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Thread: Political Correctness

  1. #1
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    Default Political Correctness

    A few of the previous posts have used the phrases Political correctness or PC as an insult or a sneer. Mybe it would be interesting to note what people mean by this

    I found this

    avoidance of expressions or actions that can be perceived to exclude or marginalize or insult people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against
    www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn

    Surely this is an honorouble aim?

    But then i found this

    Political correctness or poor practice?

    'Cultural sensitivity' has been blamed for compromising the safety of Victoria Climbié.

    http://society.guardian.co.uk/climbi...672479,00.html

    So what have we here? Somethign honorouble or something to give us an excuse for abdicating our responsibilities?

  2. #2
    jjc Guest

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    It seems to me that it has lost all meaning... except as a put-down thrown about by people who can't be bothered making a proper argument.

  3. #3
    apollo69 Guest

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    It's just been taken way too far, and too many people are bending over backwards to be as PC as possible to be cool and trendy. I know I am going to get pelters for that but there are a lot of people who are like that whether you like it or not.

  4. #4

    Default

    Going by the meaning here http://dictionary.cambridge.org/defi...1286&dict=CALD

    1 describes someone who believes that language and actions which could be offensive to others, especially those relating to sex and race, should be avoided

    2 describes a word or expression that is used instead of another one to avoid being offensive:
    Some people think that 'fireman' is a sexist term, and prefer the politically correct term 'firefighter'.


    I would say i'm definately not PC, but i speak my mind and say what i think rather than pussy foot around using words to disguise my true feelings and to try and make me look like a nicer, better person.

    I think a lot of people are PC as a way of trying to make themselves look better when compared to others.

  5. #5
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    See to me the way i am is not about being PC its about being me. I hate unfairnmess and prejudice and hate to see people being labelled or treated in a worse way because of who they are - their name colour religion etc.

    I dont try to be politically correct I try to be fair and open and give everyone a fair hearing. I hate the "them" and "us" stuff and i often think that sometimes people throw out bigoted prejudiced nonsense thinking that the phrase " i am not racist but..." or "Im not sexist but..." excuses them. It doesnt.

  6. #6

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    Well we can't all be as fair minded and as unprejudiced as you squidge(and that wasn't sarcasm ).

    I'm not racist but i admit i do label people e.g tinks and it doesn't bother me if people take this as an insult.

    I use the word poof and sometimes words like homo but when i use these words i don't mean them as an insult and i won't stop using them just cos some people think it's 'PC'

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by gravedigga
    Well we can't all be as fair minded and as unprejudiced as you squidge(and that wasn't sarcasm ).
    Are you sure gravedigga??????????

  8. #8

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    Yea that's why i said it wasn't meant as sarcasm cos i thought ppl would think it was

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by gravedigga
    Yea that's why i said it wasn't meant as sarcasm cos i thought ppl would think it was
    aw you are quite nice really

  10. #10
    The Godfather Guest

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    I think we should follow common sense over PC. Its a far better system.

  11. #11
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    I think PC is boring.

    What ever happen to Miss World, Love thy Neighbour, Till Death us do part, The Stanley Baxter Show, Dave Allen show?

    this is traditional British humour.

    New shows like the Kumars and Goodness Gracious me! are allowed to get away with good old fun at the white culture so why have the traditional British stuff been scrapped?

    The first thing that real racists insult is themselves! Good old fashioned humour on race/creed grounds was not racist it was about humour!!

    BTW I think the PC Police have deleting threads tonight?!
    God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
    Courage to change the things I can,
    And wisdom to know the difference.

  12. #12

    Default

    In the wake of the Sikh play the other day, on BBC 5Live an Asian playwright criticised the BBC comedy show "Goodness Gracious Me" for being non PC. So if you can't have people of Asian origin taking the mickey out of British Asian culture what hope do we have??
    In certain towns/cities, so as not to offend non Christian communities they don't celebrate Christmas they have a Winter Festival, what BULL!

  13. #13
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    As a non Christian myself I won't be celebrating Xmas this year, but I don't stop anyone doing so, including my wife.

    If people are having fun and enjoying themselves then that must be celebrated for its own sake.

