If the original stereotypes had actually died away, Maximum C, I wouldn’t be upset by it. If I actually had the same rights and the same chance of getting beaten to death as everyone else in America, it probably wouldn’t be an issue. But the reality of the situation is that I don’t, and so being equated with disgusting, repulsive, or evil things offends the hell out of me.
If someone uses the word “gay” to describe everything they dislike for years, and then meets someone who describes themselves as gay, don’t you think that previous negative connotation colors their thinking?
You’re right; I don’t believe that a word that has acquired negative racial connotations can ever be used in a negative way without having those racial connotations. I’d be impressed as hell if you could come up with a way to use the word “nigger” or “kike” as an insult in a way that doesn’t insult black or Jewish people. Consider it an assignment.
Lastly; you’ve heard testimony, here and throughout these boards, that people are being hurt by hearing these words used in these ways. I would like to resubmit my question: If saying something hurts people, and it doesn’t hurt not to say it, what kind of humans go on saying it?
(Oh, and as to the South Park thing… you might want to consider getting your moral lessons elsewhere.)
Max C, while you’re right that there are some people who use the words “gay” or “fag” without a thought in their heads about gays, I think the vast majority of people who use them that way know exactly what sort of negative connotations those words carry, and use them precisely for that reason. My experience is that the numerical disparity between the two groups is so great that there’s really no reason to give anyone using them the benefit of the doubt: they’re almost always homophobes, and the few that aren’t ought to know better.
You know, here I am, slaving away over a hot ergonomic keyboard, verbosely making point after point in my own loquacious fashion, churning out paragraph after paragraph of reasoned labored prose, and along comes Miller, and he fucking nails it in two sentences.
Drunken nigger describing a rapist.
Stoned chink describing a murderer.
Dumb cunt describing a (male) thief.
Nope. It just doesn’t work. None are really justified, so I don’t think any are excusable. Hopefully, I made my point. Sorry for the unpleasant words, normally I don’t use them and I definitely don’t like them.
By the way, could someone point out to me where it is mentioned that the rapists were, indeed, homosexual men? I find it odd that two homosexual men would rape a woman -
Did anyone miss where DaDoctah said, “How dare you say that these two people are too good to be called faggots by questioning my feelings towards them?” Explain that, if you will.
And for the three of you who feel that I am somehow making fun of or making light of his sister’s rape . . . You read into my post something that is completely non-existent. I am taking issue with his language, not his feeling about his sister’s rape, and I refuse to aplogize for something I neither said nor implied. So stop hijacking this thread and get those panties out of your self-righteous asses.
Take the truth where you find it. South Park is a deeply brilliant show. And not “because it’s funny when little kids curse, haw haw!”
Maximum C, you make good points, and I can understand where you’re coming from, but I must agree; there are plenty of insults in our wondrous and variegated language, many of which not only are more creative than “faggot,” but also serve to offend exactly whom you’re insulting and no one else. Use those.
