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So the other day, I had the following conversation:

Demi: I'm flying out to Dallas next week to do a benefit concert for an organization helping disabled kids
Girl: DISABLED? What are you, some kind of caveman?
Demi: *sarcastically* Oh, I'm sorry! PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED
Girl: Wrong again, *******! Try PAE - Physically Alternately Enabled
Demi: Excuse me?
Girl: These people aren't challenged...it makes it sound like they're at a disadvantage and we should feel sorry for them. It's a disservice to PAE citizens everywhere! So now we've started using the term Physically Alternately Enabled - they simply do things differently from the rest of us!
Demi: Are you fuking kidding me? I have to start using the term physically....what?
Girl: It's not that hard - physically alternately enabled. Or PAE for short. God, you're such a misanthrope.

Demi: jawdrop

I'm SO sick of all of these ridiculous terms being invented to avoid trying to offend anybody - it makes it impossible to use standard english without causing some form of consternation and protest.

For decades we've been subjected to revisionists telling us the words we're using are offensive. They're not Indians, they're American Indians, no they're Native Americans, no they're Indigenous Peoples, no they're "First Nations".

I was yelled at last month for using the term "Eskimo" (it's "Inuit".

I don't know what to say or how to address people anymore. And the bigger issue is that it really hides the bigger problem...it's doing nothing to actually address discrimination and stereotypes. It doesn't matter if you call black people African-Americans, Coloreds, Negros or anything else if you still won't give them a job or promote them. What difference does it make if you make racist jokes about your "African-American" employees to your children?

To Americans - is anybody else as frustrated by this trend as I am? Where is the line drawn? Should there even be a line? What effect does his have on the very issues of discrimination political correctness is meant to address? Are there any particularly new and interesting Politically Correct terms that you've come across that you found amusing/infuriating?

To non-Americans - does this phenomenon exist in your country? What has your experience been? What has the reaction been?

That wouldn't happen to be Demi Moore, by any chance?

Originally posted by demigawd
So the other day, I had the following conversation:

Demi: I'm flying out to Dallas next week to do a benefit concert for an organization helping disabled kids
Girl: DISABLED? What are you, some kind of caveman?
Demi: *sarcastically* Oh, I'm sorry! PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED
Girl: Wrong again, *******! Try PAE - Physically Alternately Enabled
Demi: Excuse me?
Girl: These people aren't challenged...it makes it sound like they're at a disadvantage and we should feel sorry for them. It's a disservice to PAE citizens everywhere! So now we've started using the term Physically Alternately Enabled - they simply do things differently from the rest of us!
Demi: Are you fuking kidding me? I have to start using the term physically....what?
Girl: It's not that hard - physically alternately enabled. Or PAE for short. God, you're such a misanthrope.

You should have asked the girl how it felt to be Physically Cognitive Deprived.

Originally posted by botankus
That wouldn't happen to be Demi Moore, by any chance?



You should have asked the girl how it felt to be Physically Cognitive Deprived.
haha, good answer.

Originally posted by botankus
That wouldn't happen to be Demi Moore, by any chance?



You should have asked the girl how it felt to be Physically Cognitive Deprived.

Other terms I've heard for disabled are: "Differently abled" and (this is my favorite) "Handi-capable".

Originally posted by demigawd
So the other day, I had the following conversation:

Demi: I'm flying out to Dallas next week to do a benefit concert for an organization helping disabled kids
Girl: DISABLED? What are you, some kind of caveman?
Demi: *sarcastically* Oh, I'm sorry! PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED
Girl: Wrong again, *******! Try PAE - Physically Alternately Enabled
Demi: Excuse me?
Girl: These people aren't challenged...it makes it sound like they're at a disadvantage and we should feel sorry for them. It's a disservice to PAE citizens everywhere! So now we've started using the term Physically Alternately Enabled - they simply do things differently from the rest of us!
Demi: Are you fuking kidding me? I have to start using the term physically....what?
Girl: It's not that hard - physically alternately enabled. Or PAE for short. God, you're such a misanthrope.

Demi: jawdrop

I'm SO sick of all of these ridiculous terms being invented to avoid trying to offend anybody - it makes it impossible to use standard english without causing some form of consternation and protest.

For decades we've been subjected to revisionists telling us the words we're using are offensive. They're not Indians, they're American Indians, no they're Native Americans, no they're Indigenous Peoples, no they're "First Nations".

I was yelled at last month for using the term "Eskimo" (it's "Inuit".

