Who Determines What is Politically Correct?

Principessa

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There's an implied inferiority to the term "actress", rather like the term "movie star". I wasn't aware of that.:confused: I still think movie star is an apt descriptor for people like Lindsay Lohan or pretty much anybody from the original cast of American Pie.

"Stewardess" was the name applied to members of the cabin crew who couldn't be too tall, too short, pregnant, too ugly or too old. When the rules were relaxed (a good thing) and they were respected as something more than Hooters waitresses with CPR and emergency training, they became "flight attendants".

Likewise "waitress" and "waiter": A waitress works at a diner, a waiter works in a fine dining establishment. Huh? :confused:

This all boils down to respecting the wishes of the person being addressed or referred to. Why is respect such a horrible thing? It's not, but I honestly didn't think I was being disrespctful in referring to a female person who brings my food in a nice restaurant as a waitress.:redface:
 

whatireallywant

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There's an implied inferiority to the term "actress", rather like the term "movie star".

"Stewardess" was the name applied to members of the cabin crew who couldn't be too tall, too short, pregnant, too ugly or too old. When the rules were relaxed (a good thing) and they were respected as something more than Hooters waitresses with CPR and emergency training, they became "flight attendants".

Likewise "waitress" and "waiter": A waitress works at a diner, a waiter works in a fine dining establishment.

This all boils down to respecting the wishes of the person being addressed or referred to. Why is respect such a horrible thing?

I generally prefer gender-neutral terms for occupations myself. Part of that (maybe most?) is because of my experiences growing up, being VERY nontraditional and surrounded by people who were insistent on "traditional sex roles" (whether that suited the person's personality or not).

I remember the times you were referring to with "stewardesses". I'm very glad the rules got relaxed about things like looks. I've only flown twice (about to go on my third flight in a couple of days, to be with my family for Christmas), and of course all my flights have been in the past couple of years so I've only seen "flight attendants" in real life.
 

Bbucko

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There's an implied inferiority to the term "actress", rather like the term "movie star". I wasn't aware of that.:confused: I still think movie star is an apt descriptor for people like Lindsay Lohan or pretty much anybody from the original cast of American Pie.
"Stewardess" was the name applied to members of the cabin crew who couldn't be too tall, too short, pregnant, too ugly or too old. When the rules were relaxed (a good thing) and they were respected as something more than Hooters waitresses with CPR and emergency training, they became "flight attendants".

Likewise "waitress" and "waiter": A waitress works at a diner, a waiter works in a fine dining establishment. Huh? :confused:

This all boils down to respecting the wishes of the person being addressed or referred to. Why is respect such a horrible thing? It's not, but I honestly didn't think I was being disrespctful in referring to a female person who brings my food in a nice restaurant as a waitress.:redface:

Many female performers feel as though their art is demeaned by the term "actress" and that it suggests inferiority. I don't have to agree with their take on the word to accept it and honor their request.

Honestly, the current term for someone who brings food to a table in a restaurant is "server". It's gender neutral, descriptive and completely inoffensive to anyone.

I remember going to cafes and restaurants in Boston (and, most especially Cambridge) in the late 70s and early 80s when they were trying "waitron" out for size. It was universally rejected, even by the most sensitive lesbian feminist as being too too much.

Finding nomenclature to fit the times is hardly new, otherwise "negress" would still be in common usage.
 

naughty

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Here's an example of the current PC trend:

To all my Liberal/Democrat friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.


To all my Conservative/Republican friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and and a Happy New Year to you, too! Pecker that was brilliant! LOL!
 

naughty

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naughty

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Unfortunately ,

Political correctness came about to attempt to rectify some much deeper problems of insensitivity and apathy. Personally, I dont dont any gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or political affliliation is immune. When you have had people who have been treated disrespectfully for any of the above mentioned factors they may just eventually stand up and object rather vociferously. It is a shame that we have to be reminded to think about the feelings and rights of others. THough "political correctness" has in many cases made a mockery of this while not ever getting down to a heart change it is very like the legislation of the equal rights ammendment. WHen people wont act right sometimes laws have to be made to protect those who by circumstance can not safely protect themselves.
 

DC_DEEP

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Some terminologies really did need some PC doctoring, but I think that what is referred to as "a climate of political correctness" is more than just a little nauseating. In those cases, it always seems to be some very insecure person outside the group he's "protecting" that comes up with some of the most ludicrous pc terminology. Some examples:

While going through my undergraduate studies, I took a sign language class, in addition to all my secondary education classes. In two different classes (Sign Language, and Secondary Methods), I was immediately reprimanded for using the term "deaf." I was told, in no uncertain terms, that I should refer to those with partial or total hearing loss as "hearing impaired." Both of those instructors were "hearing people." It was a rude awakening when I discovered that, within that community, "hearing impaired" is received about as well as "nigger" is within the African-descended community. Deaf and hard-of-hearing people really resent being called "impaired."

I view any of the "-impaired" or "-challenged" PC terms to be more insulting than those they replaced.

But that's just from this melanin-impaired, heterosexually-challenged non-female.

Oh, and by the way, "Lesbian" is no longer politically correct. Vagitarian is the preferred moniker.
 

jason_els

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You know, this PC stuff unnerves me.

I miss gender specific terms like:

steward/stewardess
actor/actress

What is so wrong with using terms that denote a specific gender? It's one of the beauties of language that the PC gang has taken away from most of us. I still use the word "actress" whenever someone calls a female an "actor." It just bugs me to no end...

