This is a concept that is often overdone.
I don't strive to be overtly politically incorrect, but I also don't consider political correctness as the primary objective in everything I do. In fact, many things I do or say could be construed as politically incorrect.
What spins me is when I see a person or organization so worried about their public image as to do whatever they can to satisfy EVERYONE'S illusions of political correctness.
"What in Hell are you talking about, Smith?" you ask. Well, let me tell you.
I was driving through town with the family on Thursday, when we passed an establishment that primarily offers an arena in which people can play laser tag type games. They give you a vest with sensors on it, and they give you a laser blaster, and your group goes into a room with all kinds of obstacles and cover and you basically shoot it out.
It's actually quite a lot of fun.
The slogan of this place used to be "Serious fun with a laser gun".
Well, when we drove past on Thursday, the sign on the side of the building said "Serious fun with a laser", and the letters for gun had been removed.
Are people really so fearful of guns that Q-zar feels the need to remove the word "gun" from their slogan, all the while handing you a gun as soon as you enter the building?
What's next? Nail guns will become pneumatic nailers? Hot glue guns will be hot glue applicators? Radar guns will become handheld radar devices?
It's a laser gun for crying out loud.
Deal with it...
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9 comments:
Gosh, haven't thought about this in a long time, but do they still make cap guns? I was the Girl from U.N.C.L.E and I carried one in my purse all the time! Course we weren't allowed to point them at anyone, but we did solve many a crime!
Heh. My favorite one is retail workers being told not to say 'Merry Christmas', because it might offend people who don't celebrate Christmas. Has anyone ever heard of anyone actually being offended by that? I've NEVER heard of it actually being a problem - but no, some ass-covering management type decided we'd better not say it, because it *might* be a problem. Better to be safe than sorry, you know.
Me, I like my nerf GUNS and glue GUNS and airsoft GUNS and laser GUNS and brandishing my hair dryer like a GUN...
If you think that's bad, the British Transport Police in London recently produced some posters with the weak pun caption "Christmas Presence" (i.e. they were going to be around on Christmas)
Then the PR woman started worrying that the word "Christmas" would be offensive to all the jihadist types they have in Londonistan, and changed the caption to "Holiday Presence".
You couldn't make it up!
I actually heard one lady get offended by someone wishing her Merry Christmas.
It was several years ago in San Francisco. This broad was walking along Union Square and a doorman was wishing everyone who walked by, including her, a Merry Christmas.
This gal flew off the handle at the poor doorman and started yelling "FUCK YOU, I DON"T BELIEVE IN CHRISTMAS!" at the guy. She gave him a royal ass chewing as she was walking away. She kept turning around to yell at him some more.
She was obviously beyond help, and I have never seen another person who was offended by a well wisher.
If someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, or Joyful Ramadan I would certainly not be offended in the least. I don't observe any of those holidays, but that person is simply wishing me a happy holiday season. I would likely reply with a Merry Christmas and we'd smile at each other and be on our respective ways.
I agree. Happy Holidays is another bit of PC bullshit.
"This broad"? Smith, I just about fell over and died laughing when I read that.
I'm not much of a PC person. People need to get over themselves. I'm sick of people getting offended or people worried about other people getting offended, by the most inane stuff. Sure, there's propriety, but PCness has now run amok.
My favorite folks are the ones who say, "Xtians" instead of Christians, because, you know, They Are Making A Statement. *rolls eyes*
Dear Officer Smith,
Inspector Gadget has the same issue with Happy Holidays. I am forced to conclude I am in the minority somehow. I don't find it awful to say HH. And, one does get tired of being corrected, which Melissa noted. What she doesn't say is that it happens frequently.
Nevertheless, a gun is a gun. I can't imagine calling it anything else.
We've stopped using the variety of vocabulary available to us, so the words that come up instead are routine nothings punctuated by routine expletives.
Not just nouns or holiday wishes, but civility has been lost,
Ann T.
Q-ZAR has stooped to a new level then. I thought it was bad enough when they changed out the guns to the current one's that have the touch-plate on them to force you into using both hands.
I could gripe about Q-ZAR as a company, because that was one of my first jobs, but I'll refrain. The only Q-ZAR I've seen around here (and where I worked) only has lazer tag on their signs.
PC has gone way too far. I will try to respect everyone else's beliefs, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna alter mine to keep from offending someone. If you don't like me saying Merry Christmas...Well then, delta is waiting.
I've been writing and rewriting a post for my own "blog" about the stupidity of the language police. I once found a fantastic YouTube video by a (minority, if it matters) man saying that to say "This is offensive" is stupid; the real issue is "This has offended me." The latter implies real harm, the former implies that you have the right to decide what is (and is not) offensive to others.
That said, I think it's amazing that the same people who won't take responsibility for their own actions will go ballistic if you say a "bad thing."
Also, as to guns: When I was a senior in high school (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth) we were doing a play that required a gunshot. Instead of a recording we used a cap gun. For some reason I've long since forgotten it was in my bag. At lunchtime one of the actors (in costume; tradition was that on the day of dress rehearsal the actors would wear their costumes to class to 'advertise' the play) found the cap gun, yelled the appropriate line and fired the gun.
A cafeteria of 500 people suddenly went completely silent. Then things resumed as normal. If that were to occur today the actor and I would both be expelled (him for firing it, me for carrying it in the first place) and the teacher in charge likely fired. (Mind you, today that then-kid actor is a full bird Colonel in the USAF.)
Sorry to babble so much. Your posts do inspire my brain to work. Maybe too much. :-)
I refuse to be PC. It gets me some lip from people but seriously...why do I need to walk on eggshells for some freakin' liberal in Washington who knows squat?!?
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