I don't know what to say or how to address people anymore. And the bigger issue is that it really hides the bigger problem...it's doing nothing to actually address discrimination and stereotypes. It doesn't matter if you call black people African-Americans, Coloreds, Negros or anything else if you still won't give them a job or promote them. What difference does it make if you make racist jokes about your "African-American" employees to your children?

To Americans - is anybody else as frustrated by this trend as I am? Where is the line drawn? Should there even be a line? What effect does his have on the very issues of discrimination political correctness is meant to address? Are there any particularly new and interesting Politically Correct terms that you've come across that you found amusing/infuriating?

To non-Americans - does this phenomenon exist in your country? What has your experience been? What has the reaction been?

You have the wonderful Democrats and Liberals to thank for that. PC = downfall of america. Like I said Democrats hate freedom of speech.

Originally posted by KidRock
You have the wonderful Democrats and Liberals to thank for that. PC = downfall of america. Like I said Democrats hate freedom of speech.
Wait, so you don't think the US will be an ever-lasting superpower?

Originally posted by Eis
Wait, so you don't think the US will be an ever-lasting superpower?

Either that, or it'll become Canada...

Originally posted by KidRock
You have the wonderful Democrats and Liberals to thank for that. PC = downfall of america. Like I said Democrats hate freedom of speech.

oh jeeez, just shut up would you?

PC Update: no more "fanboys."
It's...
Literary
Information
Character
Enthusiasts

Originally posted by Mindship
PC Update: no more "fanboys."
It's...
Literary
Information
Character
Enthusiasts

LICE!

Originally posted by Jedi Priestess
oh jeeez, just shut up would you?

LoL is that supposed to accentuate his point further


PC is retarded

Originally posted by soleran30
LoL is that supposed to accentuate his point further


PC is retarded

ZOMG LOLZ!!!! that made no sense

Originally posted by PVS
ZOMG LOLZ!!!! that made no sense


however your piece was a nice contribution

Originally posted by PVS
ZOMG LOLZ!!!! that made no sense
It kinda did.

Originally posted by demigawd

....I'm SO sick of all of these ridiculous terms being invented to avoid trying to offend anybody - it makes it impossible to use standard english without causing some form of consternation and protest....

I hear that. Every time someone feels offended that I wasn't PC, **** 'em. I speak any way I want to. I'll use mentally disabled or challenged...just to be polite, telling a retard that he's a retard is just insulting.

Othe than that, if someone corrects me to be more PC, they get a stern '**** YOU'.

Originally posted by botankus
That wouldn't happen to be Demi Moore, by any chance?



You should have asked the girl how it felt to be Physically Cognitive Deprived.

this whole point is based on a false dichotomy, that political correctness is just this.

political correctness can simply mean not using racial slurs, not discriminating against those who are different, and just overall allowing everyone to exist in our society without being f***ed with and insulted for no reason other than that they're different.

but some take it way to far and uselessly alter terminology, and add a bunch of syllables, seemingly as a means of just controlling the way we speak.
but the media puts this general spin on the topic and their drooling servants regurgitate their very thought. not just words, and opinions, but actual patterns of thoughts (political corectness---> obnoxious new terminology)

so it turns into a black and white issue, like everything else. this way its easy and you can pick a team to cheer for and one to boo at, and you dont have to think about that pesky gray area (the real issue a.k.a. reality)

Originally posted by Jedi Priestess
oh jeeez, just shut up would you?

Lol see..just trying to sufficate freedom of speech.

just because you are allowed to say whatever you want (for the most part) doesn't mean you should. Verbal defication is still defecation kidrock.
as for the original topic, that's mentally challenged. Wait, that wasn't politically correct....
I meant to say retarded

Politically Correct or perhaps Social Sensitive Speech is still there despite so called "political" misgivings the approach to please as many people as possible or not upset is a better way to say it.

Its stupid its not going away and the constant semantics battle once again is just stupid.

Originally posted by Arachnoidfreak
I'll use mentally disabled or challenged...just to be polite, telling a retard that he's a retard is just insulting.


This comment is a microcosm of the problems with this issue. The area of 'difference' can only ever be treated primarily as just that, as long as it is regarded as either end of a scale. It doesn't matter what you say as long as you still have the underlying bias- 'telling a retard that he's a retard'.


Originally posted by Darth Jello
Verbal defication is still defecation kidrock.