    A winter festival is for all people on Earth as we all experience the winter solstice where ever we live.

    So the details of why Christians celebrate Xmas is immaterial.
    God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
    Courage to change the things I can,
    And wisdom to know the difference.

  14. #14

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by squidge
    Quote Originally Posted by gravedigga
    Yea that's why i said it wasn't meant as sarcasm cos i thought ppl would think it was
    aw you are quite nice really
    Just said it so you'd realise i'm not getting personal, i'm just giving my views y'know. And at least when you debate about something you don't start nit-picking and jumping on everything i say unlike others i could mention . . . . . . . . . but i won't .

  15. #15
    jjc Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by The Godfather
    I think we should follow common sense over PC.
    Or just common decency.

    If you say something that you know is offensive then either a) you'd better have a good reason or b) you're being rude and should find a different way to say what you want to say.

    Is that really such a hard concept to grasp?

    * Godfather, this wasn't aimed at you in any way… just following the train of thought you started.

  16. #16

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    Things that are not at all politically correct can be fantastically funny, look st Chris Rock's "Niggas vs Black People" part of one of his earlier shows, how PC was that? how funny was that? Who was in the audience, almost dying with laughter? Black people.

    I think PCness is fine and there are obvious times where it really does apply, where the joke is cruel and not really that funny. Other times when everyone knows the spirit of the jibe is good natured then I think its ok.

    Having lived in a street with an Indian family that I knew quite well I find the "Kumars" to be hilarious as I've seen the characters they portray first hand and "goodness gracious me" is simply brilliant. Both of those programmes I have seen described as racist but I think they are more like "till death do us part" and the like than anything else we have on the box just now.

    Character based comedy seems to be dying out in "white" culture as everyone is too scared to use stereotypes of any kind fearing some kind of "minority backlash". There have been a few in recent years like BBCs "League of Gentlemen" that still have the courage to poke fun at whatever they feel is funny. But the long lasting effects of Mary Whitehouse are still being felt today. I do still cringe a bit at scottish jokes although, nowadays they are at least getting a bit more intellegent and picking on more than just tight, ginger, alcoholics (except maybe the simpsons).
    .::Zael::.

    "I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code."

  17. #17
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    a Yell islander once described the People of Unst to me as 'A thousand alcoholics clinging to a rock'

    In the interests of political correctness I refused to say 'he was a pot calling the kettle black' (We were on a drinking session together in a pub on Yell at the time!) but all the same i did find it funny!
    God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
    Courage to change the things I can,
    And wisdom to know the difference.

  18. #18
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    I love league of Gentleman - i liked the jobclub lady best of all - i have met a few just like her and she was great

  19. #19
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    Erm...'scuse I Mr Reghead, but when you said

    "A winter festival is for all people on Earth as we all experience the winter solstice where ever we live."

    I assume you meant to have two of those, one of them for the Aussies and other upside down people who have their winter solstice in June? Personally I think that's a great idea, as my religion (Evangelical Hedonist) decrees that two parties are always better than one.

    To be more serious, I am the last person to go around offending someone else on the basis of their race, sexual preference or whatever, but I also feel things have long gone too far. Political correctness in its milder form is just an extension of the obsolete concept of politeness. However, the current application of PC-ness is just another example of the "take a good idea and flog it to death" syndrome (no offense intended to any BDSM enthusiasts, unless of course you enjoy it). It's also an example of how things often balance out in the end. Instead of telling Irish jokes we can all chuckle at PC lunacy stories. Example: Some bureaucratic ninny employed by a London borough council (I think it was Islington but not sure) decreed that since "black" is a term with political connotations, the sign in the cafeteria would be changed to read "coffee with milk" and "coffee without milk", rather than "White coffee" or "Black coffee". Another employee's response to this was to send in a requisition for 2 dozen ballpoint pens, colour "Without milk".

  20. #20
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    Default PC

    Political, of or relating to politics.
    Correctness ,rightness, lack of error,appropriateness.

    Now I may just be an old cynic but I find things relating to politics are rarely correct or appropriate .
    I'll settle for education,common sense ,good manners and the informed judgement of my fellow man anyday.

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