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It's the Internet
Posted By: Hawaiian Pig	Date: 9/27/10 5:22 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Oh, you're one of those guys... (Spartan Jag) : That being said, it's the internet. I'm not gonna cut myself because someone : doesn't like me or calls me a bad name. If you're all crying that someone : was insulting and used a naughty word, go back to watching the Family : Channel. If it's too graphic for HBO, why isn't the word censored? Sure, it's the internet. The internet is a pretty rad place for the free and open exchange of ideas. This doesn't exempt it from being reasonable. That said... I love Louis CK. He demonstrates that it's all about context when it comes to using words. But context doesn't only involve intention, it also involves your audience. HBO is a public place and I like to think it's also one of the last bastions of intelligent discussion on the internet. We've tried to keep that up for years; we even had a long standing stigma for being stuck up and elitist because of it. No, we don't censor people here. But, on account of maintaining some kind of professional decorum, most posters hesitate to put words like fuck, shit, cock, or balls, in their subject lines, because they know these words are generally overused by morons. This isn't 4chan and this isn't SomethingAwful; overuse of these words is basically clutter amidst reasonable claims. Hell, overuse takes away that punch when you really want to drive home something as fucking retarded... for example. Of course, then you have slurs; their offense goes beyond simple words of curse. There's a thin line between regular words of curse and slurs. Stupid, lame, moron, and retarded, run the gamut of words that used to refer to challenged people, but only the latter gets significantly lambasted for being insensitive these days. Slurs are words yes. And words do change meaning; but it's a very slow process. And although you may want to take a principled stand against a particular insensitive word, you can't ignore how your audience might interpret it; you can't ignore context. Unless you're making a pithy statement about the contextual use of words, slurs like faggot pretty much have no place in areas of wholly public discussion. Not yet at least. Yes, a lot of us grew up using these words without actually knowing their original meaning. But as much as we'd all like to believe everyone is chill and doesn't subscribe to these original meanings, some people still take offense. With good reason. It'll take a long time for these words to lose their offensive meanings. I mean, that youtube video alone fails to acknowledge the long and storied evolution of that word without the context of homosexuality; it's akin to the term "fairy." So I'll say it again, context involves more than just intention, it involves things like your setting and audience. Hell, it even involves delivery; that's why Michael Richards makes news and Louis CK gets laughs. In any case, hiding behind "Oh, well I don't take this word to mean that," doesn't protect you. You and I may see ambiguity in the term, but others do not. Communication is a two way street, and what are words if not tools for communication? Use your tools wisely.

Message Index

A Tiered Critique of Reach's Story	General Battuta	9/26/10 1:25 p.m.
Re: A Tiered Critique of Reach's Story	General Battuta	9/26/10 1:29 p.m.
Fall of Reach Canon	Cody Miller	9/26/10 1:45 p.m.
Officially Licensed...	Riceatron	9/26/10 1:53 p.m.
Re: Officially Licensed...	Gordon Freeman	9/26/10 2:16 p.m.
Re: Officially Licensed...	General Battuta	9/26/10 3:20 p.m.
Re: Officially Licensed...	Tex	9/26/10 3:25 p.m.
Oh don't even.	Riceatron	9/26/10 4:30 p.m.
Re: Oh don't even.	DHalo	9/26/10 4:46 p.m.
;3 *NM*	Tex	9/26/10 6:08 p.m.
: | *NM*	Riceatron	9/26/10 6:17 p.m.
HBO: : | *NM*	SonofMacPhisto	9/26/10 6:42 p.m.
HBO: Riceatron is a faggot *NM*	Gordon Freeman	9/26/10 8:13 p.m.
Absolutely uncalled for *NM*	vlad3163	9/26/10 10:23 p.m.
Agreed *NM*	Avateur	9/26/10 11:07 p.m.
Re: Absolutely uncalled for	Gordon Freeman	9/26/10 11:13 p.m.
Re: Absolutely uncalled for	vlad3163	9/26/10 11:26 p.m.
Re: Absolutely uncalled for	Gordon Freeman	9/26/10 11:31 p.m.
Re: Absolutely uncalled for	vlad3163	9/26/10 11:42 p.m.
Oh, you're one of those guys...	Jordan117	9/27/10 3:08 p.m.
Dude, I love Louis CK. *NM*	Tex	9/27/10 3:34 p.m.
Re: Oh, you're one of those guys...	Spartan Jag	9/27/10 4:36 p.m.
Wait, what?	Jordan117	9/27/10 5:06 p.m.
Re: Wait, what?	General Vagueness	9/27/10 5:44 p.m.
Re: Wait, what?	Spartan Jag	9/27/10 11:20 p.m.
Re: Wait, what?	gunluva	9/27/10 11:29 p.m.
Me neither.	Jordan117	9/28/10 2:23 a.m.
And here I thot this thread was relevant to the OP *NM*	thebruce0	9/28/10 10:43 a.m.
It's the Internet	Hawaiian Pig	9/27/10 5:22 p.m.
Re: Absolutely uncalled for	Avateur	9/26/10 11:33 p.m.
HBO: Absolutely uncalled for *NM*	reprobate	9/27/10 1:35 a.m.
This is what I wake up to?	Riceatron	9/27/10 6:59 a.m.
Re: This is what I wake up to?	Wayward Spleen™	9/27/10 2:13 p.m.
Re: This is what I wake up to?	Crab	9/30/10 10:55 a.m.
HBO : Gordon Freeman is a dick.	Riceatron	9/27/10 7:11 a.m.
Re: HBO : Gordon Freeman is a dick.	RyanTheHeretic	9/27/10 7:17 a.m.
Re: HBO : Gordon Freeman is a dick.	Spartan Jag	9/27/10 1:56 p.m.
Re: HBO: Riceatron is a faggot	Frankie	9/27/10 1:40 p.m.
HBO: Makes Frankie ask "wtf"? *NM*	Wayward Spleen™	9/27/10 2:08 p.m.
Re: HBO: Riceatron is a faggot	Quirel	9/27/10 3:21 p.m.
Re: Fall of Reach Canon	furiocity	9/26/10 3:00 p.m.
Re: Fall of Reach Canon	The BS Police	9/26/10 3:04 p.m.
Re: Fall of Reach Canon	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	9/26/10 3:12 p.m.
Seriously, people!	General Battuta	9/26/10 3:19 p.m.
Upboated	kapowaz	9/26/10 3:38 p.m.
Re: A Tiered Critique of Reach's Story	Avateur	9/26/10 3:38 p.m.
Re: A Tiered Critique of Reach's Story	General Battuta	9/26/10 3:59 p.m.
Re: A Tiered Critique of Reach's Story	Hawaiian Pig	9/26/10 4:37 p.m.
Re: A Tiered Critique of Reach's Story	Riceatron	9/26/10 4:49 p.m.
Re: A Tiered Critique of Reach's Story	BlueNinja	9/26/10 5:30 p.m.
Re: A Tiered Critique of Reach's Story	Silent Knight	9/26/10 6:45 p.m.
Re: A Tiered Critique of Reach's Story	thebruce0	9/28/10 10:51 a.m.
Re: A Tiered Critique of Reach's Story	General Vagueness	9/27/10 12:28 a.m.
Re: A Tiered Critique of Reach's Story	Kermit	9/27/10 11:55 a.m.
Re: A Tiered Critique of Reach's Story	Wayward Spleen™	9/27/10 12:54 p.m.