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Five Dirty Words


Ashin
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On the wild frontier called internet, it is common for people to say something offensive but subsequently declare that it is "okay" because they "don't mean it like that." I've always believed that if you don't mean something, you shouldn't say it. Likewise, when you say something, mean it. Some of these are so broadly used that you may have stopped thinking about them. So, I want to alert you of my expectations regarding language use.

 

1. Faggot (or variations).

 

2. Nigger (or variations).

I don't care what you think you "mean" when you use these words. They have no place here. If someone is being an asshole, just call them that. If someone is your friend, just call them that. Say what you mean and drop the ugly context of these words. I chose the n-word because it is the one most commonly covered by the "don't mean it like that" blanket. But, to be clear, I tolerate no racial slurs.

 

3. Rape (or variations).

Gamers love to rape things. It seems like every time they win, they rape. But this word has a specific meaning and it, too, is ugly. Casual use of this word is not female-friendly nor is it socially comfortable to me.

 

4. Retarded (or variations).

I used to say this all the time until I had a roommate that worked with the mentally handicapped. It's the same as fag really - you're denigrating a group of people because you couldn't come up with a better vocabulary word. Our language has thousands of more interesting or creative ways for you to describe how you feel; pick one.

 

5. "That's gay."

There are definitely times in life when we encounter things that are exceedingly gay, and they should be identified as such. For example, I think that pink elephant on the Delirium bottle is pretty gay. So are the two main characters in Supernatural. But when you think something is stupid, please say that it's stupid, not that it's gay. The gays have already been told that their immortal souls are burning in hell; they don't need to be blamed for bad game design on top of this.

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Thank you for this.

We've become so desensitized by the plethora of images and sound bytes that assault us every day that we forget -- language matters. But we're fortunate to speak a highly elastic tongue, with one of the largest lexicons on earth.

I'd like to add something if I may.... calling someone a "douche" or any of its derivatives is tasteless, crass, and well, offensive. I think folks could find another way to express their discontent w/ someone without resorting to insulting/offending half the population (even if they are unaware of the slight).

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