is not way I'd call them that.

I find "Pakiha" officive. Try getting that PC'ed in good old NZ. Is for the Treaty Of Waitangi Grounds showing a doccumentry describing early Europeans as "White Gobbins" as I was having "Moari Issues" force feed for 1 whole year as part of my Nursing Deg
And then expect me to be PC?
Go get Fu*ked.

[MSTRS:Me]

Why is Negro unacceptable??It's what they are, just like I'm a Caucasian ('Cauc') and Raybon Kan is an Asian etc.

Ask yourself how each type refers to the others when in the company of their own type. Nigger, darkie,......Whitey, honky.......Slope, sliteyes,....

[ManDownUnder]

Why is Negro unacceptable??It's what they are, just like I'm a Caucasian ('Cauc') and Raybon Kan is an Asian etc.

I don;t know (or recall now - that chat was a few years ago) but I simply took them at their (very reliable) word and chose to go with what doesn't offend - in this case "Black"

As they were explaining it to me though - they hastened to add that use of the word "Black" is offensive in some states (NY comes to mind but I'm not 100% on that) so even they had to be careful themselves...

It's a funny old world ne'st pas?

Harrassment/offence is in the ear of the beholder... what happenes in a damned if you do, damned if you don't suituation (like the whole situations Biff has outlined).

If you go into a bar and ask a female bar tender for a slippery nipple, quick fuck etc - do they have the right to get huffy? How would you ever know?

Nuts - it's all nuts (am I allowed to say that???)

[ManDownUnder]

Ask yourself how each type refers to the others when in the company of their own type. Nigger, darkie,......Whitey, honky.......Slope, sliteyes,....

Labels are contextual, as is a lot of language...

Call a friend of yours a bastard after a joke or whatever - see what happens - laughter.. comeradery etc

Call someone that doesn't like you a bastard... and brace yourself...

That's what makes it so rediculous to place all encompassing "rules" around it. THEY DON'T WORK

[MSTRS:Me]

Labels are contextual, as is a lot of language...

Call a friend of yours a bastard after a joke or whatever - see what happens - laughter.. comeradery etc

Call someone that doesn't like you a bastard... and brace yourself...

That's what makes it so rediculous to place all encompassing "rules" around it. THEY DON'T WORK

Exactly - time and a place etc

[oldrider]

When we were kids there were two plaques on the fire place. when we got a hiding for fighting etc we had to stand and read them out loud.
The first one said. When two quarrel both are in the wrong. The second one said. Cheer up the best is yet to come. I still think of them whenever I'm in the shit or having a tough break. As for bloody PC we were always told . Sticks and stones can break your bones but names will never hurt you. Kids can equate to those things but the wankers of old are the PC pratts of today.
A good smack in the ear often did you more good than harm even if you didn't deserve it. Bloody PC pricks should be stacked up and burned. Cheers John.