In this thread Miller warned (not a formal warning) devilsknew:
I’m not concerned with whether the note or whatever it is was justified but I’m confused that it’d be considered a sexual insult. The phrase “fuck you” has transcended its literal meaning. It’s as if “Go to hell” was labeled a religious insult.
That’s about it.
Gotta agree with the OP here. “Fuck you” isn’t a sexual insult, and depending on context can even be a friendly compliment.
There are a number of posters here from whom I would cheerfully accept an offer that they fuck me.
For whatever reason, the administration here really doesn’t like the insults “fuck you/go fuck yourself” and have specifically mentioned them as things you’re not allowed to say to people.
Again, I’m not really that concerned with whether they’re allowed. I just don’t think they should be labeled sexual insults, because they aren’t.
If they’re being supposedly sexual is the only reason they’re banned, then that should be examined, too, but that’s for another thread.
Cunt and prick aren’t really sexual insults. In general usage, they mean asshole.
Is cocksucker a sexual insult? That kinda means asshole too.
Fuck you really means “you suck” but not really sucking in a sexual sense.
Now go fuck yourself is sort of sexual, even though it’s damn near impossible. Not that I tried (more than once.)
What about motherfucker? That usually means low-life, but what’s so bad about fucking mothers?
An old boss of mine use to walk by, and say “Fuck you, user_hostile.” Ribald, perhaps, but that’s how this guy from Philadelphia would express affection to all of his employees. You would worry if he didn’t say anything coarse.
The term sexual insults simply means those that use words connected with sex, such as fuck, cunt, etc. It’s irrelevant that the term has no sexual implications in the insult.
Then why isn’t the word fuck banned? “You fucking piece of shit!” isn’t disallowed in the pit.
And before anyone attempts to attach sexual meaning to “fuck you” as opposed to “you fucking piece of shit” - the phrase no longer means anything sexual. When I say “fuck you” to someone and the smug asshat responds “No thank you!” I have the same reaction as if I’d told that person to go to hell and they responded “I’m an atheist! Hardy har har!” That is, completely disbelief in the stupidity of that response.
This is all just an excuse to say fuck and cunt a lot.
That’s also what I thought the term “sexual insults” meant. They use words that refer to a sexual act.
Blank Slate said:
The intended implication is that you fuck your own mother, not that you fuck women who happen to be mothers.
“Sexual based insults” is just my shorthand for the list of terms Ed has deemed unacceptable when aimed at another poster. If you look at the list here, it’s mostly (except for “cunt”) a list of vulgar expressions for sex acts. It’s not an inclusive list, and insults that aren’t specifically listed there are still allowed. If there’s a feeling that my use of the phrase creates genuine confusion over what is and is not permitted, I’ll stop using the term. If the issue here is simply, “‘Fuck you’ doesn’t literally mean 'fuck you,” well, I guess I don’t particularly disagree, but I don’t think the semantics of it really effects the moderation of the board one way or the other.
AClockworkMelon said:
Isn’t that response intended as a way to disable the insult, to turn it on the insulter? The insulter is all worked up and wanting to make the insultee feel bad/upset or react, so the insultee changes the context and then laughs it off, thereby leaving the insulter the one looking/feeling bad.
You’re mad at me, but I blew off your insult, so now you’re madder and I’m still not affected.
It’s just the adult form of “I’m rubber and you’re glue”.
Well, you know what they say-familiarity breeds.
Snort!
I don’t think that is the intended implication at all. It may have been the core of the insult to begin with, but one uses motherfucker now, the original meaning is long gone. It’s like the expression son of a bitch. If you call someone that, you are not really insulting his mother. The insult is to the person you are addressing, not to his mother.
Cocksucker is another example. It may have been meant to imply that a person was gay, but that is not even an accurate description of the literal meaning. I have heard insects called cocksuckers. Give me a break. The meaning has changed. And it certainly, in the literal sense, does not apply to gay men only.
I have one question about the link to Ed’s list of forbidden terms. He says that “fuck off and die” is not allowed. When did the “and die” get added? I was told that “fuck off” by itself was forbidden. Does this mean that “fuck off” by itself is allowed? I don’t even know what a literal meaning would be! It means something to the effect of “Get lost.” I would really like a moderator clarification on this usage.
If “fuck you” is forbidden, is it because Christine O’Donnell is right in her philosophy about masturbation? Or is it the ambiguity of fuck you with what particular object that is the insult? It is very confusing and disguntling to me when SDMB decision makers don’t understand the use of figurative language. It’s also an ignorance that has NOT been successfully fought. Spend two years in upper level linguistics courses and then tell me that “fuck off” has sexual implications.
I don’t feel a particular need to use these expressions at the SDMB often. That isn’t the issue.
It’s been there since the inception of the list.
It says “fuck you and variants, e.g., go fuck yourself, fuck off and die,” and then lists two examples. I’ve written notes for “fuck yourself” without the “go” and “fuck off” without the “and die” as variants of “fuck you” since the list was adopted. Here is an example from July 2009. **Miller’s **moderation has been consistent with this practice.
What about “You fucking testicle”? Does ‘testicle’ fall under the ‘prick’ rule?
Yes. Yes it is.