Political Correctness For the Intellectually Challenged
by You can say f*** but you can’t say “deaf”. You can say s*** but you mustn’t call old people old. Has the world gone mad?
There are so many things that we are not allowed to say any more. Old fashioned greetings like “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Easter” are fast being replaced by “Happy Holidays”. A housewife is a domestic engineer and a stewardess is a flight attendant. It seems that political correctness is far more important than good, old fashioned English language.
Being PC, or politically correct started of as an American thing, but it is now catching on in many areas of the world and people are becoming ultra sensitive about the language used around sex, age, culture, race and disability, to mention just a few areas. A fireman isn’t a fireman any more and we now have to use the term firefighter to avoid being accused of being sexist. There are no policemen, or policewomen anymore, because they have all become neuter , and we have to call them “police officers”.
The use of swear words like sh** and f*** seem to be perfectly acceptable, but we are not permitted to call a deaf person deaf. They have to be referred to as being hearing impaired. Old folk using the internet are not old people any more; they are silver surfers.
So, what are you allowed to say? The rules are not always clear. Here are a few suggestions that you may find useful and which might (or might not) keep you out of trouble.
- Alternative dentation. False teeth.
- Chalkboard. Blackboard.
- Conversationally selective. Shy (or perhaps just not listening!)
- Cosmetically challenged. Ugly.
- Home invader. Burglar.
- Intellectually challenged. Stupid.
- Metabolically challenged. Fat.
- Motivationally deficient. Lazy
- Nasally inferior. Smell.
- Non-traditional shopper. Shoplifter.
- Terminally inconvenienced. Dead.
- Vertically challenged. Short.
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Post CommentAlexa Gates
On April 1, 2008 at 11:37 am
Great article Louie
lanne
On April 1, 2008 at 6:17 pm
FANTASTIC article Louie!!! I would laugh to tears if I had to list my occupation as a “domestic engineer” I have been a “housewife” for many years and never found it offensive. Although Domestic Goddess has a pleasant ring to it…lol
Dee Huff
On April 1, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Fun list of names. I’ve never heard of terminally inconvenienced before, it made me chuckle. You’re right about political correctness, it does seem to rule our lives nowadays.
Anne Lyken-Garner
On April 2, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Ha! totally funny Louie, ‘motivationally deficient’ indeed is the one I’d like to be, however, I’m too lazy to learn how to do it:-)
Lucy Lockett
On April 2, 2008 at 8:47 pm
A most excellent article, it is what it is!
dave
On April 5, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Well, you have successfully defeated the straw man! What we really have is the wonderful universal aspect of human nature, which is not to offend! With all of the real problems available, why attack here! I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, and was raisded to believe that this is a sign of good breeding. Don’t use ethnic or religious slurs. Think about how what you say could be misinterpreted and lead to someone’s hurt feelings. This is our obligation as gentlemen and ladies. Now, to be quick to take offense, or to judge others who may innocently say something that could be misinterpreted…well, that’s just rude.
By the way, a burglary which occurs while the home is occupied is called a home invasion, and I believe has significant legal distinctions.
Judy Sheldon
On April 5, 2008 at 8:24 pm
I would appreciate it if people had the manners we were brought up with and forgot all this pc stuff. People who want you to refer to their dentures, weight, height, etc. as something other than what they are are just plain in denial or intellectually challenged.
louie jerome
On April 6, 2008 at 4:31 am
#6
#7 Dave, I missed something out when I compiled my list. How does ’satirically disadvantaged’ sound? (As the old adage goes: ‘If the cap fits,wear it!’)
confused
On December 14, 2008 at 4:20 am
Can anyone tell me where these directives come from? Where is it written that we cannot say these things? It must be law or something .Or is it?
Louie Jerome
On December 14, 2008 at 8:07 am
#10 confused: perhaps you too could be described as satirically disadvantaged.