NVP said:
That makes sense, K_S.
William's 'anyone that uses the phrase PC is an idiot' stance doesn't sit entirely easily with me, either.
You'd struggle to find very many people at all who use the phrase nowadays, who were not at the very least guilty of ultra-derivative cliche recycling though. And usually worse.
My point, while overrepeated on these boards (
) and (admittedly, this time) overdone and no doubt annoying to some, is that the entire phrase has become politically discredited.
I'm the first to agree that the BBC have acted like arses in this instance, although some have suggested (and I want, conspiranoidly, to agree!
) that it was largely a publicity stunt got up by Chris Moyles.
Neither do I deny that if you look around, especially a few years ago, you will find some instances of over zealous/misguided officials in public organisations who have attempted to introduce, or actually have introduced, counterproductive (and stupid/annoying/idiotic sounding) changes to language. Often for reasons of pre-emptive (and imagined) offence-avoidance, in so many cases when no offence is likely to exist in reality.
But I still contend that the vast majority of 'PC gorn made' sensationalism in the tabloids is made up bollocks -- my link to that Oliver Burkeman Guardian article about the Phoney War On Christmas, that I posted earlier on, is pretty devastating to anyone imagining that a Brigade of Politically Correct Apparatchik-'liberals' is 'going round' trying to 'ban' or 'censor' Christmas.The real truth in that article about the 'Winterval' thing in Birmingham (1998, 9 fucking years ago -- but some people still think they still call it that there!!) is interesting, and set out in detail in that article. As deconstruction of that myth, and several other 'banned Christmas' ones, it's among the best hatchet jobs I've read.
But these myths are too readily believed by too many and that's my problem.
I really do think that people who unthinkingly recycle the 'political correctness' phrase while showing no sign of questioning the truth or detail of what they've been told in the media, or heard in some secondhand pub anecdote, ARE gullible idiots.
I don't exactly disagree with what kyser has posted, as a short historical point. But by now, and for several years, the whole 'PC' phenomenon has been overblown, exaggerated, sensationalised, subjected to Littlejohnesque outrage from some very dodgy voices politically, and believed undersceptically and underquestioningly by far too many people.
Would like some other time to Google to see where most (UK) instances of the 'PC' phrase (and variants) occur online. (Maybe the BBC apart, who will usually be quoting other people anyway I reckon). Would not be at all surprised, and I speculate admittedly, were I to find that most media people and commentators who (seriously) use and promulgate the phrase are complete wankers politically as far as anyone to the left of Genghiz Thatcher is concerned. That's certainly my experience over the past 10 years. And that's why I'd rather eat my own vomit than use the phrase (seriously/non pisstakingly) myself.
And it's such a fucking cliche anyway! Ridiculously overused. Come on!
Makes it much harder to properly engage with/oppose/ put up sensible arguments against the real cases of over zealous decisions that are sometimes made, when there's a media and public chorus of 'this is all PC gone mad' chuntering away in the background.