You learn fast. Only two intermediary words passed before you learned how to spell the word; sadly, you still left the original error.

not the point, smartass

Originally posted by Darth Jello
not the point, smartass

I prefer the term posteriorly gifted.

Originally posted by Victor Von Doom
This comment is a microcosm of the problems with this issue. The area of 'difference' can only ever be treated primarily as just that, as long as it is regarded as either end of a scale. It doesn't matter what you say as long as you still have the underlying bias- 'telling a retard that he's a retard'.

HA! I was hoping someone would catch that! And I thought it would be you or AC. Very good.

You're right, that is the exact problem and as long that underlying sometimes-hard-to-spot bias attitude remains, being politically correct means nothing.

I'm glad you caught that. It's the thought pattern (sadly) of many..if not most Americans.

Anyway, I'm off to film class now.

Yea... it can be a pain...

Originally posted by KidRock
You have the wonderful Democrats and Liberals to thank for that. PC = downfall of america. Like I said Democrats hate freedom of speech.

Which is, of course, why it's Bush and his administration that's trying to take away our rights.



Anyway, people like the one in the first post are just taking PC waaaaaaay too far. And it's kind of ridiculous, I think.

That girl needs a ****ing dick, bad.

Originally posted by BackFire
That girl needs a ****ing dick, bad.

That would be Male Sexual Organ.

Oh, and you should have called the retarded kids "****ing drooling idiots" just to piss her off. People like that really need to go shut their mouths and know that no one but them cares about their rhetoric.

Oh I hate political correctness.....surprised?

Another good one is: Extremely prolific and able truth weaver.

-AC

Just to throw some more oil into the fire:

Her logic: By conditioning people to change their words, it forces them to think about the terms they use, and by extension, the way they view others. And only by becoming conscious of that will people really start to modify their underlying bias that causes them to use "inappropriate" terms in the first place.

Essentially - when you go home tonight, and you see a physically alternately enabled person, you're going to actually think about who they are simply by virtue of participating in this thread. The classic pink elephant syndrome.

Would she be correct?

It's better to treat them with the respect they deserve regarding their disability than to tip toe around it like they're some little kid.

They've accepted being crippled, why should we now use kid gloves? If they can get over it then I sure as hell am not going to let it bother me. Why should I pretend to not notice that they're crippled? It won't give them their legs back.

-AC

Well one thing it has done is indeed increased my levels of awareness to the absolute ****ing levels of idiocy associated with PC and makes me want to bash those that further this nonsense.

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
It's better to treat them with the respect they deserve regarding their disability than to tip toe around it like they're some little kid.

They've accepted being crippled, why should we now use kid gloves? If they can get over it then I sure as hell am not going to let it bother me. Why should I pretend to not notice that they're crippled? It won't give them their legs back.

-AC

She's not saying to pretend they're not handi-capable. She's saying to not treat them like they're some kind of pity case. That's fine, but I take issue with the notion that somehow changing a term accomplishes such a feat.

You can either say, "Get on the bus yourself, you cripple. I did." or you can say, "Aww, you poor little physically alternately enabled person. Let me help you".

Which is worse?

Originally posted by demigawd
She's not saying to pretend they're not handi-capable. She's saying to not treat them like they're some kind of pity case. That's fine, but I take issue with the notion that somehow changing a term accomplishes such a feat.

You can either say, "Get on the bus yourself, you cripple. I did." or you can say, "Aww, you poor little physically alternately enabled person. Let me help you".

Which is worse?

Neither, both are as bad.

Making them feel singled out for your own "good" is still making them feel singled out. To imply that they warrant a change in OUR acts is to imply that they are these vastly different creatures, which is as bad.

-AC

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
Neither, both are as bad.

Making them feel singled out for your own "good" is still making them feel singled out. To imply that they warrant a change in OUR acts is to imply that they are these vastly different creatures, which is as bad.

-AC

And yet, by human nature, you ARE going to notice that they're different from most of the rest of us. Are you so enlightened that you genuinely wouldn't notice a disabled person trying to hobble their way up a flight of stairs? And if you do notice...what goes through your head?

I think it's clear that PC is counter-productive. The main annoying aspect is that the most vociferous are usually disinterested parties, who patronise certain groups by speaking for them, and compounding that by saying something idiotic.

The only outcomes are that the perpetrators look idiotic, and that there will be a reaction at the other end of the scale about 'PC gone mad', which usually descends into bigotry.

There should be no need to skirt around the issue clumsily, because it shouldn't really be an issue in the first place. Obviously in the case of the disabled, there is often the need for extra facilities such as ramps or other equipment. There's no need to treat that as anything other than a simple fact, and a requirement.

