So how long do you think it will be,

[Deleted]

before using "crazy, nuts, insane" etc. as derogatory terms will be as taboo as using other words that were common insults 10 years ago but are now considered offensive?

It's really no more PC to insult mental illness.

[strawberriquen]

I'm guessing 5-10 years....

[bonquiqui]

Insane in the membrane

[wambam]

I don't think they ever will be. Especially "crazy."

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2013 21:51:03 GMT -5 wambam said:

I don't think they ever will be. Especially "crazy."

Why not? Why don't the mentally ill deserve the same respect as those with issues associated with mental impairment?

There is no good reason.

[TC]

I don't think it will ever get to that point, but I try to make an effort to not refer to PEOPLE with those terms, or say things like "she is being really bi polar today" or "I need to OCD clean my house", or whatever. Maybe it's overkill and I'm not super offended when other people do it, but it's something that is important to me.

[wambam]

Nov 30, 2013 21:55:23 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

Nov 30, 2013 21:51:03 GMT -5 wambam said:

I don't think they ever will be. Especially "crazy."

Why not? Why don't the mentally ill deserve the same respect as those with issues associated with mental impairment?

There is no good reason.

Because I don't think there is a correlation between "that brownie is crazy good" or "did you see how insane that shot was in the game?" And someone with a mental illness.

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2013 21:58:47 GMT -5 wambam said:

Nov 30, 2013 21:55:23 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

Why not? Why don't the mentally ill deserve the same respect as those with issues associated with mental impairment?

There is no good reason.

Because I don't think there is a correlation between "that brownie is crazy good" or "did you see how insane that shot was in the game?" And someone with a mental illness.

Right, just like no one 10 years ago thought " man, that was a retarded call from the ref at the football game last night" had anything to do with a person with Down Syndrome.

[wambam]

Nov 30, 2013 22:01:30 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

Nov 30, 2013 21:58:47 GMT -5 wambam said:

Because I don't think there is a correlation between "that brownie is crazy good" or "did you see how insane that shot was in the game?" And someone with a mental illness.

Right, just like no one 10 years ago thought " man, that was a retarded call from the ref at the football game last night" had anything to do with a person with Down Syndrome.

I disagree. I think there has always been discomfort with retarded.

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2013 22:04:07 GMT -5 wambam said:

Nov 30, 2013 22:01:30 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

Right, just like no one 10 years ago thought " man, that was a retarded call from the ref at the football game last night" had anything to do with a person with Down Syndrome.

I disagree. I think there has always been discomfort with retarded.

(Raises eyebrows)

And gay?

Do you think the average person describing something lame as "so gay!" In the 90s was thinking about dudes who love dudes when they said it?

[Deleted]

And "stupid, idiot, moron" etc. the people who actually fit these descriptions can't help it. Intelligence is something you're largely born with. Why is it acceptable to say these things?

[wambam]

Nov 30, 2013 22:06:23 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

Nov 30, 2013 22:04:07 GMT -5 wambam said:

I disagree. I think there has always been discomfort with retarded.

(Raises eyebrows)

And gay?

Do you think the average person describing something lame as "so gay!" In the 90s was thinking about dudes who love dudes when they said it?

I would put gay in the same category as retarded: it's always been wrong and offensive.

I could be totally wrong and in 5 years I'll be changing my vocabulary not to include "crazy." I usually use it as a synonym for "very" and I don't think that's particularly derogatory.

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2013 22:08:35 GMT -5 wambam said:

Nov 30, 2013 22:06:23 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

(Raises eyebrows)

And gay?

Do you think the average person describing something lame as "so gay!" In the 90s was thinking about dudes who love dudes when they said it?

I would put gay in the same category as retarded: it's always been wrong and offensive.

I think you've got a serious case of goldfish brain.

[wambam]

Nov 30, 2013 22:11:08 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

Nov 30, 2013 22:08:35 GMT -5 wambam said:

I would put gay in the same category as retarded: it's always been wrong and offensive.

I think you've got a serious case of goldfish brain.

I have no idea what this means. But okay.

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2013 22:11:33 GMT -5 wambam said:

Nov 30, 2013 22:11:08 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

I think you've got a serious case of goldfish brain.

I have no idea what this means. But okay.

Short term memory loss.

Ahhhhhh shit. Look! Just fucked up sanitizing the English language again, I suck as a human being, obvs.

[suzyp]

Nov 30, 2013 22:06:23 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

Nov 30, 2013 22:04:07 GMT -5 wambam said:

I disagree. I think there has always been discomfort with retarded.

(Raises eyebrows)

And gay?

Do you think the average person describing something lame as "so gay!" In the 90s was thinking about dudes who love dudes when they said it?

Um, yes.  I am 38.  This was not something that was said in my house growing up because it was negative about homosexuals.   So, yeah, 20+ years ago.  And absolutely people who said it were thinking "about dudes who love dudes."  That's the entire meaning of using that phrase. 

