The Crazy world of the PC Brigrade

[gerry]

Was reading a story the other week about some amateur Drama group that wants to put on "Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs" as the christmas panto this year.But the Local Council cheifs have said that it isn't pc to use the word Dwarfs in the title,so they want the word to be replaced with something else.Is it just me or is the PC card getting played for most things now adays & even in most cases just for the little things?.

[ludwig]

.by the way jno, I don't think you're allowed to say 'mad' any more in case it offends nutters or loonies. Please moderate you language.

[january_bug]

It's against any form of etiquette to imply that you hope someone gets cancer, but somoeone did that to me here this week - so netiquette - schmettiquette.

Dwarfism, is a thing. It's only offensive if used in the wrong context. In the story of Snow White, would it be any less offensive if they were "Vertically Challenged"!?

Calling all disabled people spastics was pure ignorance. Understanding that someone actually IS a dwarf is the opposite.

I resisted saying this before, but perhaps I'll do so now... a friend of mine is a dwarf, and he likes to be known as (and introduces himself as) "The Glaswegian Dwarf". If ever a guy looks nervous about offending him he beckons them down to his level and whispers "If you're worried about the fact that I'm disabled and short, let me remind you that all the girls' breasts are at my eye level, so I have a HUGE advantage over you!" :-)

Making assumptions about people's condition based on phyiscal appearance is wrong, but observing that they are a dwarf is not wrong.

Writing a story hundreds of years ago about miniature men, and terming them dwarves, wasn't offensive then, and shouldn't be offensive now. Encouraging a change in title (which I still don't believe has been done by an actual authority) only serves to make young people even more frightened of those who are not physically "normal", and often it will lead them to be so scared of offending someone who is different, that they ignore them completely to avoid saying something wrong. That cannot be a good thing.

[january_bug]

Oh and Ronnie - perhaps you haven't read the post where I explained that I believe I was correcting the spelling of the Dramatic Society, not that of gerry.

For anyone else who's going to get all upset about people interested in words..... please lighten up!!!

[Buddy]

Jan-Bug - No I dont have a prob with you at all.I thought you embraced other peoples opinions.I often post tonque in cheek as well but I also do think its right that grammar,etc shouldnt be corrected.If I'm typing quick my post looks like a 3 yr old has been at the keyboard!

Glad you agree with me about dwarfs - liked your example re your pal.I actually dont see any one as disabled per sae.What is normal.?

[Grunty]

Please can ludwig have some stars for the best entry?

[january_bug]

Buddy - that's cool and I am smiling as I do this *smacks own head against a big brick wall*. Please please tell me how many more times do I have to explain that it was a gentle mocking of the Dramatic Society, not of gerry!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?

We are evidently fundamentally disagreed on the business of correcting people, and I am apparently in a minority of 1 and therefore totally wrong. However, I personally find that being corrected (when I'm actually wrong) allows me to learn from my mistakes. If my teachers at school hadn't corrected my spelling and grammar when I was young, I would be making more mistakes now. However, I see that adults are offended by people pointing out their errors. I guess I shall just have to learn to let people blindly wander along being wrong.

Seriously though - I was commenting on the spelling of the drama society, not gerry. And I'm not explaining that again.

[jake-the-peg]

My point about the word spastic - my nephew has cerebral Palsey amoungst other problems. Is that perfectly reasonable words can become terms of abuse and (possibly unfairly) we have to stop using them.

Don't know if it's true but I've been told that W.O.P stood for without papers and that it became used as a term of abuse directed at Italians in particular.

The point is that some words are acceptable, some are not and it changes.

When it changes a certain group of people jump up and down and say it's "PC gone mad".

[january_bug]

jake - true true! Do you think the "it's pc gone mad" lot (to lump them all togther, perhaps unfairly) would campaign for the reinstatement of the word "spastic"!?! I suspect not!

[jake-the-peg]

No, I fear it wouldn't work. When a word changes it's meaning it's rehabilitation can be lost cause.

It'll be a long time before those of us who are hetrosexuals can once again have a gay day

[Gevs1966]

The term spastic was widely used as an insult and I agree with it not being used anymore as it had indeed become a term of abuse.

The title, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" is descriptive as it is a story about Snow White and seven Dwarves and not at all abusive to anyone.

If you can't see the difference in that and think that the title should be changed for fear of offending anyone then you really are quite sad.

What next? Will you be changing the names of other childrens classics? The BFG perhaps in case you offend the really tall amongst the population?