Apologies for the double posting, but I am facing a dilemma. I am wondering if I am starting to become uptight, or if I am finally starting to have some values and beliefs. For example, I realized some time ago that I don't like the "F" word. Not Fuck, cuz I love that word. I fucking love that word. But, and it pains me type it, the word "faggot" or even "fag." I have no idea how it started, as I am a heterosexual man myself. However, I am also white and the N word offends me as well. I remember a time when all the cool white kids were even calling each other "nigga" and even that bothered me. Maybe it is because I even got caught up in it and it slipped out one time and my roommate pulled me to the side and told me that it bothered him. I have not had a gay person say to me that the f word offends them, but I'm pretty sure it is the equivalent. This has nothing to do with what brought me to this post, just a setup.
I get on facebook tonight, and see this as a status.
When i heard about the JayZ vs Eminem DJ Hero game i immediately thought Big Lipped Monkey vs The Wigger King. All in all it's like winning the special Olympics, no matter who wins you're both retarded.
This was from a guy that I sorta knew in high school and for a while he went to the same college as I did. He may still, but I don't really keep up with him. But for whatever reason, this status slightly offended me a little bit.
So I wonder what you think? Do I need to lighten up? Is it offensive? Is it just not funny? Or is there a different type of reaction?
(Editor's Note: I have no idea why the copied and pasted portion is showing up the way it looks. I apologize if it is hard to read)
I find fag and faggot very offensive and would never ever use those words and nigga is a VERY offensive, racist word in the UK; however you have to wonder who to blame with the n word as its referenced so many times in rap songs that it almost makes it an acceptable word to use. Also it is acceptable here to call a female a ‘fag-hag’ in a jokey endearing way if she has a lot of gay male friends…I suppose it depends on who hears it at the time, someone gay people may find it offensive and others may now.
ReplyDeleteI think the status your friend wrote is completely unfunny and extremely racist using 'monkey' to reference jay-z. In fact I think your friend sounds like a dick. If it was my friend I would tell him that
Some people are just idiots and it's best to just not waste your time trying to get them to see the light or letting it bother you. It will only cause you more pain then neccessary.
ReplyDeleteIgnorance is great isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYou're entitled to your thought and opinions, and I'm definitely with you on this one.
I know exactly who you are talking about, and yea, when I saw it I was just like 'whoa'. I wouldn't say you are uptight or anything like that. You just have to realize the character of who said it. He isn't quite right.
ReplyDeleteTotally offensive. And knowing myself as I do, I would totally comment back on it with something like, "glad to see ignorance is still alive especially when some people may be viewed at as "special needs" if ignorant comments were unavailable to them. Educate yourself and come back to our decade". :O I really believe in calling people out when they are out of line because otherwise they don't know that what they say/do is offensive to the majority of people. And a lot of people are afraid to do that, and I probably come off as a bitch when I do such things, but really- they need to know they're idiots. I call it "community service". :) LOL!!
ReplyDeleteEverything is about context. With the word "nigger" there really isn't a good one, but I also don't think you're the type of person to use "faggot" maliciously. I'll be honest, I say a lot of awful things, but when I drop "faggot" it's exclusively to undercut those that see it as a viable way to cut gay people. If your group of friends are uncomfortable obviously pack it in, but look at the context you yourself are using it in.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the day, remember that words have as much power as you give them.
My best guy friend is gay and he definitely finds that word offensive. I don't think you are being uptight. Our nation has a whole needs to be more respectful I mean really, we're in the 21st century!
ReplyDeleteUgh, yeah I would defriend him immediately. He sounds completely ignorant. I am in complete agreement with you here, Mr. O and don't think you are uptight at all.
ReplyDeleteIn other notes, they refer to cigarettes as fags in the UK. I don't quite know how that started.
Only because I feel my comments would become redundant if I replied to individuals, I am going to do a general reply.
ReplyDeleteSome notes:
This guy is the true definition of a "facebook friend" versus real friends. I think we saw each other one time during this time called college. As jme put out, he was one of those kids that you wouldn't consider as "normal." With that said, it was so much about the guy who said it as it was the content of what he was saying. I want to thank you guys for answering because the whole thing was "should I have just let this go" but for some reason, I kept thinking about it. That somebody would put this on facebook and other people would "like" it. I actually thought about replying to it with a "wow" or a "for real?" but we aren't that good of friends. I don't think it was that serious, but the thought of defriending him has come into my head.
As far as what my friends and I say, I have been on the other side. It wasn't till I started seeing people's reactions that I stopped using "GD." But I have stopped saying the "f" word, and my friends have noticed so we will see how that goes. But yea, I can see how words can have their own meanings, and I guess that's where my question was originally in that if, as a consensus, you guys didn't see a problem with it, then I wasn't going to either.
I don't know if any of this made sense, and I probably should have turned it into another post. Oh well...