Political correctness (PC) is killing comedy

Your friend: "I don't think he's funny because I don't find humor in trying to offend people."

You: "OMG PC CULTURE MILLENIALS ARE C*CKS WHY DON'T PEOPLE THINK OFFENDING PEOPLE IS FUNNY TOUGHEN UP!!!!"

This is why people think conservatives are stupid.

Another poor analogy. Blacks were not condemned for voting, they were barred from voting. I'm starting to wonder whether you can make a logical argument.

What is lost by condemning the word’s use?

You are right, as of now, there is no law (in the USA) that barres white people from saying "nigg#r." But if the overarching PC trend continues (that of valuing your own sense of offense, instead of valuing the ability to understand a speaker's intended meaning) then there could eventually be a law against white people saying the nword. This would be a fatal blow to freedom of speech. As I think I have made clear in previous posts, I do condemn using the nword when it is used IN ORDER TO INSULT a person or group of people. But what is lost by condemning the word's use (regardless of context, and only for certain people) is that we chip away at freedom of speech, and racism grows.

I know I'm using a slippery slope argument, but in this case, I think it is appropriate. I have seen during my own life how PC culture has resulted in growing censorship from the late 80's to now. I have seen how race relations have deteriorated over the last 10 years, even as we've had a back president and more black people in prominent cultural positions. So I'v personally seen this growing trend of censorship and reverse-racism (which is really just racism). I think the impulse to censor other people is just as evil of an impulse as racism, and I obviously see racism as a despicable attitude. The debate of the nword is kind of the nexus of these two issues. Which is why I'm talking such a strong stand on it.

No, your slippery slope argument is not appropriate. First, you're strawman is the "overarching PC trend". You're using a boogeyman to try to justify using a word that has no place in modern society except to denigrate. I cannot see why you'd need to use n!gger. Where do YOU use n!gger in everyday speech? Do you read Huck Finn out loud to school students? Do you tell historically accurate stories at lunch? Or do you want to say n!gger and claim that you were using it in a different "context" than the way the listener heard it?

I mean, you are trying to snake your way out of being responsible for your own words by saying that the listener should understand the speakers "intended" meaning and it's not the speakers fault for being careless in their speech.

We aren't dealing a blow to freedom of speech by condemning a word's use. You're conflating free speech and speech with no repercussions.

I'm talking about using it the context you just described; reading Huck Finn, quoting someone from history, etc. I'm defending using it in those contexts because there are PC extremist who think that even using it in these contexts should be prohibited. If you don't think certain strains of the PC culture have gotten this extreeme, I don't think you're paying attention.

Here is an example of where I think I should be allowed to say the actual word; if I tell you that LBJ, when talking about passing the civil rights act said; "we'll have these n!ggers voting for Democrats for 200 years." I should be able to quote him accurately instead of saying "we'll have these n-words voting for Democrats for 200 years." Quoting him the second way is just puerile, and it looses the impact of demonstrating LBJ's racism, because he didn't say "n-word," he said "n!gger."

As for the word having no place in modern society, have you heard rap music in the last 20 years? It is constantly used in an endearing way. So yes, this word can be good OR bad based on context.

What would make you think someone could use it in a "context" (wink wink), but really be using it to insult people? If a person used it that way, their intended meaning would be obvious, and of course they would suffer the social consequences of doing so. I have no problem with that. What I have a problem with is ignoring when someone is NOT using it with any intention of expressing anything disparaging to anyone, and yet they are still accused of racism. I have a problem with not even ASKING THE QUESTION TO BEGIN WITH of what the person was trying to express, but just hearing the word, reflexively claiming offense, and destroying the persons life.

Also, I think there is an appropriate use of the word in comedy. Just watch any comedian from more than 5 years ago and you can find numerous examples of comedians (both black and non-black) using the word in a way that points out irony or is satirical of racism. Shutting off our brains and reflexively saying any time a comedian says this word, it must be perceived as racism, is just stupid.