In this I agree. I think it a clear case of gender discrimination to think that words such as actress and stewardess are, of themselves, offensive. No dictionary describes a stewardess as, "a sexy woman under 30 with few brains, large bust, pretty face, and attractive legs who cares for airplane passengers. To me, avoiding the word is as good as believing that the word makes someone what you think; even if the word itself doesn't remotely convey inferiority. If we say flight attendant then a female flight attendant is a competent person. If we say stewardess then she's a bimbo.

To refuse to acknowledge gender is to believe that gender alone has the power to make us determine the quality of people and that is only the case among those who are sexist.

There's an implied inferiority to the term "actress", rather like the term "movie star".

"Stewardess" was the name applied to members of the cabin crew who couldn't be too tall, too short, pregnant, too ugly or too old. When the rules were relaxed (a good thing) and they were respected as something more than Hooters waitresses with CPR and emergency training, they became "flight attendants".

Likewise "waitress" and "waiter": A waitress works at a diner, a waiter works in a fine dining establishment.

This all boils down to respecting the wishes of the person being addressed or referred to. Why is respect such a horrible thing?

Neither of the terms are disrespectful. They are only disrespectful if you think less of diner waitresses and more of fine dining restaurant waiters.

Many female performers feel as though their art is demeaned by the term "actress" and that it suggests inferiority. I don't have to agree with their take on the word to accept it and honor their request.

Yes, you do. You're changing your self-expression to suit someone else's belief of what you should say. That's censorship.

Honestly, the current term for someone who brings food to a table in a restaurant is "server". It's gender neutral, descriptive and completely inoffensive to anyone.

I loathe server. It is more proper to be wait upon than served to when in a restaurant. A server is a thing, a tool used to give. The proper term would be servant but that's incorrect given the context of dining, and I daresay, would send the PC crowd into a spin.

I remember going to cafes and restaurants in Boston (and, most especially Cambridge) in the late 70s and early 80s when they were trying "waitron" out for size. It was universally rejected, even by the most sensitive lesbian feminist as being too too much.

Finding nomenclature to fit the times is hardly new, otherwise "negress" would still be in common usage.

Waitron?? Figures. Leave it Cambridge to lead the PC charge. It's fairly ironic that the PC was born out of the very establishment which is entrusted to know what words mean what things. PC perverts words to pander to the vulgar uneducated who couldn't be bothered to own a dictionary or use one.
 

DC_DEEP

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Careful.... last time I used the word Negress here it continued a three month flaming session.
Well, at least she didn't call you a Shameless Negress.

I'm just curious... if you called me a politically-incorrect name here in the states, you may use the term "cracker." If we were in London, and you still wanted to insult me, would you then call me a "biscuit?":biggrin1:
 

SpeedoGuy

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Since when is being sensitive to minority cultures, religions, races, etc. a BAD thing?!

Since when? Since the right wing noise machine exaggerated the effect of PC to exploit it as yet another wedge issue.

See, when the right wants to legislate mandatory Christian prayer in public schools, call cooked potatoes "freedom fries," or fly the conferdate flag over the capitol dome, well, that's just celebration of heritage or good ol' fashioned common sense.

But if the left urges people to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" that's an example of evil Political Correctness which could bring down western civilization.

:confused: I think the radio/newspaper wingnuts and the people who agree with them want to be able to say racist, sexist, homophobic and otherwise bigoted things too, without being taken to task for it at all.

They should be free to reveal themselves as racists, homophobes, xenophobes and all other manner of sociopaths, and they do, while you should be just as free to call them to task.
 

36DD

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I'm just curious... if you called me a politically-incorrect name here in the states, you may use the term "cracker." If we were in London, and you still wanted to insult me, would you then call me a "biscuit?":biggrin1:

:rofl:
 

No_Strings

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I'm just curious... if you called me a politically-incorrect name here in the states, you may use the term "cracker." If we were in London, and you still wanted to insult me, would you then call me a "biscuit?":biggrin1:

Not to be a pedant, but... crackers are savoury, biscuits are sweet.

If I, as a white person- I mean colourless person- I mean blank person- I mean pasty person- I mean human being of one specific gender or the other whose skin pigmentation is of a persuasion that is common to homosapiens from a certain region of the planet we inhabit, was called a "biscuit" I would not be offended; I'd find it quite sweet actually.
:biggrin1:

FWIW, crackers is used by those of asian decent quite a lot in the UK, particularly 'dahn sahth'. I sometimes call my mates honky or cracker, but it's okay because I'm white. Just an edge of satire for anyone in the street who happens to overhear me say it. :rolleyes::tongue:
 

whatireallywant

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Unfortunately ,

Political correctness came about to attempt to rectify some much deeper problems of insensitivity and apathy. Personally, I dont dont any gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or political affliliation is immune. When you have had people who have been treated disrespectfully for any of the above mentioned factors they may just eventually stand up and object rather vociferously. It is a shame that we have to be reminded to think about the feelings and rights of others. THough "political correctness" has in many cases made a mockery of this while not ever getting down to a heart change it is very like the legislation of the equal rights ammendment. WHen people wont act right sometimes laws have to be made to protect those who by circumstance can not safely protect themselves.

Unfortunately, the equal rights amendment still has not been passed.
 

naughty

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Well, at least she didn't call you a Shameless Negress.

No, she didnt. I called myself one. But that is a whole other kettle of fish.



I'm just curious... if you called me a politically-incorrect name here in the states, you may use the term "cracker." If we were in London, and you still wanted to insult me, would you then call me a "biscuit?":biggrin1:


I wouldnt call you either actually.