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Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
You know when people call someone a Jew, is it intentionally racist or not? They normally aren't Jews, it's just.. you know. Also variations are 'dirty jew' etc. - but normally it's said to a friend in a joking way, rather than random people. In fact I've never noticed it used in that way.
Always makes me feel a bit uncomfortable...
Always makes me feel a bit uncomfortable...
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If it's used out of context (i.e banter between mates where one person might or might not be a jew) then why should it bother you?
One of my Asian mates sometimes texts me calling me Tippex face, I text him back and call him Gravy face, he texts me calling me Hitler I text him back calling him Gandhi.
If I thought for one second that he (or anybody else involved in the conversation) didn't take it as a joke then I'd be mortiifed and stop.
It's like computer gamers call you a "noob" (a newb, newbie, a beginner, loser, ...), to say idiot. There is no connection.
It's stupid, don't waste your thoughts on shit like that (and yea, it's technically racist)...
But I think noob isn't offensive whereas Jew could be. I don't take offense at it - I wouldn't use it personally because I do find it uncomfortable - but I'm not going to be arguing with people over it.
And thesite is here for wasting my thoughts
Usually not racist, just completely ignorant.
The term is certainly derogatory - if not rascist. But as other posters have pointed out, it is often said with no real malice to Jews intended.
Jews were regarded as 'stingy' etc because historically, they were often hounded from place to place, and therefore became money lenders because money was easy to take with you.
Most of the Jews I have met, were very pleasant people but you get aresholes in every community.
Stan Marsh: Can Eric spend the night?
Mrs Cartman: No, I'm sorry, Eric is grounded for trying to exterminate the Jews two weeks ago.
Classic.
This. It's not, as previously stated, a hip word for idiot.
Although it seems daft to be more offended by it in that term, it does seem like negative stereotyping and I feel it's a bit unfair.
I mean, really I'm just trying to understand it personally and the way I feel about it. I know it's harmless as it's banter between friends - but it does make me feel uncomfortable. Having watched Band of Brothers just the other day probably didn't help, especially the episode that uncovers some of the extent of the holocaust.
It just seems sometimes we've reached a plateau of relative tolerance yet... I dunno. I'm a massive hypocrite because I call things gay all the time... probably because I game a lot: 10 rules of gaming - see number 7
I think my asking whether it was racist in the first post was a poor choice of words, I don't actually think it's racist - too many things are tarred with 'racism' because it's quite shocking. But basing a negative (even if light hearted) stereotype on a race that has suffered massive persecution and genocide just seems a bit over the line for me.
But then gay people have had their fair share of troubles too... I guess it's the way you're brought up? Everything was gay when I was young, and it was never an issue. But I'd get a hiding off my mum if she ever heard me saying anything racist so it sooned made me especially sensitive to it.
:chin: Wasn't really trying to descend it into the deep realms of politics & debate though, was more curious as to what other people thought.
See my post above.
As I said, it wasn't intended to get incredibly deep, but rather - is it acceptable? Why does it make me feel uncomfortable? Do it make others feel uncomfortable?
Yes :yes: - as it in makes me feel uncomfortable, a bit..
And whilst some black people sometimes use the n-word and some gay people say queer or fag – it doesn't give everybody a license to start using these terms again; which have a history of being used in very abusive, very hateful ways. It's kind of like you can insult your mum and your sister but you wouldn't be happy if your mate did. Regardless, even if there is the issue of communities reclaiming words of abuse most people find them offensive – and since they are almost always used in derogatory ways, unless someone wants to sound like a homophobic racist they should probably avoid using such hateful language...
It's an underlying racism (or anti-semtism if you prefer). Whether it's worth getting worked up about is another matter.
* our office had a stand today showing children's pictures from the death camps along to the music of Take Hart - my opinion is divided on whether this was tasteless or just tacky.
What, so because a certain group has suffered attrocities, they get carte blanche? Now that is racism - all be it 'positive' racism.
What a load of over-sensitive bullshit. Such words have become inter-changable with others in certain parts of the English language, that's just how it is. Although some people who use them may also be anti-Semitic or homophobic, using them does not automatically make you so. Just look to stand-up comedy; do you really think each comedian who makes jokes about a particular group of people also hates that group? Shit, if a white person was to use the word cracker or honkey, does this make them anti-white?
What about calling a computer game 'gay'? Am I being homophobic then? Because it's not an insult, just a word to describe...... there's not another word for it I can think of. Mild annoyance / frustration.
Found this example:
Also, off the top of my head, a 'gay' tactic in a game is something that is annoying, possibly effective, but lacks skill. I.e. camping.
Not that you'll care, I'm sure, but I don't agree it comes under the umbrella of 'very homophobic'. I would say very homophobic acts would be those that go out of their way to hurt homosexual people. Perhaps using gay isn't the best word, but other gamers at the LANs I help organise who are gay, also use the word gay. It's kind of been assimilated by the gaming community and has it's own meaning that doesn't really relate to homosexuality at all.
No, *sigh* - as I've said several times I didn't put this in P&D for a reason, I was saying maybe that was why I was more sensitive to 'Jew' than 'Gay', because of how I've been socialised and my experiences. It wasn't a justification for why it was bad / inappropriate.
My answer would have been the same no matter what forum it was in.
tl;dr - no need to be sensitive about it anymore than any other word.
Not intentionally - but if you'd bothered to read what I'd said...
People may not be acting in a deliberately homophobic or anti-Semitic way - but the words they are using and the origins of such insults is indisputably homophobic/anti-Semitic.
What are you on about now? What has this got to do with the words Jew and gay being used as insults?
You're not necessarily being homophobic but your choice of language is homophobic. I find it homophobic that my identity is being used as a synonym for stupid/shitty/annoying.
So what? I'm gay, I don't use 'gay' in that way and I hate to hear it used like that... Some of my friends do, my close friends don't - I know people don't mean it in a homophobic/hateful way but if you're using somebody else's identity as a synonym for shit you don't have to be particularly bright to realise how that can be offensive.
I agree - 'gay' has lost its meaning to some extent and I doubt homosexuality crosses the mind of most people using gay to mean shit/crap/etc. To be fair - most of the time it's not used in a malicious way.
But - since the word 'gay' is still used to describe the gay community - and since most gay people describe themselves as gay the word is still used in another way. I don't think it helps young people coming to terms with their sexuality if they hear the word describing their sexuality constantly used as a term of abuse or a synonym for shit...
(the link is sarcastic
Problem is I have a limited vocabulary such that I can't think of a word to replace it adequately. ***.
Bobbins.
Bone/Totally Bone.
Celine Dion.