[papie]

Nov 30, 2013 21:58:47 GMT -5 wambam said:

Nov 30, 2013 21:55:23 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

Why not? Why don't the mentally ill deserve the same respect as those with issues associated with mental impairment?

There is no good reason.

Because I don't think there is a correlation between "that brownie is crazy good" or "did you see how insane that shot was in the game?" And someone with a mental illness.

But what about "are you nuts?" "Are you crazy?" "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

[wambam]

Nov 30, 2013 22:15:04 GMT -5 papie said:

Nov 30, 2013 21:58:47 GMT -5 wambam said:

Because I don't think there is a correlation between "that brownie is crazy good" or "did you see how insane that shot was in the game?" And someone with a mental illness.

But what about "are you nuts?" "Are you crazy?" "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

Different, in my mind. It's a different usage.

[Deleted]

And what about "I suck" really....

It's short for "suck dick", so that's kind of anti female, right? The act of performing oral sex on a male is clearly implied to be something that makes the giver "less than". Why are we saying that?

[bonquiqui]

Nov 30, 2013 22:11:08 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

Nov 30, 2013 22:08:35 GMT -5 wambam said:

I would put gay in the same category as retarded: it's always been wrong and offensive.

I think you've got a serious case of goldfish brain.

i am offended.  I have memory loss from my Multiple Sclerosis!!!!









I'm really not

[papie]

Nov 30, 2013 22:15:54 GMT -5 wambam said:

Nov 30, 2013 22:15:04 GMT -5 papie said:

But what about "are you nuts?" "Are you crazy?" "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

Different, in my mind. It's a different usage.

I try not to use retard. But honestly I have more mentally ill people in the "insane" sense around me than mentally disabled, so I find it funny/strange that this is PC.

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2013 22:18:36 GMT -5 kooshball said:

Nov 30, 2013 22:16:40 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

And what about "I suck" really....

It's short for "suck dick", so that's kind of anti female, right? The act of performing oral sex on a male is clearly implied to be something that makes the giver "less than". Why are we saying that?

Are you serious? When someone says "I suck" you think dick?

Thank you for proving my point.

No, I don't. But it's the root meaning of a phrase that has EVOLVED to have a different modern usage.

Take everything out of our vernacular that has an offensive root and you will seriously hack away at the language.

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2013 22:19:50 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Nov 30, 2013 22:15:54 GMT -5 wambam said:

Different, in my mind. It's a different usage.

Didn't people sometimes use retarded in a positive way - man, that party was retarded! Or am I misremembering?

Like "sick" or "phat" maybe? Lol.

[papie]

Nov 30, 2013 22:16:40 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

And what about "I suck" really....

It's short for "suck dick", so that's kind of anti female, right? The act of performing oral sex on a male is clearly implied to be something that makes the giver "less than". Why are we saying that?

Or is it meant to be derogatory towards gays?
Ding ding ding!

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2013 22:22:04 GMT -5 papie said:

Nov 30, 2013 22:16:40 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

And what about "I suck" really....

It's short for "suck dick", so that's kind of anti female, right? The act of performing oral sex on a male is clearly implied to be something that makes the giver "less than". Why are we saying that?

Or is it meant to be derogatory towards gays?
Ding ding ding!

So again? Why is it ok?

[lilibet]

Nov 30, 2013 22:19:50 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Nov 30, 2013 22:15:54 GMT -5 wambam said:

Different, in my mind. It's a different usage.

Didn't people sometimes use retarded in a positive way - man, that party was retarded! Or am I misremembering?

They did, at least around here, it was like crazy or awesome.


Around here people still say retarded. My coworkers say it all the time. I cringe every time I hear it.
I also hear "that is so gay" a lot too.
But I'm in a fairly rural, not at all progressive area.

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2013 22:23:54 GMT -5 kooshball said:

Nov 30, 2013 22:20:46 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

Thank you for proving my point.

No, I don't. But it's the root meaning of a phrase that has EVOLVED to have a different modern usage.

Take everything out of our vernacular that has an offensive root and you will seriously hack away at the language.

You are seriously reaching... 

Really? Please tell me the distinction between using the phrase "retarded" to describe someone making a dumb move, and calling someone "crazy" when they're acting off kilter in a serious way.

[wannabe]

Nov 30, 2013 22:29:09 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

What about "wicked"? I mean, come on, they hanged people up there for being wicked. lol. Talk about poor taste.

I always love your posts in threads like this.

[MixedBerryJam]

Just as an example of how our language evolves over time, when my brother was born with DS in 1951 the doctors referred to him as a "mongolian idiot."

[LeggsBenedict]

Nov 30, 2013 22:19:50 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Nov 30, 2013 22:15:54 GMT -5 wambam said:

Different, in my mind. It's a different usage.

Didn't people sometimes use retarded in a positive way - man, that party was retarded! Or am I misremembering?

let's get retarded, ha! let's get retarded IN HERE!