More specifically, if you’re complaining about being forced to talk or act ‘politically correct,’ you’re probably just a bigot and don’t want to admit it. I think of the sort of people who rely solely on racial, sexuality, and gendered based terms and ‘humor’ as every day conversation. This sort of person thinks it’s acceptable to use racial slurs when talking about people, because they “don’t really mean it.” They cause a huge scene when they’re called out on their behavior. It’s a common defense to claim they have a right to freedom of speech for what they’re saying; however, having the right to say something does not make it acceptable to say it. This extends beyond racial terms though, and includes the sort of person that relies on belittling women, bashing homosexuals, or attacking any other part of a person’s identity.
This video discusses similar themes in advertising and the media.
The first issue I see with this sort of mentality, is that it comes from a position of privilege. People that object to politically correct restraints are frustrated that they are not being allowed to exercise what they see as a privilege. Because they feel superior to another race, gender, etc., the person feels they have the right to use belittling terminology to describe members of the group in question or as an insult against people not included in the group. The person is in a position of power, so they aren’t concerned if people insult them in the same manner, because they have the power and the sense of privilege that lends so much strength to their words. As long as we continue to stratify society in terms of race, gender, sexuality, and similar terms, there will always be people at the top of the hierarchy who feel entitled to be ‘politically incorrect.
Another major problem I see with this push against being politically correct, which is really a push against being respectful and empathetic for other human beings, is that it is able to flourish on the internet. If you take even a few minutes to scroll through the comments on a YouTube video or the comments on a news article, you can see how willing people are to be hateful and disgusting when they are anonymous. The internet has allowed people to really express how truly bigoted they are, without the social repercussions of acting the same way in public. It’s disturbing how willing kids, teenagers, and adults all are to call some one a ‘faggot’ or threaten to rape a girl they meet on Xbox Live. What kind of people are you that I can’t even listen to you talk while I play video games because you’re screaming obscenities nonstop?
As much as I can’t stand people that feel it’s ok to talk about other human beings in these terms, it also baffles me. I don’t understand how you can be comfortable talking that way to people you know or to complete strangers. Whether or not anyone who sees what you say ever knows who you really are shouldn’t matter; when you say and do things that other people can see, you are giving them a representation of who you are as a person. I can’t imagine anyone wants to be thought of as a disgusting bigot, so why is anyone comfortable with acting that way?
ShoutOut! James Madison University 
I thought the video had an interesting take on current advertisements, very true! But, I think it’s unfair to say that only positions of privilege use this type of terminology. It it so rampant in our society that many people of every race, gender, class, ect use these types of stark language.
Additionally, not every person who is not “politically correct” is necessarily a bigot. There are large amounts of people who are uneducated to the type of “correct” language you are referencing. If I am not aware of “right” terminology, but my intentions are not harmful, am I a bigot? I don’t think that’s necessarily the case in all instances. Obviously, as you’ve stated, many intentionally use this irony to distance and continue sexist views.
I completely agree about your ideas of empathy in regards to essentialist rhetoric, it’s seems outrageous to me how people justify intentional marginalization to themselves.
LikeLike
I agree that all types of people are guilty of the sort of language I’m talking about, though I wanted to draw more attention to the power aspect of it.
As for not everyone being a bigot, this is why I dislike using loaded language most of the time. However, I’m obviously not going to call some one unaware of what they are saying a bigot. But that’s not the kind of person I’m talking about to begin with; I’m referring to people who recognize that what they say is wrong, but do so regardless because they think it is funny or edgy. It’s hard to imagine some one accidentally doing this.
I will say though, I tend to think that the “I didn’t know” defense isn’t a very good one. If you don’t know what a slang term means, you should probably find that out before you use it. Similarly, I don’t think that not knowing the harm of sexist jokes is a satisfactory defense for making them. Ignorance isn’t a very good defense, and I worry that if we allow people to make derogatory comments because they didn’t know better, then we have to accept people who grow up in racist/sexist/homophobic families/communities because they just don’t know any better. This is, I think, a terrible excuse for holding those sorts of bigoted views. Maybe I’m missing your point, so I’ll stop now as I’m moving into another discussion altogether. Let me know if I missed your point though, as I’d hate to leave such a glaring hole in my arguments.
LikeLike
Oh I agree, I don’t think ignorance is a defense because many people use these words and phrases without thinking even though some part of them understands the implication. But, I think that its unhelpful to label those who genuinely are unaware as bigots, which I agree is obviously difficult to differentiate. For example, people use the word tribe and tribal to describe places and societies in Africa all the time. And honesty, I did too until I took a class on imperialism and realized the implications of what I was saying. Turns out, its really essentialist and racist! That was a surprise to me, not because I didn’t think it was racist, but because I had never sat down and thought about that type of rhetoric and its value. Does that make me a bigot? Probably not. I think its about the change (to no longer use that rhetoric) with the help of education that really matters.
LikeLike
Yeah, I see what you’re saying. I think one thing to keep in mind is that I was specific in targeting people who get mad when they’re confronted for their comments and get mad about being forced to be “politically correct.” I hadn’t intended to accuse innocent mistakes of equating to bigotry. But I think that’s my mistake in not being clear enough.
LikeLike
I’ve been meaning to comment, but thank you. And, I believe you know why I’m saying this. 🙂
LikeLike