It brings to mind for me the Ricky Gervais joke about 'spastics', where he suggests that the word no longer has any effect because The Spastics Society changed its name to Scope, and the idea that people might just say 'Oi, Scopey' instead.

Originally posted by demigawd
And yet, by human nature, you ARE going to notice that they're different from most of the rest of us. Are you so enlightened that you genuinely wouldn't notice a disabled person trying to hobble their way up a flight of stairs? And if you do notice...what goes through your head?

That they are a disabled human. Big deal, it happens. I'd offer help of course if they looked like they were struggling, but if they insist they're ok then that's up to them. I'm not gonna stand and stare because it's nothing out of the ordinary to me.

Like someone with a hairstyle you don't see everyday. Just look, instinctively think "Oh, look" for about a millisecond and then continue about my day.

-AC

Anyone see the episode of Penn and Teller's bullshit that was about PC?

Yup seen them all however I cannot remember which episode was PC...................seeing as how they pretty much attack that notion on all their shows

Originally posted by KidRock
PC = downfall of america.


Oh come on, that's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? Not calling someone a ****** or a retard is going to bring America to it's knees? That's such bullshit.

Now, I despise political correctness, but to make this leap is ricockulous.

Originally posted by demigawd
So the other day, I had the following conversation:

Demi: I'm flying out to Dallas next week to do a benefit concert for an organization helping disabled kids
Girl: DISABLED? What are you, some kind of caveman?
Demi: *sarcastically* Oh, I'm sorry! PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED
Girl: Wrong again, *******! Try PAE - Physically Alternately Enabled
Demi: Excuse me?
Girl: These people aren't challenged...it makes it sound like they're at a disadvantage and we should feel sorry for them. It's a disservice to PAE citizens everywhere! So now we've started using the term Physically Alternately Enabled - they simply do things differently from the rest of us!
Demi: Are you fuking kidding me? I have to start using the term physically....what?
Girl: It's not that hard - physically alternately enabled. Or PAE for short. God, you're such a misanthrope.

Demi: jawdrop

I'm SO sick of all of these ridiculous terms being invented to avoid trying to offend anybody - it makes it impossible to use standard english without causing some form of consternation and protest.

For decades we've been subjected to revisionists telling us the words we're using are offensive. They're not Indians, they're American Indians, no they're Native Americans, no they're Indigenous Peoples, no they're "First Nations".

I was yelled at last month for using the term "Eskimo" (it's "Inuit".

I don't know what to say or how to address people anymore. And the bigger issue is that it really hides the bigger problem...it's doing nothing to actually address discrimination and stereotypes. It doesn't matter if you call black people African-Americans, Coloreds, Negros or anything else if you still won't give them a job or promote them. What difference does it make if you make racist jokes about your "African-American" employees to your children?

To Americans - is anybody else as frustrated by this trend as I am? Where is the line drawn? Should there even be a line? What effect does his have on the very issues of discrimination political correctness is meant to address? Are there any particularly new and interesting Politically Correct terms that you've come across that you found amusing/infuriating?

To non-Americans - does this phenomenon exist in your country? What has your experience been? What has the reaction been?


I don't understand. Why can't everybody be as smart as this guy? He's absolutely right. PC? More like BS. And what's interesting is that I've never seen PC be used by the people it's designed not to offend. From my experience an "African American" will always refer to himself as a black man. Political correctness is retarded and unnecessary. The problem isn't folks like us who like to talk like non-retards, the problem is the people who are too easily offended. That anybody would ever attempt to appease such wankers instead of telling them to piss off is what I find offensive. And of course there's the facts that PC is an attempt at mind-control and oppressing freedom of speech and opinion.

Originally posted by Uberking Robert
I don't understand. Why can't everybody be as smart as this guy? He's absolutely right. PC? More like BS. And what's interesting is that I've never seen PC be used by the people it's designed not to offend. From my experience an "African American" will always refer to himself as a black man. Political correctness is retarded and unnecessary. The problem isn't folks like us who like to talk like non-retards, the problem is the people who are too easily offended. That anybody would ever attempt to appease such wankers instead of telling them to piss off is what I find offensive. And of course there's the facts that PC is an attempt at mind-control and oppressing freedom of speech and opinion.

what makes even less sense is that the very opponents of political correctness always tend to be republicans, yet...you never hear a republican politician display the gumption it takes to not use political correctness. I think the whole "democrats created political correctness" thing is a bullshit myth. Politicians created political correctness, not just liberals.

