# Define "Politically Correct" + Give 2 examples in your life worth raging at **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 15, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993 "2018-10-15T18:03:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/21 "2018-10-15T20:21:44Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > FWIW, I think it’s the wrong approach. When a word is made to seem evil, bad, or outlawed you give it and the concept behind it power. You can say this with equal panache whether you’re sitting in a fine upholstered Edwardian chair, smoking a pipe in front of your leatherbound books, or puffing a cigar in your Lazy-Boy with Fox News playing in the background. As long as you’ve no skin in the game, as long as you’ve never been on the ass end of the social imbalance, as long as you’re just commenting from on high about things that don’t affect you, the optics are just spiffy. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/22 "2018-10-15T20:26:41Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > You can say this with equal panache whether you’re sitting in a fine upholstered Edwardian chair, smoking a pipe in front of your leatherbound books, or puffing a cigar in your Lazy-Boy with Fox News playing in the background. As long as you’ve no skin in the game, as long as you’ve never been on the ass end of the social imbalance, as long as you’re just commenting from on high about things that don’t affect you, the optics are just spiffy. So educate me. How is PC saving the world? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/23 "2018-10-15T20:36:23Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > So educate me. How is PC saving the world? PC isn’t saving the world, but calling people out when they’re being assholes is making the world a much better place for minorities. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/24 "2018-10-15T20:43:57Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > PC isn’t saving the world, but calling people out when they’re being assholes is making the world a much better place for minorities. So the solution to assholes is more assholes. Got it ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/25 "2018-10-15T20:48:49Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > So the solution to assholes is more assholes. Calling out an asshole automatically makes one an asshole? Got it. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/26 "2018-10-15T20:50:25Z")
I’m not the OP, but so far no one has actually done the second part of the title: > [@](#): > > …Give 2 examples in _your_ life worth raging at. (emphasis mine) Sadly, I have never been the victim of the PC police, from what I can recall. I’ve never lost my job for telling inappropriate jokes at work or being a racist asshole. It’s probably because I don’t tell those jokes at work or (I don’t think I) am a racist asshole. I kind of feel left out. Reading posts by many conservatives here, as a straight white guy I should really feel under siege by the PC police, but no one has gone after me yet. I just sit here and live my upper middle class life in peace. Darn. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/27 "2018-10-15T20:51:00Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > So the solution to assholes is more assholes. > > Got it Well, you’ve certainly got “being an asshole” down, that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/28 "2018-10-15T20:54:43Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > PC isn’t saving the world, but calling people out when they’re being assholes is making the world a much better place for minorities. If one thinks women are being treated poorly than giving money, volunteering, and sitting on the board of a women’s shelter is helpful. If one thinks disabled kids have it rough, than donating the materials and time to build fences at a Therapeutic Riding Center is helpful. 99% of PC activism is empty virtue signaling. Perhaps it’s even negative, as it allows PC warriors to: 1: feel good and superior to the other lesser folk they “call out.” 1. Excuse them from actually doing something meaningful. Like I said, mildly annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/29 "2018-10-15T20:56:18Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Well, you’ve certainly got “being an asshole” down, that’s for sure. That’s so brave. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/30 "2018-10-15T20:58:35Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > Calling out an asshole automatically makes one an asshole? > > Got it. Pretty much. Seriously. Think it through. What is admirable about getting into a pissing contest with a skunk? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/31 "2018-10-15T20:59:28Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > women forced to close a burrito shop because of PC-ness From a link in your own linked article about this story: > [@](#): > > […] Kooks Burritos owners Kali Wilgus and Liz “LC” Connelly said they developed their menus in part by picking “the brains of every tortilla lady there [Puerto Nuevo, Mexico] in the worst broken Spanish ever,” and this description of its research practices as well as other comments within the article spurred editorials and debates across the internet. > > The Mic news website bought national attention to Kooks Burritos with its coverage, titled, “These white cooks bragged about stealing recipes from Mexico to start a Portland business.” It reads, “The problem, of course, is that it’s unclear whether the Mexican women who handed over their recipes ever got anything in return.” IOW, nobody was “forced” to close the pop-up burrito cart. They got negative publicity from people who didn’t like their business practices and became unpopular as a result. What’s your objection to people publicly criticizing business practices they disapprove of? