I’m not sure this is relevant, but as I read this I thought how fun it would be to bite into a “Thick Dick” (sandwich, of course). Do we need to get a trademark on that one? Actually, just saying it out loud and ordering it in front of people would be kinda hysterical. “I’m famished, let’s go get a Thick Dick and a soda!”
I was right there with you until you compared dyke to nigger and cheap Jew. How many times does it need to be said that they are completely different. It’s like comparing Sadamn Hussein to Hitler.
PS. You are right, the fat dyke is newer. I ddn’t know how it came about though.
Saddam and Adolph are both bad guys.
Dyke and nigger are both commonly used as bad names.
Sure, I’m over-simplifying, but I’m not understanding your point at all.
I propose a field study. Take a clipboard and pen, brickbacon, and stand on a random street corner in a commercial district. As a woman approaches, shout “Fat Bitch” or “Fat Dyke”. Alternate the terms you use, so as to offer each exclamation an equal number of times. Vary your approach by shouting “Fat Bitch” even when a very thin woman is walking by you. Mark your responses on your clipboard for as long as you still have working fingers and the pen is not lodged in your body. 
FTR, I find the terms offensive.
FaerieBeth (not gay, curvy/buxom, not a big fan of greasy sandwiches)
Seconded. Likewise I see no problem with a “Fat Son of A Bitch Sandwich” or a “Fat Bastard” sandwich. Now, I think the “Fat Dyke” is pushing it a bit but that’s mostly just because I don’t see “dyke” as occupying the same area of the vernacular; certainly not to the degree that it should require any response from the University. Those who are truly bothered can go up to the trucks, lodge their complaint and withhold their patronage. If the numbers are sufficient the name will likely be changed. If not, they’ll pay for their choice with a loss of business.
FTR, I agree with everything else you wrote. It seems like the name fat dyke was pushing it. However, I find it very annoying that people think comparing [insert racial slur] to the word nigger is a valid argument for the inappropriateness of the former. I just seems like an unnecessary and fallacious argument. There was a thread a while back about the term gyp (as in con or cheat). Somebody makes a valid argument that it’s offensive to Gypsies. Then, someone comes around saying, “well of course it’s wrong just like calling someone a nigger is.”
The ladder term is more offensive by several orders of magnitude. To compare them is not an honest debating tactic or comparison.
“Dyke” IS different from “nigger”, but that doesn’t meant it’s not offensive and can’t be just AS offensive to an individual. Dyke is an offensive word, period. You don’t have to compare it to other words to establish whether or not it’s hurtful.
I hear “nigga” at two o’clock in the morning too. Doesn’t mean I’d be okay if I saw Fat Nigga on a menu.
Agreed. I wasn’t the one making the comparison. I’m not trying to say dyke isn’t offensive, just that comparing the two is ridiculous.
I disagree. Now, I do agree that “nigger” is a stronger word than “dyke,” with (generally speaking) more implicit hatred, not just the derision that both share. But I don’t think that’s a salient point in this context. It strikes me as claiming “offensiver than thou,” when the crux of the matter isn’t which is more offensive, but that both are offensive.
maybe it’s needlessly prolonging the controversey, but i’d consider using “dyke” to be on-par offensive as using “nigger” or whatever derivatives you care to name. to me both terms imply a strong degree of hate-fulness. Just Not Done. and i’d be pretty affronted to see a “Fat Bitch” on a menu, too. never been anywhere remotely near the trucks or campus, so my withholding my patronage can’t be much of an issue – but i think i’d certainly speak my mind, loudly and angrily, if ever confronted with such rude postings.
(not gay. somewhat overweight. bitchy in my own right at times, but i don’t think the world needs to be taught that the word is just “okay to use whenever you want.”)
To my ears, “dyke” is also on par with “nigger.” I don’t consider it a mild pejoritive at all…it’s very nasty and pointed. It may have to do with what context I hear that word in, but it’s usually something like “that stupid fucking dyke.” It’s up there with “cunt” for me, but YMMV.
Maybe the sandwich was invented by an obese lesbian, and she came up with the name herself?
The ‘D’ word is one of those amusing selectively offensive words depending on who is saying the word. I think it would be hilarious if the LGBT is getting all in a huff over nothing. Perhaps they should get checked for leg spasms.
I’m just glad I missed the “Stupid Cunt” burger. Whee daddy, that one would bring on thermonuclear devastation.
They both seems a little bit much, to me. If I was hanging out with some people that found the words “Fat Bitch” the height of hilarity and kept calling stuff that, I’d probably tell them they were contributing to a world where men and women have antagonistic relationships. I’d also tell them it wasn’t that funny.
To me, it’s kind of like using “gay” to mean “bad” or “lame.” I know it’s not meant as a slur, but it is grating and really doesn’t help things. There are plenty of other words to use that don’t denigrate a whole class of people. Using the term “bitch” casually reminds me of too many of my guy friends that refer to their girlfriends, coworkers, classmates and passing women on the street as “bitches” or “hos” or whatever as some sort of male bonding thing. It sets up an us vs. them mentality and frankly this is the last thing we need on college campuses.
From http://uhce.rutgers.edu/h-student.html.
IMHO, the grease trucks are supporting an environment of homophobia and sexism, and there’s no way in hell they would be able to get away with it at any of the three universities I’ve attended, tradition be damned.
Does anyone see “Fat Dyke” on par with “Fat Faggot”? I do, and the only reason “Fat Faggot” would be any better is because it’s alliterative.