The question here is whether you can call someone a cunt by proxy: “X [some offboard person] is a cunt, and you are like X.” The answer obviously is no. On the other hand, the Pit being what it is, it’s not like this is an insta-ban offense. We’ll just tell you to stop. If you keep it up, eventually you’ll get warned.
On a related subject, I realize as examples come up that mostly what I’m trying to get rid of is insults of a sexual or unusually graphic nature. Comments like “you ignorant asshole” and “you’re a bitch,” while a bit crude, don’t seem worth objecting to. “Fuck you, asshole,” on the other hand, will get you a note. Looking through the exchange above, I’d also have to say you shouldn’t call someone a dick. You can call them smarmy or supercilious or any of about fifty thousand other derogatory adjectives, though.
Are you claiming that “fuck you” is of a sexual nature? That’s not really how it generally works, etymology be damned; it’s just some fixed phrase. Same as how “Goddamnit” gets employed as a fixed phrase of exasperation with rarely so much as a moment’s thought as to the literal exhortation for the Lord to cast some object of ire down into eternal Hellfire.
Well, at least we get a little bit of clarification, however, i would like to know why “bitch” is not sexual and/or unusually graphic and “fuck you, asshole” is.
Its because bitch does not reference the human anatomy/sexuality?.
If so, would “you are shit” be permissible? or “shit” being related to human anatomy makes it off limits?.
It can’t just be because “asshole” references the human anatomy, as “you ignorant asshole” gets a pass.
Also, perhaps even moreso than with the phrase “fuck you”, calling someone a “dick” is generally not a declaration made with the connection to penises in mind. (And if calling someone an “asshole” is alright, what’s so terrible about calling them a “dick”?)
There’s a surprise: Ed had no idea what his rule was supposed to be before he created it.
Of course, he considers, “Fuck you, asshole,” to be “sexual or unusually graphic,” so it’s also clear that he still has no idea what his rule is, but for different reasons.
Honest to God Ed, I don’t understand what you’re getting at. I was pretty close to 100% certain that “dick” would be fine and if it’s not, then I simply don’t understand what want of us.
Please–I hope I’ve got a decent rep with the Mods/Admins–I’ve really only complained about maybe a half-dozen mod actions in like 9 years…help me understand.
Give a general guideline where “asshole” is ok and “dick” isn’t.
Looked like a real tour de force, though. Maybe some rainy Sunday afternoon I’ll crack a beer and come back to it. It’s Fenris, after all, and that usually means “worthwhile”, to me.
Come to thnk of it, I’m going to just “favorite” the post, and give it a home right next to DSYoungEsq’s discursion on “Faramir’s choice.” The irony pleases me.
I’m very surprised about “dick” being unacceptable. Anyone who has watched “The Daily Show” knows that it’s a common enough jibe on cable TV. If it’s okay with the FCC, why is it a problem here? “Dick” is not referring to anatomy; it’s become synonymous with “jerk” and is now a very tame epithet.
Jesus Christ, grow a pair already. Do you get the vapors when you watch the Daily Show, where they had a recurring segment calling Cheney a dick? Stewart regularly calls people dicks without any double-entendre at all. Just flat out: “He’s a dick.” And this is too rough for you?
A bitch is a female dog or an unpleasant woman. Lately it has taken on the connotation of submissive sexual partner; if that were clearly the intended meaning, we’d likely say something.
Thank you for the answers so far. I have to say that it is not as simple to follow your logic as you might think it is. However every answer is helping us.
I still don’t understand the need for the change in tone in the Pit and I say that as someone that avoids the language you seem to be targeting.
Might I ask you why dick? It is pretty darn mild. I guess if I follow your logic that I could see a phrase like “go rotate on your own dick” qualifying as sexually offensive but just saying “John Doe Poster” is a dick does not appear to be the same.
What about something like “Quit dicking us around”?
In the past, I believe, it was the policy of the administration not to give specific lists of banned and tolerated words, but just to generally apply some reason and discretion to individual cases. And things worked quite well. But with these new rules, so much confusion clearly exists that we are practically forced to demand such lists… and each new entry is a surprise! Even if the intentions were noble, such ambiguity creates such an unfortunate chilling effect as to overwhelm any positive good which could otherwise come of this policy.
snerk Y’know, I agree with little of what you post, don’t care very much about the “new” Pit rules, and mostly think Star Wars is a heap of trash, but the above made me laugh out loud. Fine imagery – thank you.
If only you’d thrown in some gratuitous invective to push the bounds of the “new” rules…it might’ve qualified as a “teaching moment” also.