Originally posted by botankus
That wouldn't happen to be Demi Moore, by any chance?



You should have asked the girl how it felt to be Physically Cognitive Deprived.
Snap.

Post of the week.

Sounds to me like people are more upset with the prevention the political correctness process creates cause it causes one not to say whatever they want no matter if it offends or not.

I was led to say this when I read the posts in here with people saying, to a certain degree, "I hate trying to make someone comfortable. I'm not so why should they be." But if you feel you don't give a rats glu-teous maxi-mus (lol) if you offend or not, then hey, have at it. It's your right. However unclassy it is.

Originally posted by Capt_Fantastic
Oh come on, that's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? Not calling someone a ****** or a retard is going to bring America to it's knees? That's such bullshit.

Now, I despise political correctness, but to make this leap is ricockulous.

It starts small and grows. No congressman will stand up to illegal immigration in the south because he will be thought a bigot that hates mexicans by the PC asshats.

Originally posted by KidRock
It starts small and grows. No congressman will stand up to illegal immigration in the south because he will be thought a bigot that hates mexicans by the PC asshats.

You mean, like George W Bush saying that all illegal immigrants in the country before his first election should be made permanent, legal residents? Your true grasp of the politics of your own party are revealed in this post. Karl Rove, knowing that the hispanic population is fast becoming the physical majority in this nation catered to that fact, and managed to get the election close enough to cheat on. Plain and simple.

Originally posted by Capt_Fantastic
You mean, like George W Bush saying that all illegal immigrants in the country before his first election should be made permanent, legal residents? Your true grasp of the politics of your own party are revealed in this post. Karl Rove, knowing that the hispanic population is fast becoming the physical majority in this nation catered to that fact, and managed to get the election close enough to cheat on. Plain and simple.

And then Bush made a plan to gather all the illegal immigrants, remove them from the U.S. and build a freakin fence to keep them out. A little backwards, I'd think, since you'd want to prevent more from getting in, and THEN get the ones trapped in, out.

Out: "hate"
In: "do not prefer"

republican pundit on the daily show when jon stewart asked if the illegal immigrant leniancey was just a cynical voting ploy: "yes, sp*cs are the new black!!!"

I ****ing love that show.

I guess I'm black now.

Originally posted by demigawd
So the other day, I had the following conversation:

Demi: I'm flying out to Dallas next week to do a benefit concert for an organization helping disabled kids
Girl: DISABLED? What are you, some kind of caveman?
Demi: *sarcastically* Oh, I'm sorry! PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED
Girl: Wrong again, *******! Try PAE - Physically Alternately Enabled
Demi: Excuse me?
Girl: These people aren't challenged...it makes it sound like they're at a disadvantage and we should feel sorry for them. It's a disservice to PAE citizens everywhere! So now we've started using the term Physically Alternately Enabled - they simply do things differently from the rest of us!
Demi: Are you fuking kidding me? I have to start using the term physically....what?
Girl: It's not that hard - physically alternately enabled. Or PAE for short. God, you're such a misanthrope.

Demi: jawdrop

I'm SO sick of all of these ridiculous terms being invented to avoid trying to offend anybody - it makes it impossible to use standard english without causing some form of consternation and protest.

For decades we've been subjected to revisionists telling us the words we're using are offensive. They're not Indians, they're American Indians, no they're Native Americans, no they're Indigenous Peoples, no they're "First Nations".

I was yelled at last month for using the term "Eskimo" (it's "Inuit".

I don't know what to say or how to address people anymore. And the bigger issue is that it really hides the bigger problem...it's doing nothing to actually address discrimination and stereotypes. It doesn't matter if you call black people African-Americans, Coloreds, Negros or anything else if you still won't give them a job or promote them. What difference does it make if you make racist jokes about your "African-American" employees to your children?

To Americans - is anybody else as frustrated by this trend as I am? Where is the line drawn? Should there even be a line? What effect does his have on the very issues of discrimination political correctness is meant to address? Are there any particularly new and interesting Politically Correct terms that you've come across that you found amusing/infuriating?

To non-Americans - does this phenomenon exist in your country? What has your experience been? What has the reaction been?

we have some people who get pedantic about it here in Australia, but as a whole we're pretty good. i do however, agree with you. there is a point where, as Butters to beautifully put it, you can call a spade an icecream machine, but its still a spade.