Political Correctness and the Downfall of Western Society

[langlady.livejournal.com]

 This is one of my favorite topics to engage on, so I figured it'd be a good one to introduce myself with!

Political Correctness, hereby abbreviated as PC, will be the downfall of western society and here's why:

Censorship has been carried too far. Initially, people took up causes-  protect children from pornography, be sensitive to the feelings of others, etc. But as more and more people began jumping on the bandwagon on censorship, the term became distorted. Warped. Corrupted. It was ok to put a picture of the Virgin Mary painted as a prostitute-that was art. But it was not OK to display a picture of a black slave. Nevermind that the picture was painted by a black person DURING the time of slavery, and is therefore historically accurate, oh no. We must be sensitive to black-Americans. And so the double standard began. 

One side was freedom of speech, art, press-- the other side was a violation, an indoctrination, an insensitive blasphemy.

 

It has been noted that the field of arts contain mostly one political group- I think that is largely due to the fact that the other group has been censored to the point of paralysis.

 

But let us delve further. I will take the obvious route because it is so much easier than an obscure one. Blacks. Black-Americans. African-Americans. Negroes. Coloreds. The big N-word. There are literally dozens of euphemisms for black people. And depending on who you speak to all of these titles offend someone. All of these titles are politically INcorrect to someone. It handicaps true black people, it really does, because now they aren't treated as equals, but rather these fragile people that cannot even stand to be named the wrong thing. They arent given opportunity based on experience or merit but because of white guilt.

 

Now, black people can call one another whatever they want-its OK- even the dreaded N-word. But if you listen to when they use that word with one another, it isnt a good thing. It is meant to be just as offensive as when other races use that word. If it is a bad word, it is a bad word-- either everyone can say it, like the f-bomb, or NOBODY can. But make up your mind. 

 

My solution to censorship/PC is simple- stop with the thousand and one titles for different things, be it people, a culture, a region, art, or music. Give it a maturity rating --ergo, offensive terms or sights-- and allow parents to decide what their children can or cannot see/hear/experience. 

 

Dont dissect classic literature for possible ethnic slurs. It is a historical record for the times and should be remembered as such. By censoring our history, we do not make history go away. Rather we lie to ourselves and make a bigger fuss than is needed. We breed apathy, which fosters entitlement, which creates low work ethic which means a company cannot meet consumer demand without raising the prices, which means the eventual collapse of the company(ies) and so on and so forth.

 

PC panders to people whose ANCESTORS may or may not have suffered some slight or mistreatment. Hey, guess what? EVERYONE'S ancestors may or may not have suffered some slight or mistreatment. It is how our civilizations of today came to be. One conquered another, enslaved them, melded cultures, breed themselves into a population. It has happened since well before Christ. It will happen well after us. Acknowledge it happened, yes, but then MOVE on!

Comments

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Bullshit, political correctness is not censorship.

As to the rest of this, as a descendant of Confederate veterans I don't think my life is deprived and barren of something if I don't hear the N-word or have to listen to one of the more annoying Twain books held up as high literature. Perhaps you do, and if your concept of traditional Western values is hearing the word "nigger" and insulting micks, dagoes, and wops, then you can go to Italy or Russia or some country more tolerant of such Western values and leave the United States to the nice people.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

And as far as classic literature, I'm rather fond of Lysistrata, the history of Procopius, the various travel guides of the Medieval era (nothing like reading Ibn Khaldun or the travels of the Chinese guy who wanted to go get a tribe on the ass of the Emperor's enemy to give a different perspective) and even tried The 120 Days of Sodom (tried because it got boring after a while).

Let the games begin!

[mybodymycoffin.livejournal.com]

First thing's first:

"It was ok to put a picture of the Virgin Mary painted as a prostitute-that was art. But it was not OK to display a picture of a black slave."

When did this happen? Are you sure that "censorship" really falls under "political correctness"?

Are you White?

Re: Let the games begin!

[blue-mangos.livejournal.com]

Are you White?

lol, do we even have to ask?

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

Newsflash: Members of minority groups call each other names used hurtfully by the majority. This isn't exactly a shocker - gay guys call each other "faggot", black people use the N-word, the difference in usage should be pretty obvious even to a cracker like you.

