Political Correctness Defined

[Kacey]

Political Correctness


Following is the 2007 winning entry from an annual contest at Texas A&M University, calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term. This year's term was Political Correctness:



The winner wrote; "Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

 

[tellner]

Not terribly funny, Kacey.

"Political Correctness" is a term used by the Right to cover any sort of thought that isn't in lock-step with the week's official RNC Talking Points. Since it has no set definition it can be used to dismiss anything that doesn't rigidly follow the prejudices of the Limbots, Freepers and Gilded Age Let 'Em Eat Cakers.

Seriously. I've seen it used to safely pigeonhole everything from the existence of EEOC anti-discrimination regulations and women in MMA to the right to have an attorney present at questioning and Juneteenth celebrations. Accuracy in Academia has been using ot to tar economics professor for years, not just Marxists, but ones who so much as suggest that John Maynard Keynes might have had some insights.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I dunno. I laughed my *** off at it's accuracy.

 

[jks9199]

I thought it was pretty funny myself... with just enough of a ring of truth to make you think.

But that's just me, after all...

 

[Kacey]

I dunno. I laughed my *** off at it's accuracy.

That was pretty much my reaction too - too many politicians think they can convince their constituencies that their **** don't stink, as long as they spin the reporting the right way.

 

[tellner]

I really don't see any truth here at all, Bob and jks. It's just a club to beat anyone who doesn't Love Big Brother ino submission. And as a joke it falls flat because it doesn't actually refer to anything about what it's making fun of. The joke consists entirely of "They're a piece of ****". That's it. That's all there is.

It would have exactly the same humor content and rely on the same ideas to get laughs if you filled in the blank with "Christianity", "Tae Kwon Do", "Islam" or "The School Board".

 

[Bob Hubbard]

You're entitled to your opinion.
But I disagree. I think it's right on target.

 

[jks9199]

I really don't see any truth here at all, Bob and jks. It's just a club to beat anyone who doesn't Love Big Brother ino submission. And as a joke it falls flat because it doesn't actually refer to anything about what it's making fun of. The joke consists entirely of "They're a piece of ****". That's it. That's all there is.

It would have exactly the same humor content and rely on the same ideas to get laughs if you filled in the blank with "Christianity", "Tae Kwon Do", "Islam" or "The School Board".

I disagree. In fact, I think that sort of reaction to a joke like this are exactly why the concept has become a joke. Legitimate problems and concerns get lost in the shuffle when you jump on every instance...

See, for example, THIS incident where a judge in Dallas demanded an apology after an office where paperwork seemed to enter, but never leave, was described as a "black hole."

 

[TheShadow]

Political Correctness is the idea that language represents thought and that by changing it we can control thought.

Stamp out ideas unliked by branding them as bigoted or wrong headed instead of debating them on their merits.

The political version of brain washing.

 

[TheShadow]

[droning voice]This thread is politically incorrect. If you believe in political correctness you are a right wing nutter.[/droning voice]

I feel like ive been staring at a Korean POW camp slideshow.

 

[Archangel M]

See, for example, THIS incident where a judge in Dallas demanded an apology after an office where paperwork seemed to enter, but never leave, was described as a "black hole."

You have got to be ****ing kidding me.

 

[TheShadow]

You have got to be ****ing kidding me.

Believe it.

They all know what a black hole is. Its a power play.

I can gain power over you by being offended at what you say and by branding you as a bigot.

All discussion stops. Or is at least diverted.

 

[Archangel M]

Stop the world, I want to get off.

How are we ever going to have equality or racial harmony if people are going to be offended over every turn of phrase that has "black" or "white" in it?

 

[CuongNhuka]

Stop the world, I want to get off.

How are we ever going to have equality or racial harmony if people are going to be offended over every turn of phrase that has "black" or "white" in it?

The Shadow said it pretty well. Welcome to Nineteen Eightyfour. The Thought Police have been montering this coversation through your Telescreen, and will be at your door shortly for questioning the ablity of Big Brother to monitor your thoughts. Resitence is futile! Oh, wait, that last part is the Borg.

 

[TheShadow]

The parties are rolling the big guns out of their hidden bunkers.

