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Post by newschooled on Mar 29, 2010 0:47:49 GMT -5
So my thought process brought me to wondering in context, at what point is "Too Far" in terms of political correctness?
Granted, the ultimate goal is to completely sanitize life down to a utopian PG-13 existence where there is no such things as a "lowest common denominator", but taken too far, I think it starts to negate hard reality.
For example, some counties in the U.S. and Canada have legislated that the word "Fail" may no longer be used in the public school systems as it can be detrimental to a child's self esteem, therefore further academic performance. Rather, it has been replaced with the phrase "Delayed Success".
Kinda makes me think back to when I was a kid; Getting a decent grade simply ensured my parents didn't unleash the fury of God on a daily basis for another semester. What do you think?
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AGaW
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Post by AGaW on Mar 29, 2010 1:40:56 GMT -5
... at what point is "Too Far" in terms of political correctness? I can't seem to think of what to say that wouldn't be defining political incorrectness... When something is said or displayed in a way that could offend someone, I guess that would be it as far as defining "too far". If you could, could you explain more about what you're asking, exactly?
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Post by newschooled on Mar 29, 2010 9:37:39 GMT -5
^^^Yeah, it's tough defining something that is relative. I guess the point would be if you agree that at one point or another, political correctness begins to negate hard reality...Is there really a fine line between making something acceptable to all, and sugarcoating it to the point of where context begins to become lost?
Kind of like going back to the whole "Fail" vs. "Delayed Success" example.
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AGaW
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Post by AGaW on Mar 29, 2010 10:36:33 GMT -5
I guess the point would be if you agree that at one point or another, political correctness begins to negate hard reality...Is there really a fine line between making something acceptable to all, and sugarcoating it to the point of where context begins to become lost? Oh yeah, of course. If anything, the concept of PC does more harm socially and psychologically than the good it's intended for... Read this: ramblingsbybones.blogspot.com/2009/03/has-political-correctness-gone-too-far.htmlAfter speaking to an old school friend of his after 25 years, he felt an "emptiness" because the school friend was being too politically correct. He says the conversation was missing spontaneity and freedom. I could agree when this guy explains that PC "waters down" the very reality of most things we apply it to. It was made to make things satisfactory for most, but is it really doing that...?
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Post by newschooled on Mar 29, 2010 11:17:31 GMT -5
I think at some points, it tries so hard to make things PC to everybody that it starts to exclude some. Like Christmas for example. Nowadays (In a lot of places around North America, Europe, and Australia) we are no longer allowed to say "Merry Christmas" in the workplace or school, because it doesn't represent the minority. Instead, we have to say "Happy Holidays".
Ok, so I get that - But the backlash would be tremendous if we, for example, told Jewish folk they couldn't say "Happy Hanukkah" (Sorry if I mes-spelled it). That point being, if we do the same thing to a minority, it would certainly be interpreted as prejudiced, among many other things. But on the contrary, we do it to the majority of whom these cultural figures of speech are every bit as meaningful as cultural minorities and their unique customs.
I hope that made sense...
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Nakor
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Post by Nakor on Mar 29, 2010 12:48:27 GMT -5
Personally anyone offended by Merry Christmas is oversensitive to begin with. It's really not just a religious holiday any more, it's pretty much a public one as well. But even if it were a purely religious one, all you have to do is tip your hat and tune it out if you don't subscribe to the belief.
Now, when it's a store or other public service of some sort replacing Merry Christmas with Happy Holidays it does make a bit more sense. They want to reach as much of their customer base as possible.
And when PC goes from covering racial and religious terms to every day euphemisms like "delayed success" instead of "fail" (or "culinary technician" instead of "dish washer") then it just looks silly, and in the case of "delayed success" the fact that the school appears to be "covering up" the fact that it's failing is probably only going to make the kids feel worse about it. (Those who cared in the first place, anyway.)