[blue-mangos.livejournal.com]

heh, I was just about to make this exact comment when I refreshed. How is it not obvious that when members of a marginalized group use a word the malicious intent that is part of outside use is just not there. In cases like this intent definitely matters.

[udoswald.livejournal.com]

Political Correctness, hereby abbreviated as PC, will be the downfall of western society and here's why:

Rampant political correctness would be a negative, though I don't think it would be the "downfall of western society". However, I just don't see it happening now in the 21st Century. If anything, there's been a backlash against political correctness that is now the dominant paradigm (if PC was the law of the land Seth McFarlane and Daniel Tosh would be hanged in the public square as an example to others).

It was ok to put a picture of the Virgin Mary painted as a prostitute-that was art...

First, I would point out that it is certainly not "OK" to "put a picture of the Virgin Mary painted as a prostitute", at least not with certain groups. Those groups whine every bit as much as the "political correctness" bogeyman invoked by the right-wing and they get results.

The right-wing has its own politically correct things. I can understand the deep hurt that was caused by slavery, and the desire in some people to scrub the visual record of those crimes, but I can't recall anyone saying that you cannot display a picture of a slave. The actions of one or a few people is not the same as some national political correctness movement.

It has been noted that the field of arts contain mostly one political group.

Or maybe it's that people in the artistic community tend to be liberal. I just don't see this national lynching campaign against conservative artists that you do. It's almost like you wrote this 15 years ago (where it would still be wrong but less so) and just forgot to post it til now. Unless of course you're actually a time traveler from the past (future? Warning of a dystopian PC future?) in which case congrats on inventing a time machine.

And depending on who you speak to all of these titles offend someone.

That's a pretty small threshold, "someone". Everything on this earth offends someone. Calling white people "white" probably offends "someone" too, guess us white people are held back by terms too.

All of these titles are politically INcorrect to someone.

I don't think that's true. I've never seen a black person get offended with "African-American". I've seen some conservatives whine that all black people aren't from Africa but I've never heard it from someone who could actually be described as African-American.

It handicaps true black people.

Yeah, I don't think the biggest problem facing black people is people not knowing what to call them. Their biggest problem is racists. Always has been, probably always will be to some extent or another.

They arent given opportunity based on experience or merit but because of white guilt.

That's a self-fulfilling prophesy. No matter how much "merit" and "experience" they get, people like you will always assume they got there through Affirmative Action.

Now, black people can call one another whatever they want-its OK- even the dreaded N-word.

As well they should. It's not your job, or the job of anyone else outside their community, to police what they call each other.

My solution to censorship/PC is simple...

Sounds like an awfully complicated solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

Dont dissect classic literature for possible ethnic slurs.

Again, a problem that doesn't exist. The outrage was almost universal when a small group took it upon themselves to scrub slurs from certain books.

[raven-blue.livejournal.com]

I tend to agree with most of what you said with one excpetion. There was almost no outrage when the most recent edition of Huck Finn came out scrubbed of the n-word. SO this is a problem that does exist and whatyou say actually shows how insidius it really is. When it was tried in the past it was met with criticism and failure but the more it is tried the easier it is to get it done.

[langlady.livejournal.com]

Whew! Where to start!

OK, I didnt say I wanted to hear the word nigger, I jus said the double standard isnt fair and used it as an example because we could all relate to encounters with it. And I feel the US is filled with nice people, but people too unsure of what to name one another.

As far as mybodymycoffin, I cant find the news story but here is alink to the painting http://therawness.com/madonnawhore-complexes-part-1/

And I do feel censorship has devolved to PC when it is used incorrectly. As far as your last question, Im actually mixed ethnicity, which is gonna make responding to this next person great! ;-)

Yes, I know different groups use derrogatory names with one another. Again, if you read, I said I was using ONE concrete example. There are hundreds of different ones I could have chosen but apparently I picked the right one, because y'all sure buzzed up quick!The point of this piece was too illustrate how quickly we jazz ourselves up about the topic, which I'm happy to see y'all help me prove!

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

And 1,500 years ago Diocletian and Galerius would have derided an eastern cult of cannibalistic incestuous atheists as the big threat to Western values and they would have been right.

[raven-blue.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Today political correctness has become nothing more than approved censorship.

[langlady.livejournal.com]

Thanks Raven_Blue!

