4 ms·

So who decides what is or is not offensive? Can anyone? How is one to predict what may or may not offend someone? What if I find your comment and tone offensi

by lingben 11y ago

So who decides what is or is not offensive? Can anyone? How is one to predict what may or may not offend someone? What if I find your comment and tone offensive? does that mean that you have to now remove it? or that you'll censor youself in the future, lest you continue to offend me? And if you attempt to question the genuineness of my offense, then I take further offense at you attempting to de-legitimizing my original offense taken. To ground my point by way of example, consider this lunacy about the cry of "Japanese cultural appropriation" and how that is 'offensive': http://cheshireinthemiddle.tumblr.com/post/131407267302/ginzers-spoopy-roxxi-ginzers http://cheshireinthemiddle.tumblr.com/post/131407267302/ginz... Happily it was put to rest (by an ethnically Japanese person) but this is typical of the insanity that has taken over most campuses in the US right now Yes, it is infantalization to request that others self-censor just in case they may cause offense to you. there is no 'right to not be offended': https://youtu.be/fHMoDt3nSHs?t=201 https://youtu.be/fHMoDt3nSHs?t=201

Pxtl 11y ago
Hypothetically, if somebody went out to halloween as Foetus-Eating Penis Hitler, I'd think we'd agree it's tasteless and inappropriate. At that point, everything is a spectrum between the banal and the monstrous. You just draw the line in different spots from others.
- lingben 11y ago
  Actually, I'm not sure we'd agree. Personally I'd probably find that costume hilarious (depending on how well it was executed) but then I have a dark sense of humor. For example, I find this anecdote from John Cleese about his mother hilarious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f74L2hRZE1Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f74L2hRZE1Y But let's assume that I found that costume 'offensive'. What would I be entitled to do? that is, what should I be able to do? Nothing. That is, other than get offended, I don't have a right to do anything other than that. I certainly don't have a right to not be offended. Taking offense is so subjective that it is meaningless. Think of it this way, you may not like mayo on your french fries but a lot of people do. Does that mean that you have to force others to not enjoy their french fries with mayo? No. It just means that you eat what you like and leave others to enjoy the foods they enjoy. Gosh... now that I've typed that out I hardly can believe that it has become so irrational that we have to actually spell out such things to one another as adults in the year 2015. sigh

by lingben 11y ago

Pxtl 11y ago

Hypothetically, if somebody went out to halloween as Foetus-Eating Penis Hitler, I'd think we'd agree it's tasteless and inappropriate. At that point, everything is a spectrum between the banal and the monstrous. You just draw the line in different spots from others.

lingben 11y ago
Actually, I'm not sure we'd agree. Personally I'd probably find that costume hilarious (depending on how well it was executed) but then I have a dark sense of humor. For example, I find this anecdote from John Cleese about his mother hilarious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f74L2hRZE1Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f74L2hRZE1Y But let's assume that I found that costume 'offensive'. What would I be entitled to do? that is, what should I be able to do? Nothing. That is, other than get offended, I don't have a right to do anything other than that. I certainly don't have a right to not be offended. Taking offense is so subjective that it is meaningless. Think of it this way, you may not like mayo on your french fries but a lot of people do. Does that mean that you have to force others to not enjoy their french fries with mayo? No. It just means that you eat what you like and leave others to enjoy the foods they enjoy. Gosh... now that I've typed that out I hardly can believe that it has become so irrational that we have to actually spell out such things to one another as adults in the year 2015. sigh