is dangerous. Ssshhh.... don't say anything. You might upset someone.
I see Rowan Atkinson was expressing an opinion in this morning's paper. He was saying how difficult it is to be a comedian, more difficult than it once was - and it would have been hard enough once upon a time. The problem now though is that a minority of people have decided that there are some things you cannot joke about. There are other things you cannot say. There are ways you cannot say things.
Someone was complaining about the word "mandate" yesterday. Why? Apparently because it has the word "man" in it - and this is unacceptable.
Now I always thought that "mandate" came from the Latin "mandamus" which means "we order". I have believed this ever since the Senior Cat taught me a little Latin. Apparently though we are both wrong. What is more the word is not to be used because it contains "man".
I wonder if the legal profession will take this up? There is still quite a lot of Latin used by the legal profession.
Now I tried explaining to the person who informed me that I could no longer use the word but I was told I was wrong. I was told we had to be rid of all "gendered" language. We are no longer allowed to use words like "he", "she", "his", or "her". I was shown an edict from the United States Congress. "They have finally seen it is wrong. It should help if they start to use the correct language."
The "correct language"? I am confused.
"What," I asked, "about all the gendered words in so many languages?"
"We are talking about English. English can set an example. They will all change if we do the right thing now. You have to take some responsibility here."
I do? I thought about the long row of "joke" books above the Senior Cat's old bed. He studied those long and hard.He used many of them when he did a "magic show". They are full of jokes which this person and others find "unacceptable". They are "sexist" or "racist" or something else.
An Irish man I know was threatened with legal action recently - because he told an Irish joke against himself. Apparently this is no longer allowed.
I looked at the perSON who was telling me this and asked, "So you aren't huMAN then?"
The answer to that was, "Don't be ridiculous."
I have it all wrong.
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3 comments:
I’m with you. I’ve been saying “peroffspring” for years.
I feel that this trend can lead to serious problems: alteration and diminution of the English language and the elimination of women/females as well as the words associated with them.
No more actresses. What would Mae West say?
LMcC
Oops!
I ‘ve been saying “peroffspring” when challenged about using another “gendered” word, such as “chairman”. Usually I use “ person”.
LMcC
Dear Anonymous,
How very dare you use such a sexist word as "person" without mentioning "perdaughter"!
Seriously, the whole thing is beyond a joke, and only shows the depth of ignorance of the people making these ridiculous demands. They don't have the slightest trace of a sense of humour, but I would love to be able to waken the "tickle switch" in them, since it would make their sad lives a lot happier. Their demands are ridiculous, but a sense of the ridiculous makes a lot of bad things much more bearable.
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