Let's talk: Offensive Language
Hey guys I want to talk about why some language is offensive and how it got to be that way. Ever notice that in certain words are really offensive in certain locations? Or in front of certain people? Ever wonder why? There are many reasons we could go over, but I believe the main one is that people take words as a personal attack. Whether it insults their beliefs, personal morals, or lifestyles.
I'll start off with the phrase that has the most focus now a days. "That's gay." Chilling with your buddies, like it or not, it is generally accepted. Do you mean it is homosexual? No. you mean it is stupid, unintelligent, or ignorant. Dictionary.reference.com does not have any listings for this as a meaning. I would argue saying that how the word is most commonly used is the meaning. When I say afghan what do you think of? Someone from Afghanistan? Did you know it's a blanket? The word gay itself has changed it's meaning over time. Originally it simply meant happy and lighthearted. That's it. Somehow the meaning changed however to being homosexual. How does one meaning differ so much than the original?
Tremendous. Means something good right? Wrong. Dictionary.reference.com defines tremendous as "being such as may excite trembling or arouse dread, awe, or terror." So basically tremendous means it scares the crap outta you. But that's not what it means today. So why is there so much controversy on this meaning change? Because we are in the middle of the transition and people are offended. Ricky Gervais said that "Just because you're offended doesn't make it right". Half of people use it as stupid or unintelligent, and the other half homosexual. Now I'm not saying either is right, just saying that it's out there.
Now saying this sometimes people do have a legitimate right to be offended. No matter what your beliefs it is never ok to rag on or purposely offend someone because they don't agree with you. That is bullying and harassment.
Next example: the f bomb. Used regularly in school and small social gatherings but never ok in front of your mother, small children, or anyone else. Why? Because it's vulgar. Even the meaning has no real wholesome uses. It means sexual intercourse. So when you need to say it using the actual meaning, just say "sexual intercourse" and make people blush. I think it's pretty self explanatory. one interesting thing is that the f bomb has actually become more accepted. Even in movies it was never used in movies below R until the PG-13 rating was invented and even then it it only allotted one f bomb before being bumped up to an R rating for language.
Some words just simply mean something that you would take offense to if someone called you anyway. If I call you an ass, I'm calling you a donkey. Maybe the most unintelligent and oafish animals on God's green earth. And bitch is a term regularly used by my mom who is a dog trainer that just means the dog is female. But either way I think any girl would be extremely offended by being called that.
Well, that's it. Agree or disagree leave a comment below if you don't mind and give me some feedback.
the problem here is people who love themselves too much and who think they deserve a level of respect that, frankly, none of us deserve. if it werent for a constant need to "feel good about yourself" and a world where a high school guidance counselor has become a yes man phyciatrist then the world would actually solve problems instead of playing "he said" "she said" every second. over all the world needs what every touchy feely easily offended person needs, to grow a sense of humor and to receive a sharp smack in the ego. what the world needs is the person who God made us to be, and not the self centered world that we have become.
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