The thing is in this ever increasing pc world that people end up not laughing at all. It is all pretty depressing really and the country is the worst for it in my humble opinion.
Ahem... On the phrase 'Political Correctness Gone Mad": "It really worries me that 84% of [people agree] with that statement, because the kind of people that say "political correctness gone mad" are usually using that phrase as a kind of cover action to attack minorities or people that they disagree with. I'm of an age that I can see what a difference political correctness has made. When I was four years old, my grandfather drove me around Birmingham, where the Tories had just fought an election campaign saying, "if you want a n*****r for a neighbour, vote Labour," and he drove me around saying, "this is where all the n*****s and the c***s and the j****e b*****s live." And I remember being at school in the early 80s and my teacher, when he read the register, instead of saying the name of the one asian boy in the class, he would say, "is the black spot in," right? And all these things have gradually been eroded by political correctness, which seems to me to be about an institutionalised politeness at its worst. And if there is some fallout from this, which means that someone in an office might get in trouble one day for saying something that someone was a bit unsure about because they couldn't decide whether it was sexist or homophobic or racist, it's a small price to pay for the massive benefits and improvements in the quality of life for millions of people that political correctness has made. It's a complete lie that allows the right, which basically controls media now, and international politics, to make people on the left who are concerned about the way people are represented look like killjoys. And I'm sick, I'm really sick-- 84% of [people] have agreed with this phrase, you're like those people who turn around and go, "you know who the most oppressed minorities in Britain are? White, middle-class men." You're a bunch of idiots."
Agree with the above however I think when people moan about PC going too far they mean things like when a council decides to not refer to Christmas and instead Winterval or whatever it was. As the article says it IS a small price to pay for a more partisan society. Completely agree with the right dominating everything, I hate to throw this in because I don't want to turn it political as there's a thread for that already but whenever someone comes along who is a moderate, who is left etc and they're declared a left wing extremist along with all manner of other despicable headlines.
Like everything like this, started for a good reason, but is taken so far it is absurd i.e. hot crossed buns don't offend muslims councils want to ban them as they are killjoy twats
JK, I understand your point about n*****s and the other overt racist and highly offensive remarks. I would have hoped though that you would have appreciated the difference between those terms of personal abuse and simply having a laugh. The 'Winterval' is one example as quoted by Rich above but there are hundreds more including the fact that a teacher can no longer refer to a 'blackboard'. In your defence of the pc regime, you might like to tell me where this is either correct or improved with reference to the example I have quoted.
I think the point that the quote I used was making regarding the terms you mention like "n*****s and the other overt racist and highly offensive remarks", was that they were the norm a while ago, but thanks to political correctness (amongst other things of course), those terms gradually became unacceptable and there's a great deal more tolerance these days. The main reason I posted that (admittedly rather inflammatory) quote was because I am becoming fed up with anti-political correctness, and particularly the term "political correctness GONE MAD". To me, it's just ridiculous hyperbole. In our more and more globalised society, political correctness is, on balance, an admirable and positive thing. All that said, I'm willing to accept that there are perhaps instances where people/movements/councils/authorities could perhaps be accused of over-egging the pudding a bit, but I am absolutely convinced that political correctness has not 'GONE MAD'. Furthermore, I'd just like to clarify I wasn't seeking to attack anyone in particular by posting that quote, but just wanted to show my disdain for PCness being treated as a bad thing. Here's another one for ya on the "The twisting of the idea of 'political correctness' into a soft, one-size-fits-all punchbag for the right-wing media": "Edward Stourton published 'It's a PC World', which used actual statistical facts to [back up how PC is a good thing]. Because no one can imagine a remotely pro-political correctness book, Stourton's book was, tellingly, misfiled by bookshops in the humour section, alongside Richard Littlejohn's Hell in a Handcart, those crappy politically correct fairy tales books and Al Murray's Pub Landlord annuals. Pundits on the Right like to imagine we live in a PC dictatorship, but the fact remains that in a high-street bookshop it is assumed that any book with PC in the title must be a hilarious attack on PC, rather than a book in its defence, because the only time you ever see PC mentioned is when people are complaining about PC. [Often] for money. And [also often] on the very publicly funded radio stations that these dicks believe are involved in a politically correct conspiracy to silence them."
It's a shame that doesn't get applied to those poor sods crossing the Med in inflatable dinghies meant for use in pools & the ones at Calais. Yes I'm sure there are some dodgy types in there too but these people have lost everything fleeing rape gangs, militias murdering & maiming, isis & all their sick stuff and all our media (& some politicians) do is call them malingerers or scroungers etc.
I've seen far worse pass by on this site without comment, tbh I think most people have a good sense of humour.