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

For the sake of what I consider my sanity, I am going to not address for now your argument regarding language and how people SHOULD use it.

I am going to ask a question. Before you approached the question of words used or not used to address minorities you made a rather large claim that this issue and, presumably, how we currently approach it will be the "downfall of western civilization".

Simple question: how?

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

What, no macros? Me - disappoint.

[essentialsaltes.livejournal.com]

Y'know, I don't have much love for rampant PC either, but...

PC panders to people whose ANCESTORS may or may not have suffered some slight or mistreatment.

Minorities still suffer 'slights and mistreatment'. (No, not each and every one in each and every place at each and every time, but if you look at, say, hate crime statistics, most minority groups suffer more than their proportional share)

[langlady.livejournal.com]

I just mean that tiptoeing ard the issue doesnt erase that it happened. Still happens. Will continue to happen. And titles do not change what needs to be changed. It lets it continue.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

Out of all the goddamn things going on in the world, people still bitch about PC. Must be a nice life. You never know, you might have a bad hair day and then what're you gonna do?!

[debergerac.livejournal.com]

you said "bitch"...

That's it, Im going to get the tape measure!

[langlady.livejournal.com]

Guys, stop for a second and just read through the evolution of this topic...

It's stunning. A study in human behavior. I mean, the anger from some people has been swift and vast.

And it really just goes to prove my point on how quickly modern day is to silence the "uncomfortable" topics. I brought out something unfavorable and immediately was told to leave the country and that I was making a big deal out of nothing.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in this, you all have been great!

Re: That's it, Im going to get the tape measure!

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Actually the comment satirizes others made about "If you're going to spoil the USA for those who live here, then leave." It wasn't a serious one though I do think that if racial slurs and novels that are massively overrated and not the best work of particular authors count as Western civilization, you're welcome to it.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

will be the downfall of western society

Osama, Mao? Is that you?

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

I have to question the value of Wastern Society if people being thoughtful towards each other is going to cause it to fall.

[sealwhiskers.livejournal.com]

Really.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

It was ok to put a picture of the Virgin Mary painted as a prostitute-that was art. But it was not OK to display a picture of a black slave.

Was it the same person or group that made that ok/no assessment? If not, then your comparison isn't valid.

black people can call one another whatever they want-its OK

That varies greatly from person to person.


We breed apathy, which fosters entitlement, which creates low work ethic which means a company cannot meet consumer demand without raising the prices, which means the eventual collapse of the company(ies) and so on and so forth.

Yes, the entire economy will collapse cause we frown upon slurs.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

Not until you say "please".

[agk-ru.livejournal.com]

Excellent text.
I've heard that even the words "father" and "mother" are already non-PC and forbidden in some countries, maybe even in the US? How can THAT be possible?

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

That's curious. Got some extra reading?

[soliloquy76.livejournal.com]

TL;DR, but I'll just note that I'm not a fan of political correctness either. It has its place, though.

Also, welcome to the community! Prepare to re-evaluate your beliefs on a daily basis. :P

[langlady.livejournal.com]

Lol thanks for the warning, ill keep it in mind!

[pastorlenny.livejournal.com]

I agree. The downfall of Western civilization will definitely result from having concern for others. I mean, we know what Western civilization was built on, don't we?

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

Being PC is at best fake concern for others.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

I don't say fucking cunt shitburgers to my students. You know why? Because it's not appropriate in that setting. Words have different meanings in different contexts. If you don't understand why it's not OK to call a black person "Nigger" even if their friends do well then I guess I need to show you this:

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

Acknowledge it happened, yes, but then MOVE on!

I think telling people to move on suggests that you, in fact, haven't acknowledged it. Acknowledging it isn't simply saying "yes it's happened" it's saying "yes it happened and it had an impact on society that can still be felt today".

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

I'm far more offended by Weasel Words (http://www.weaselwords.com.au/downloads/intro.pdf).

People who complain about political correctness seem to me to be most often saying "bawww i want to be offensive and not have people complain about being offended". It seems funny to me that these people are also often trying to proclaim a Judeo-Christian heritage (as if such a thing actually exists) when what they mean is they want everyone to be WASPs now.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

You just reminded me of Dr. Laura and how she couldn't understand why people took issue with her saying nigger repeatedly on the radio.

