Two recent news stories got me thinking about the shelf life of racist and other derogatory terms. How long do we use them before they cease having any shock value at all -- or arousing any ire from the targeted group?
This week, a mayor was accused of insensitivity when she used the phrase "paddy wagon." Then, there were a few stories about the plight of Dykes on Bikes, a lesbian motorcycle group that can't get its name trademarked because federal officials say their own name is an offense against their own people.
So at what point does an insult just become adopted into the vernacular, stealing its potency? I couldn't find many examples where that's happened ... there are a few religious ones. Quakers and Methodists took on the insult names of their critics and have kept them ever since.
Poking around, I found this staggering list of slurs on Wikipedia. I mean, good god, it goes on forever. The Eskimos (wait, is that offensive?) ... the Inuit may have all those words for snow, but do they have 700 racist epithets? This is truly a mind-blowing accomplishment of human insensitivity.
So let's all try to help by finding positive uses of terms like Chug, Fig eater, or Jewgaboo. It might just make the world a better place.
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4 comments:
the problem with coming up with positive uses for derogatory terms is that people are stupid and paranoid. If we use the words, they will assume that the user is racist, even if there is no harm intended. (hence why black people cay say "nigger", and you and I can't even if we don't mean it in a hateful manner)
Hey! I just learned I'm a "Heinz 57"!
Hold up - there is now a new term to add to the "offensive term" list: "Brainstorming." Someone's got too much free time on their hands. Check this out...
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/
politics/story/0,,1515134,00.html
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