Help Us End the R-Word

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by 3894

This isn't true. The story was started by the anthropologist Franz Boaz who noted that the Central Esquimaux. He noted there were different words for different kinds of snow. Somehow, this whole thing grew many years later - in the early 1970's. The number kept spiraling up, sort of like the Chief Seattle story that was invented by a newspaper editor in Texas. Anyway, it's [strike]gay[/strike], [strike]retarded[/strike] campy to repeat this thing about snow. Euro-Americans have only one word for snow but Esquimos have many different words for different kinds of snow perpetuates a stereotype about Native Americans being more in tune with their surroundings than the rest of us.

This isn't true. That story was stared by evangelical missionaries who upon visiting the particular Eskimo culture studied by Dr. Boaz determined that the word "snow" did in fact translate into English as "sex" and further that there we considerably more than 24 variations on the word in common use (espically during the winter months).

[3894]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

This isn't true. That story was stared by evangelical missionaries who upon visiting the particular Eskimo culture studied by Dr. Boaz determined that the word "snow" did in fact translate into English as "sex" and further that there we considerably more than 24 variations on the word in common use (espically during the winter months).

Are you busy next November and do you want to go to Philadelphia? We could give a joint paper - let's call it "The 'S' Word" - at the American Anthropological Association. Fair warning: I'll be wearing dangly ethnic earrings, a Mexican embroidered dress, and hairy legs.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by 3894

I'll be wearing dangly ethnic earrings, a Mexican embroidered dress, and hairy legs.

I'm curious, who's legs will you be wearing?

[Alex]

Originally Posted by 3894

This isn't true. The story was started by the anthropologist Franz Boaz who noted that the Central Esquimaux have different words for different kinds of snow...

And this ultimately gave rise to the relatively new word "snowclone" (which I find fun to say as well as to spot) out of the world of linguistics.

[NirvanaMan]

This whole debate is retarded.

[scaeagles]

I think people find too many things to be offended over.

[flippyshark]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I think people find too many things to be offended over.

That's true enough - but on the other hand, an awful lot of people respond to sincere requests of "please don't say/do that" with an attitude of "fvck you, I'll do it MORE now!"

I always disagree with attempts to legislate, demand or coerce changes in social behavior. I'm often in sympathy, however, with people who use a public platform to try to reasonably persuade others to be more thoughtful. I bet it's a thankless task.

[innerSpaceman]

I went through this a short while back with "That's so gay."

I used to say it all the time ... and, as a gay man, I feel I have the right. But once I got involved in gay activism, more and more people started to object (not just Gemini Cricket).


For a while I was tellilng people to get over themselves. It's a phrase that I never said meaning to insult homosexuals. Much like "moron" does not really insult retards, er, um the developmentally disabled.

In fact, just as eskimos have 24 words for snow, I was pretty insistent that "lame" was not an acceptable substitute for "gay." Lame "gay" is a particular sub-set of lame, i.e., the lameness of something inappropriately effeminate. Like C(hick)adaverous Pallor wearing a flower in her hair would not be gay, but G(uy)houlish Delight doing the same would be so gay.

Granted, the phrase stems from a negative connotation of a certain stereotypical aspect of male homosexuality .... but, like the afore-mentioned "idiot" and "moron," has moved far beyond that root meaning (but not completely).


Anyway, my roundabout point is ... it didn't matter. A lot of people I was going to be interacting with took offense at the phrase, and so I dropped it out of consideration.

And sure, the goalposts will keep moving ... and if we drop "retard" today, it's replacement might be just as offensive in 20 years. But that's 20 years of not causing offense to people who need no more grief.


So I'll drop it.





Except, of course, when referring to Kevy.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

I went through this a short while back with "That's so gay."

In one of my morphing novel/screenplay thingies, one of my characters makes the point that much of the evil that men do would disappear if it were stigmatized as gay. E.g., "The president wants to invade Iraq? What a fag."

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

"The president wants to invade Iraq? What a fag."

No thanks, we don't want him.