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

A.) PC is not a purely liberal phenomena. See: The Dixie Chicks.

B.) There are plenty of people who push boundaries (entertainers, usually) of what we find offensive. I hardly think we need to worry about PC somehow destroying Western civilization. If nothing else it makes us more civilized.

C.) What's with the white hard-on for the word "nigger"? Just let it go. So you can't say it without facing consequences, boo fucking hoo. Maybe we should concern ourselves with real issues, such as how American society treats blacks (and other minorities) like niggers.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

More thoughts.

I thought rather than just snark at people I might help explain the difference between "Nigger" and pissing on a crucifix. It helps to think of words as symbols; they represent things way beyond just mere definitions, especially emotionally loaded words such as "nigger". It also helps us to place it a context alongside a crucifix. Both of these symbols are instruments of power, both of them are used to oppress. However, one represents the oppressors, whilst the other represents the term used to dehumanise the oppressed. In the case of someone pissing on a crucifix, that is an attack against power. In much the same black people calling each other "nigger" is also an attack against power. However, when a white person calls a black person a "nigger" that is an attempt to reinforce or reimpose extant power structures that, being based on race, we as a society have deemed illegitimate.

Words are not just words, they have a context and that context is important.

This seems like a good opportunity to get Tim Minchin to help explain through song (he's getting a workout in this community today, and I haven't even posted what he has to say about the sacredness of symbols):

Boo! Can't find a clip... It's called Cont(ext)...

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

In South Africa, we use the word 'blacks'. Blacks refer to each other as blacks. Not South African Africans. Is that non-PC in your book?

My point: there are all sorts of vocabulary standards depending on the society and culture we're talking about.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

The term "Blackfella" is perfectly acceptable here (that's what indigenous people have been calling themselves since they started speaking English), a fact I am delighted about because it is such an awesome word to say. "Whitefella" is also an acceptable term for Euros - a term I try to use as much as possible in the hope it becomes more widely adopted because the most common demonym for white Australians is "Aussie"; which is actually more specific to refer to Anglo-Celts. I find it horribly exclusionary and offensive; we're all fucking Aussies you dipshits, whether you've been here 40 days or 40 000 years, if you have residency, call yourself an Aussie.

[glo-unit.livejournal.com]

You should only regret the scene if you didn't enjoy it. But it sucks that those assholes now are targeting you.

I will attempt to respond on multiple levels and to you on multiple post on this topic.

I do think that there is a thing as being overly PC, and it can be damaging.

However there is still a lot of discrimination and bigotry in this society. Much of it stems from things like racism, homophobia. sexism and many other forms of discrimination.

I think that the level of all of those forms of bigotry have greatly decreased than what they once were, however it is still there. It is just less blatant and more nuanced. It is still there and it currently affects many people in many different ways. A large part of it is engrained in our society. While it has changed significantly our society still values upper middle class and above, white, heterosexual, Christian, males more than anyone else, and the further away from this ideal person you are the less your are cared about.

You state how being PC makes it harder to address problems. I think the opposite i think it's the anti PC crowd that make it harder to address many issues. Instead of tackling these issues it tells them to get over it, that discrimination was so far in the past you should just forget it. It frankly seems more like a way for people to pretend that these many awful occurrences so removed from them, that they were so long ago no one can remember them, when frankly they were not that long ago, and are a part of this societies fairly recent history. Instead of discussing it to potentially deal with it, just call it pc and tell others to get over it so we can deny that we were ever like that and are still bigoted.

Also you contradict yourself a bit. You say that the editing of Huck Finn was PC and it ignores and erases parts of are nations past. Then in the next paragraph you talk about how being PC "panders to people whose ANCESTORS may or may not have suffered some slight or mistreatment." Well if it does that wouldn't then discourage the changing of history to something more pleasant?

Some final thoughts I think the edited version of Huck Finn shouldn't be an example of much of anything since it was highly criticized and it was a only one company that did it. Also it looks like only 7,500 version of it were printed.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/01/06/New-Huck-Finn-edition-removes-n-word/UPI-66661294344163/

Lastly while I do think there is suck a thing as being overly PC, most of those that complain about PC-ness seem to be people those that are racist, homophobic, and sexist, and are pissed that they are being called on the racism, homophobia, and misogyny.

I apologize for my rambling.