What is so amazing about this whole topic is that I think you and I basically agree. The only difference is that I'm explicitly making a stand that is ever so slightly off of the standard PC path, and so many on this board reflexively react with outrage. They respond to my comments with righteous indignation, clearly not having closely read what I'm saying. They just commit the typical PC "mind reading" fallacy of thinking I'm saying something other than what I'm really saying. They think I'm saying it's a good thing if a white uses the nword to insult a black person when I've repeatedly said otherwise. It's just so insane how PC culture convinces people to turn off their listening skills for the sake of self righteous posturing to stay as far away as possible from the stigma of racism or any of the other sins of prejudice. But this PC reflex is not virtue, it's just self righteous BS.

Sad.

you guys have talked and talked and talked.........yet no jokes.

wejo wrote:

celery wrote:

Its time to kill PC folks. Seriously, its time to kill it. Lets all stop the society wide hallucination.

(btw, the only reason I don't type out the full "N-word" is so the moderators don't delete the post. It's just a word you babies. Grow up.)

Someone wrote asking that I ban celery. I'm fine with him discussing why comedians can or can't say the nword. That is a valid discussion. ....

It's not really valid at all, it's ridiculous. We all know why we don't use the word. Why on earth would anyone WANT to? Really, that's your gripe in life? You don't get to use the N word? The downtrodden white man can't use the N word. That's about as valid a discussion as it is an actual problem.

Black folks can use the N word if they want to. But that doesn't make it OK for me to do so, in exactly the same way that I might call my little brother an idiot but I'll take offense if you do it.

Words have incredible power. Tell someone you love them.

Watch old Eddie Murphy standups, or worse yet Richard Pryor. Incredibly funny. Nowadays completely unairable. Pryor said some amazing stuff. Murphy there making fun of gay men, Italians, women, etc. , all the things he loves.

Its hard to say whether culture dictates economics or vice versa, but it seems obvious to me a lot of this ”PC policing” is done in effort to appeal to a maximum audience. Communism is gov’t censorship; capitalism is self-censorship.

Why would a large studio risk offending any demographic of customers? Maybe that’s why there is an endless stream of super hero franchises coming from Hollywood.

Humor is extremely subjective, so the fact that the main demographic of this messageboard is still pining for the comedy of the 80/90s is hardly surprising.

wtfunny wrote:

wejo wrote:

Someone wrote asking that I ban celery. I'm fine with him discussing why comedians can or can't say the nword. That is a valid discussion. ....

It's not really valid at all, it's ridiculous. We all know why we don't use the word. Why on earth would anyone WANT to? Really, that's your gripe in life? You don't get to use the N word? The downtrodden white man can't use the N word. That's about as valid a discussion as it is an actual problem.

Black folks can use the N word if they want to. But that doesn't make it OK for me to do so, in exactly the same way that I might call my little brother an idiot but I'll take offense if you do it.

Words have incredible power. Tell someone you love them.

You expressed your opinion on this topic. Great, thanks for you input. Someone requested from Wejo that I be banned for giving my opinion. The fact the someone wants to ban me because I have a different opinion, perfectly demonstrates the kind of damage that Political Correctness is producing.

We are growing mental weak. Our comedy is bland and boring. Our political dialog is on the cognitive level of 3rd graders. This is happening because a growing number of people think it's virtuous to censor others. This is the damage caused by PC.

My argument on this thread is about more than just the nword. It's about an overarching trend that is breaking down our ability to talk to, and understand each other. Instead of participating in hones debate, people are always on the lookout for the "gotcha" moment where if someone uses the wrong word, and they can then be silenced. This is damaging to our social fabric and culture.

helpinghands wrote:

helpinghands wrote:

Ask one of your black friends if/why it is different if a black person uses the word vs a white person.

Checking in on your homework assignment.

Still haven't turned it in yet.