# Astro, I'm calling you out. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 26, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506 "2010-01-26T13:56:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/21 "2010-01-26T21:22:20Z")
> [@bup](#): > > In my junior high, “sped” was the over-the-line insult, because our school called it “special education” and put “Sp. Ed.” on everything. I went to a county technical and vocational H.S. and the H wing of the school was for special needs (can I say that?) students. The over-the-line insult was “winger.” ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/22 "2010-01-26T21:40:07Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > I went to a county technical and vocational H.S. and the H wing of the school was for special needs (can I say that?) students. The over-the-line insult was “winger.” My son’s HS has the REACH program. Don’t know what it stands for but the other students say they’ve “reached” their limits. They also call the kids who ride the shorter special needs bus “window lickers”. My mother taught preschool special education and they had a doll in the classroom that had Down’s features. The other teachers called him Special Eddy. And don’t forget Stephen Lynch’s song about his [friend](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM5ptMHXlIw&feature=related). ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/23 "2010-01-26T22:42:43Z")
What **Tom** said. Both times. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/24 "2010-01-26T22:49:46Z")
What a load of monkey spunk. It takes a special kind of retard to type the words “I’m calling you out”, and then follow it up with the worst kind of retarded, boring, meek, retarded, banal, retarded OP. Seriously? “Ignorant asshole”? Thats it? Ignorant asshole and some shit about karma, thats all Astro gets? What sort of retarded OP is that? Couldn’t you at least have tried to form a less retarded OP? To throw in some remark about how your best friend is retarded and he is a special person who didnt deserve the word retard to be used. Or that your family is retarded and its not your familes fault they are retarded so he shouldn’t have said the word retarded. Couldn’t you have thrown some other word like retarded back at Astro, something like fat, or ginger, or kitty, and asked him how he would like to be called a fat kitty. I bet he wouldn’t like that, just like you are retarded. Racer, you didn’t even try. Why? You retarded or something? ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/25 "2010-01-26T22:56:46Z")
**bucketybuck** , I’m calling you out! You know what? Were I to make Christmas cookies this year, and mail them to people, including strangers on a message board, you’re not getting any. 'Cause you’re a meany! A meany poophead! No offense to anyone whose head is literally made out of or covered in poop. Take THAT, mister! ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/26 "2010-01-27T06:18:30Z")
This thread is so gay. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/27 "2010-01-27T07:37:11Z")
> [@bup](#): > > In my junior high, “sped” was the over-the-line insult, because our school called it “special education” and put “Sp. Ed.” on everything. At the school where my mother works, the term Special Education has been phased out for Self Contained. My only possible reasoning is that the students are generally sequestered from the rest of the school, many because they cannot handle that much stimulation. ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/28 "2010-01-27T11:07:51Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > At the school where my mother works, the term Special Education has been phased out for Self Contained. My only possible reasoning is that the students are generally sequestered from the rest of the school, many because they cannot handle that much stimulation. So now stupid kids can call each other Containers, or Tupperware. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/29 "2010-01-27T11:53:58Z")
“Jimmy’s such a … Standalone!” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/30 "2010-01-27T15:31:48Z")
[I bet engine braking is pitted next.](http://fleetowner.com/mag/fleet_whats_new_engine_2/) ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/31 "2010-01-27T23:14:54Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > This thread is so gay. Now now, there’s nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/32 "2010-01-28T00:58:37Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Now now, there’s nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade. Stop being so niggardly. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/33 "2010-01-28T01:27:36Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > After this, of course, the odds are long that there will not be an apology. Long odds on a short bus… ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/34 "2010-01-28T02:42:23Z")
Well I for one long for a world where there are even more language police, reminding us how much we’ve harmed others with careless politically incorrect phrases. Nothing would please me more than taking even more offense where none was intended. May Astro suffer extreme [del]failure[/del] success deferred in everything he does. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/35 "2010-01-28T03:16:34Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Stop being so niggardly. Yeah, no kidding. Next thing you know, he’ll be trying to jew him down on the asking price. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/36 "2010-01-28T15:38:43Z")
Do you people seriously have nothing better to do than post in this thread? Don’t you have jobs? What are you, a bunch of lazy Mexicans? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/37 "2010-01-28T17:06:45Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > … What are you, a bunch of lazy Mexicans? No. If we were, we’d be posting in Spanish. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/38 "2010-01-28T17:53:48Z")
**IMPORTANT QUESTION RE: TARDS:** OP mentions in linked thread that the families of retards are offended by the term retard. The unanswered and unasked question remains – are the tards themselves offended? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/39 "2010-01-28T18:28:34Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Long odds on a short bus… [![](http://www.imcdb.org/images/082/757.jpg) ](http://www.imcdb.org/images/082/757.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506/40 "2010-01-28T20:33:27Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I think the problem here is (in part) euphemism creep. I agree with your point, but I think it goes farther than that. Terms get appropriated because they’re useful. A general way of insulting someone is to compare them to something that has whatever quality you’re insulting them for. As a similar example, someone who wants to insult a fat person might compare them to a pig. The other part of the process here is that often words become tired as insults as they lose their initial association and become just another insult. How many people really think about the initial use of the term idiot or moron when they call someone else that? Probably not many; I imagine most just think of it as a mildly insulting word to call someone who made an apparently unintelligent choice or action. And, as such, new words get appropriated as the old ones get tired. I remember when I was a kid, retard was just about the worst thing you could call someone, but most of the time when I hear it used now, it has roughly the same impact as calling someone an idiot. That is, it’s tired, it’s worn out, and it’s all but lost it’s ties to it’s original use. The way it used to be used has been taken over by other words. And to those who take offense at it’s usage, I can imagine that it might remind you of hard times but really, unless you’re going to object to all extragerated comparisons as insults, I really don’t understand why you feel the need to fight the usage of term, especially because any actual association to the original usage is virtually gone. And for what association is still there, I also fail to see exactly why it’s someone else’s fault that it reminds you of the difficult times you’ve had with someone in your family. Is it someone else’s fault if they say “man, work murder today” and it reminds you of a family member that was murdered? It’s unreasonable to expect other people to be prepared for how a commonly used term may or may not offend others. Moreso, when a term is clearly not being used as a way to offend those who are offended, I don’t understand why people still take offense at it. Words aren’t bad, they convey meaning, and it’s the meaning that one should or should not take offense at, not the specific words that were used. It is absolutely clear from the context of the linked thread that the word was used without any reference to it’s original usage and, in all probability, that wasn’t even anywhere near the OP’s mind when it was composed. Sure, it’s probably not something that should be used in general conversation, just like most people wouldn’t say ass or bitch or any number of other off-key terms. But it’s, at worst, it’s a faux pas of not taking full account of the audience, then again how many actually do. I think a “hey, could you not use that word” type of response is fine, to make him aware his audience and allow him a chance to apologize. But a full pitting? Seriously, lighten up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astro-im-calling-you-out/526506.md?page=3)