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kadie
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Post by kadie on Mar 29, 2010 13:35:05 GMT -5
Personally anyone offended by Merry Christmas is oversensitive to begin with. It's really not just a religious holiday any more, it's pretty much a public one as well. Christmas has never been a religious holiday. Jesus was born during march or something. Pagans used to have celebrations during mid-December, Christians jumped on this and began to celebrate the birth of Christ during mid-December. This is why Christmas celebrations and traditions vary widely throughout different countries and cultures. I know this is slightly off topic but hey-ho Kadie
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Nakor
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Post by Nakor on Mar 29, 2010 14:58:02 GMT -5
Okay then, so it wasn't a religious holiday, and then it was one, and now it's kinda one and kinda not one.
Or something like that. ._.
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Post by Lex on Mar 29, 2010 15:26:44 GMT -5
I do think that saying "Happy Holidays" is best. It appeals to such a larger demographic of people, which is, of course, what the companies want.
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Post by newschooled on Mar 29, 2010 15:35:20 GMT -5
I do think that saying "Happy Holidays" is best. It appeals to such a larger demographic of people, which is, of course, what the companies want. Herein lies the essence. I don't mean for this to come off the wrong way, but how does it make sense to omit a majority cultural element (in this part of the world, granted) in order to please the minority...Therefore in turn pleasing EVERYONE? Um... (In terms of BUSINESS, it makes sense, but that's not for the sake of being PC, it's to make mo money)
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Post by Lex on Mar 29, 2010 15:44:45 GMT -5
I do think that saying "Happy Holidays" is best. It appeals to such a larger demographic of people, which is, of course, what the companies want. Herein lies the essence. I don't mean for this to come off the wrong way, but how does it make sense to omit a majority cultural element (in this part of the world, granted) in order to please the minority...Therefore in turn pleasing EVERYONE? Um... (In terms of BUSINESS, it makes sense, but that's not for the sake of being PC, it's to make mo money) Because it's not omitting anything. It's the same thing, just more inclusive in a broader sense. It's like saying "hello" instead of "wazzup, my brother" or "greetings, sir" to be specific to that one type of person.
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Post by newschooled on Apr 3, 2010 0:36:09 GMT -5
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eileen1992
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Post by eileen1992 on Apr 3, 2010 4:34:29 GMT -5
Political correctness is really tricky...too much of it is just...silly , too little of it can offend or upset people.
Though sadly most of the time it always seems to be too much. I can remeber that my friends and me got labelled politcally incorrect because we were out on the streets doing christmas charity collections with disabled kids , and because we had a our School saint's name on the bucket and 'Happy Christmas' printed on our poster we got heckled by alot of people , eventually we had to give up collecting and take the kids back to school because one guy was being offensive and screaming at us about how unacceptable and politically incorrect we were D=. That's probably politically incorrectness gone mad.....
Also the fact that schools around here have to change the song 'Baa Baa Blacksheep' to 'Baa Baa Rainbow Sheep'......thats just abit too PC...personally
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Post by Jake on Apr 3, 2010 7:05:18 GMT -5
To be honest, political correctness doesn't have to do very much at all to be too much, in my opinion. Calling it "Happy Holidays" implies that non-Christians were offended when it was called "Merry Christmas" when they probably weren't. PC really is something rather pointless.
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Post by Johncoyne on Apr 3, 2010 9:11:50 GMT -5
Catholic Chime-in: We hand out buttons (http://www.flickr.com/photos/buttonbistro/3521972975/ <-Those buttons) that have the word "Happy Holidays" written on them, but the words are crossed out Ghostbusters style. We get offended when people say "Happy Holidays".
I was getting off the plane yesterday and the pilot said, "Y'all have a Happy Easter, y'hear?"
No one leaped out of their seat and said they were offended. Life went on as usual. People exited the plane without a word, others wished him a Happy Easter as well. It was fine. If I was over a Jewish friend's house near Hanukkah and they wished me a Happy Hanukkah, I wouold say, "Thanks, you too!"
I don't celebrate Hanukkah. I don't care. It's their holiday, they should be able to talk about it all they want.
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Silverrida
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Post by Silverrida on Apr 3, 2010 12:29:38 GMT -5
I, too, think the Happy Holidays thing is ridiculous. There is no need for it. Anyone who gets offended, as has been stated, is overly sensitive.
"Merry Christmas" "I'm Jewish" "Oh, my apologies, Happy Hanukkah"
Not that big a deal. If anyone gets offended that's their problem. They'll have to realize at some point that not everyone has the same traditions or beliefs as they.
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