The conservatives have religion.
:shock:

The liberals have political correctness.
:flame:

 

[shesulsa]

There are some truths worth laughing at and others we mustn't laugh at.

I think this was farking hilarious ... what we must remember, however, is that there is something terribly wrong with the state of affairs in this country and regain the diligence and service-oriented mindset it will take to right the wrongs.

We'll never get anywhere, though, with high-horse riding (your joke isn't good enough for me kinda thing) and the use of racial epithets to make sarcastic points.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

It's "PC" to have special days for every group, except white men.
Push the latter, and you're a bigot.

A guy in a wheelchair isn't a cripple anymore.
He's Handicapped.
But wait, even that's not right anymore.
He's Handi-Capable!

It's gotten ridiculous. Everything has to be race and gender neutral. Over night we lost our manhole covers, as they magically became "waste system access hatches". Kids no longer fail, they "Achieve a deficiency". There are no more Dishonest people, they are Ethically disoriented. Clumsy? No, you are Uniquely coordinated!

We've no more Broken Homes, we now have Dysfunctional Families!

There is such a thing as being respectful of everyone's differences, and then there is insanity. Soon, we'll be referring to a rape victim as an involentary sperm recipient or a child molester as a Sexually focused chronologically gifted individual.

And that my friends is so sad, it's funny.

 

[Kacey]

It's "PC" to have special days for every group, except white men.
Push the latter, and you're a bigot.

A guy in a wheelchair isn't a cripple anymore.
He's Handicapped.
But wait, even that's not right anymore.
He's Handi-Capable!

It's gotten ridiculous. Everything has to be race and gender neutral. Over night we lost our manhole covers, as they magically became "waste system access hatches". Kids no longer fail, they "Achieve a deficiency". There are no more Dishonest people, they are Ethically disoriented. Clumsy? No, you are Uniquely coordinated!

We've no more Broken Homes, we now have Dysfunctional Families!

There is such a thing as being respectful of everyone's differences, and then there is insanity. Soon, we'll be referring to a rape victim as an involentary sperm recipient or a child molester as a Sexually focused chronologically gifted individual.

And that my friends is so sad, it's funny.

Indeed... I'm no longer a Special Education Teacher, according to my district - I'm a Learning Specialist... too bad I don't get extra pay for being a specialist! I'm also no longer the building's Staffing Chair - I'm the Student Support Services Liaison (don't get extra for that one, either - but they presented the new label last year as if it would make up for the lack of money).

Students are no longer Mentally Retarded - they have Significantly Limited Intellectual Capacity (which, honestly, is less descriptive than the previous gradations of Educable, Trainable, and Severe - they are all lumped together).

And while we're on the topic of "PC" names... I'm not a hyphenated American. I am an American - that's it. I am an American who also belongs to a lot of groups - I am Jewish; I am a martial artist; I am female.... yada yada yada - but there are no hyphens in there, and no qualifications.

Along that same line, one of my neighbors is from the Bahamas; her daughter was born here. They are - in their own words - black. They are not African anything - and they don't like it when people tell them that they are.

 

[Tez3]

Not terribly funny, Kacey.

"Political Correctness" is a term used by the Right to cover any sort of thought that isn't in lock-step with the week's official RNC Talking Points. Since it has no set definition it can be used to dismiss anything that doesn't rigidly follow the prejudices of the Limbots, Freepers and Gilded Age Let 'Em Eat Cakers.

Seriously. I've seen it used to safely pigeonhole everything from the existence of EEOC anti-discrimination regulations and women in MMA to the right to have an attorney present at questioning and Juneteenth celebrations. Accuracy in Academia has been using ot to tar economics professor for years, not just Marxists, but ones who so much as suggest that John Maynard Keynes might have had some insights.

Sorry Tellner not being funny but I don't understand some of your references. I've put them in bold. It's a language thing as well as not knowing American legislation.
I did think the description was funny though.Taking the mickey out of things is a good way to deflate the ridiculous rule tyrants of this world.
Another language thing that I'm getting really bored with explaining is the 'liberal' thing! Shadow, you mean American liberals not the rest of the world liberals, totally differenet animals!

 

[TheShadow]

OK. Whatever.