this post reminds me of George Carlin's Words and Euphemisms diatribe. I think you're both right - you can't ignore context and intent.
I believe you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned the absence of malice. Today's PC police would be swift and hard to crack down on comments, but I don't think they take the time to listen to the tone of voice in which it's being said in. I like to listen to people speak and how they speak before I condemn them. Call we weird or slow... 
Mr. Anchovy reminded me of one of Carlin's joke about how people are insane when it comes to words and context and what you can say on network tv. You can say I pricked my finger but you can't say I fingered my prick.
You know that All in the Family was the first show on TV to make any mention of a bathroom. You couldn't show a toilet on tv so they got away with it by flushing one offscreen. That show was way ahead of its time, yet you could never show it on tv now.
I think it comes down that PC is a reaction to how badly some people/cultures have been treated throughout history. If we don't talk about it then it never happened. The problem is that it is still happening and we need to discuss it. There should be more Archie Bunkers on tv so that we can recognize how ignorance is still a problem and how stupid it all seems. (Did anything look more stupid than Archie going on one of his misguided rants). It is just too realistic for the fantasyland known as televi
Mr. Anchovy,
I love George Carlin.
Lilly,
I have to wonder whether "Politically Correct" speech was implemented by the hyper-sensitive population to justify their outrage at every little thing.
There are some people that just thrive on the negative. They look for it, and revel in how unjust society is to them.
It's part of the whole victim mentality that seems so prevalent.
Chris,
You've hit it on the head about "Archies misguided rants". It's why he was funny. Because we knew how ridiculous it was. Now, it seems that our society has totally lost it's wit and sense of intelligent humour.
Great post.
I think of political correctness in the same light as the stock market bubble of the late 1990's (no - really). It's superficial, not based on any real solid foundation, and runs the serious risk of collapsing on us one day. Superficial things usually do. You can't eliminate racism by creating an overly polite environment of 'goodness me, one shouldn't say things like that'. It just covers up the problem, sweeps it under the rug, and does nothing to address the real causes - ignorance and fear. So you end up with a pretty facade with awful things simmering under the surface.
No, the only way to eliminate it is to face the problem head on, frankly, and openly, and fight fear and ignorance with education, compassion, and open-mindedness. Political correctness actually prevents us from doing this.
(Personally, I think I'd find it kinda cool of someone refered to me as 'Montreal', or 'Quebec', or 'Canada', or even 'Brit'.)
Sorry for the
length of the comment - I guess I should have just posted about this. Maybe I will.
Dantallion really hit that one out of the park I think. I couldn't agree more.
I think PC-ness sucks. Because of it also, flirtation and spoken communication is on it's last legs. People get so uptight about it and none of it is really done in a malicious way.
I certainly don't hold anything against people like Gus. They are just being honest...
Dantallion,
You are right on the money.
Lola,
That is another thing that is taken past the limit. Jokes and so on being interpreted as sexual harrassment.
I'm not minimizing sexual harrassment, but I'm thinking that it's swung so far to the other side that it's become ridiculous.
It's the all or nothing rule of soccer moms: If one kid gets hurt playing some organized sport, then the whole sport has to be overhauled because of ONE accident.
It's why so many of our young adults are such sucky babies who need their ego stroked for even the most mundane accomplishments, like even showing up for school or work.
Ugh.
The PC movement strikes the wrong target everytime instead of going after the things that really matter. Things are just as stupid here in NZ
I have no problem with nicknames so long as they aren't offensive. You're right - we tend to go so far one way and then bounce all the way to the other extreme rather than finding a middle ground we can all live with.
I predict a backlash, although not for another fifteen years or so. The whole PC thing hasn't played itself out yet. Give it some more time, and people will:
-start wearing fur again
-call each other "sweetie" or "honey" at work
-re-invent the Newfie/blonde/priest-rabbi-minister jokes
-finally tell Sheila Copps that she's a bimbo and that she should shut up
-be ok with someone calling you a bimbo, as long as it's the truth.
And that's the key - "as long as it's the truth," and with a total absence of malice.
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