BBC says "gay" is OK!

[Asher]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
The kid isn't calling the guy gay because he shuns him. The kid is calling him gay because he thinks the guy likes to **** other guys.

Err. You are completely missing the point.
The kid is calling the guy gay and thus he shuns him. Haven't you ever been to public high school?

If you can't see the vast difference in meaning between that and calling an uncool ringtone "gay", then I guess we're just not going to see eye-to-eye on this. Can't say I'm surprised...

Why would you be surprised? You can't even read what I'm writing, you're reading what you want me to write for convenience.

I specified very clearly in this scenario that he'd called the boy gay in the homosexual sense. And in the high school culture I continually keep referring to (but that you are apparently unable to comprehend), this results in social rejection and shunning. He's not calling the guy gay because he's shunned, in my example, it's because he thinks the guy is homosexual. It's illustrating that he's using the word "gay" to describe a "homosexual" who is therefore "socially rejected".

In simple terms:
gay -> homosexual -> rejected/lame/bad/whatever

And due to the creative genius of 13 year olds, it eventually morphs into:

gay -> rejected/lame/bad/whatever

You can keep yapping that it doesn't mean "homosexual" anymore, because it's taken out of the equation...but it does. Most people know that. Who on here doesn't? 2 people in this thread, you and Kalius -- both of which are rather suspect as trolls. And you're from the Nebraska education system, while he's a Kiwi(?). So that pretty much explains that.

[Asher]

And while I still disagree with the BBC decision, they were far from saying it's "okay":

“In broadcasting to an audience of predominantly young people, it was to be expected that Chris Moyles would use expressions and words which the listeners used themselves,” the BBC said.

"The committee believed that Chris Moyles, when using the word, had meant no offence to gay people.

"It did, however, feel that it would be advisable to think more carefully about using the word 'gay' in its derogatory sense in the future."

They basically said it's "okay" in the sense that it's what kids in that age group use in every day conversation, so in an "editorial" sense it was appropriate.

That's a very important distinction.

[Drake Tungsten]

So Jews 'consented' to the pejorative use of the word Jew ?

No, but most of the rest of society did for a time.

And you're from the Nebraska education system, while he's a Kiwi(?).

Dude, you live in Alberta...

This is good to see, though. Lame ad hominem postings are always a prime indicator that Asher has been pwned.

Anyway, I'm off to see a movie. Later.

[Asher]

And since this guy makes similarly immature potty jokes, breast jokes, and gay jokes...I'm wondering if he didn't mean insult to gays afterall.

Moyles has a gay Assistant Producer, Aled Jones on his show, which under other circumstances (like his show being funny) might endear him to gay listeners.

Unfortunately, Aled is mocked on every show, using a series of crude gags, constantly based on his sexuality and stereotypes relating to it.

The fact that Moyles is popular with a demographic of mostly teenage boys, renders his offensive banter quite worrying, especially as homophobic bullying continues to plague the UK’s schools.

If 'Muslim' or 'Jewish' suddenly became teenage parlance for 'inadequate' or 'substandard', there's no doubt Moyles would be looking at a p45, public uproar and a fatwah.

The BBC seems to believe that because kids who might listen to their radio shows are sometimes unwittingly, and often viciously homophobic in their language use, it's okay for their adult presenters to sink to their level. It isn't.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Dude, you live in Alberta...

One of the top ranked provinces in one of the top ranked countries in the world regarding education...is that your point?

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

So Jews 'consented' to the pejorative use of the word Jew ?

No, but most of the rest of society did for a time.

So the non-Jewish part of society 'consented' to use the word jew as a pejorative term or word.

Are you attempting to explain how the use of a name for one minority in society becomes used as an insult by the rest of that society ?

[Arrian]

Would "suck it up" be an accurate summary of the last several pages of Drake's posts?

-Arrian

[Drake Tungsten]

I don't think I've really dealt with that issue over the last few pages, but I'd partially agree with that sentiment. I'd argue more along the lines of "there's no sense feeling insulted if people aren't trying to insult you", but whatever...

[paramir]

arguing that the ussage of gay is pjorative is the same as arguing that heir is discriminatory due to it being pronounced the same way as err

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
You're asking us to believe that the current generation, the most gay-tolerant generation in history, just decided to take the homosexual meaning of "gay" and turn it into an insult that meant "uncool", even though the homosexual "gay" would seem to be enough of an insult to anyone who was truly homophobic.

No, the adopted an already existing insult without thinking though what it really means.

[MrFun]

This is a little weird for me. If gays such as myself find a deragatory use of the word "gay" to be offensive, why would people like Drake continue to insist on being able to use the word in such a manner?

I can think of two reasons off the bat:

One, people such as Drake are simply obtuse and insensitive to other people's perspectives no matter how well reasoned arguments are presented for not using the word in such a manner.

Two, such people are homophobic anyway, and so obviously have no qualms about offending gays with such bigoted use of the word.

I doubt Drake is homophobic, so I have to go with the first reason.

[Lorizael]

What if gays not such as yourself are not offended by the use of the word gay in that manner?

[notyoueither]

What if every gay person to speak up says they are offended?

[Drake Tungsten]

If every gay person (or even a large majority) were to speak out against the term, I doubt the rest of society would find it to be a socially acceptable in this day and age. That's not the case though.

One, people such as Drake are simply obtuse and insensitive to other people's perspectives no matter how well reasoned arguments are presented for not using the word in such a manner.

I've yet to see a well-reasoned argument on why I should be offended by the use of a socially acceptable term that has little to no relation to homosexuality in its common usage.

[notyoueither]

100% so far in this thread, and I'm pretty sure Witt, Molly, and Asher couldn't agree on most things.