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/32 "2018-10-15T21:01:14Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > Pretty much. Seriously. Think it through. What is admirable about getting into a pissing contest with a skunk? It’s not “getting into a pissing contest with a skunk”, it’s correctly identifying a skunk as a skunk. There’s nothing particularly admirable about correctly identifying a skunk, but there’s nothing assholish about it either. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/33 "2018-10-15T21:02:20Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > Pretty much. Seriously. Think it through. What is admirable about getting into a pissing contest with a skunk? As opposed to pretending the skunk doesn’t stink and that there is no malingering odor after it leaves? ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/34 "2018-10-15T21:03:45Z")
It can also make it difficult and inadvisable for people to have frank and important conversations for fear of running afoul of whatever is currently the offends me flavor of the week, dampening actual communication, and increasing social rifts ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/35 "2018-10-15T21:06:02Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > It can also make it difficult and inadvisable for people to have frank and important conversations for fear of running afoul of whatever is currently the offends me flavor of the week, dampening actual communication, and increasing social rifts More of that old “I am highly offended that you didn’t talk nice to me while I was spewing hate” bullshit? Stuff it. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/36 "2018-10-15T21:08:32Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > 99% of PC activism is empty virtue signaling. Perhaps it’s even negative, as it allows PC warriors to: > > 1: feel good and superior to the other lesser folk they “call out.” > > 1. Excuse them from actually doing something meaningful. > > Like I said, mildly annoying. [Opposing viewpoint:](https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-to-call-out-casual-racism/) > [@](#): > > Some well-meaning folks think if we stop talking about racism, it’ll magically disappear, like the smell of an errant fart. But like a fart, people might try to be polite and ignore it but everyone knows it’s there. Avoidance has never been a great tactic in solving any problem. For most situations in life, not addressing what’s going on only makes matters worse. You may find it annoying for people to discuss racism or other bigotry in public, but that doesn’t mean you’re right about its being “empty” or “negative”. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/37 "2018-10-15T21:13:14Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > It can also make it difficult and inadvisable for people to have frank and important conversations for fear of running afoul of whatever is currently the offends me flavor of the week, dampening actual communication, and increasing social rifts How? Do you have an actual specific example of this? Because I personally have not had any problem having frank and important conversations all the damn time, and I’m perplexed at why you think current mores are “dampening communication” and “increasing social rifts”. They may be increasing **your awareness** of existing social rifts, but that’s a good thing, right? If a problem exists, you want to be aware of it, yeah? ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/38 "2018-10-15T21:18:08Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > As opposed to pretending the skunk doesn’t stink and that there is no malingering odor after it leaves? Your first post was to call me an asshole. Pretty much proving my point. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/39 "2018-10-15T21:23:34Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > Your first post was to call me an asshole. Pretty much proving my point. You proved my point-I merely stated the obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993/40 "2018-10-15T21:24:37Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > PC is denying reality and attempting to silence others in order to advance an ideological orthodoxy. Ooh, that _does_ sound bad! Got any examples? :rolleyes: In reality, “political correctness” exists solely as a buzzword. It’s a replacement for an argument, usually used by assholes. What does it mean? Well, it means _whatever the asshole wants it to_. You’d rather that people not make rape jokes? That’s “PC”. You’d like people to care about the wage gap? That’s “PC”. You want to talk about basically any social issue and how it relates to video games, particularly feminism or rape culture? That’s “PC” _and_ you’re a “cuck”. (And you’d better hope your infosec is really good, because 4chan has _entirely_ too much time on its collective hands.) If the term ever had meaning, that meaning is lost to overuse by the bullshit brigade. And _of course_ if you [ask people about it in polls](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/large-majorities-dislike-political-correctness/572581/), they’re going to think negatively of it - it’s a snarl word. It’s like asking people what they think of “feminazis” or “social justice warriors” - the meaning is inherently negative because _it’s designed to be_. What it actually _means_, though? It’s such a broad, vague term (by design) that it could mean anything. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-politically-correct-give-2-examples-in-your-life-worth-raging-at/822993.md?page=3)