4 ms·

> I don't want to appeal to gender stereotypes [...] ...a whole bunch of prose appealing to gender stereotypes. If society is, in fact, "feminizing", it's a f

> I don't want to appeal to gender stereotypes [...] ...a whole bunch of prose appealing to gender stereotypes. If society is, in fact, "feminizing", it's a far safer place for the vast majority of humans than it was before. And out of that safety come a whole bunch of voices that weren't traditionally given much credence. To the extent that this is a phenomenon that is spilling outward from the US, I think it's simply the fact that a lot of people have platforms that never did before. The discourse is becoming a lot more complex because of it. It's old white men like Stephen Fry that have to grow up and get used to it. Welcome to the great democratization of speech. Let's face it, it's been a white man's world for a long time, where the cultural discourse has centered around the tastes of the dominant viewpoint, regardless of the fact that it might not actually be particularly empowering to people who have identities that are increasingly divergent (and yes, I realize that Fry is no stranger to this). The appeal to Shakespeare rings a bit hollow from that perspective. Shakespeare's great, don't get me wrong, but I don't think it's beyond criticism to say that maybe the elevation of his works and their themes hasn't exactly been democratic. In case you're wondering, I don't advocate for a society that attempts to shelter people. It's fine to push back and say, "no, we're a place where even unpopular, hurtful people are allowed to speak" and "no, we're a place where we're going to deal with tough issues head on". But that's an argument that isn't won in perpetuity, it has to be continually negotiated. And I'm more than a bit amused to see people squirm when confronted with the reality that they now have to negotiate with people whose viewpoints have traditionally been given little to no credence.

bpchaps 11y ago
Stephen Fry has bipolar and is very aware of what it means to be "triggered" and the incredibly adverse effects it can have an effect on his well being. Being called something bad or offended isn't always black and white. I'm sure this isn't just as simple as him telling others to "Deal with it." My guess is that it's closer to "Guys, it's really not as bad as you think it is if you just expose yourself to things that offend you!" Source: I have it too, and find the SJW/triggering crowd to be absolutely painful to listen to, especially considering they're usually the crowd that tends to call those with bipolar, "crazy". ;)
golemotron 11y ago
> If society is, in fact, "feminizing", it's a far safer place for the vast majority of humans than it was before. And out of that safety come a whole bunch of voices that weren't traditionally given much credence. And what do they do? Attempt to silence other voices. This isn't progress. Respect for all voices is progress.
- acjohnson55 11y ago
  So...silence the people calling for silencing?
BrofessorX 11y ago
"...that they now have to negotiate with people..." Watch the Yale video and tell me where the negotiation was. There was none. Many of these people are incapable or rational debate or discussion. Because...feelings.
- acjohnson55 11y ago
  Negotiation isn't a moment-to-moment thing. It's a process, which is often begun by people staking out entrenched positions. From that perspective, as distasteful as I find some of the protest tactics to be, there's no doubt that issues have been raised to general consciousness that haven't gotten a lot of press otherwise. The reality is that politeness is a privilege of those who are comfortable, those who have easy access to platforms, and those whose causes are already well represented. And let's be honest, the discourse is always driven by feelings. I detect feelings in Stephen Fry's piece. "Rational" is often code for "agrees with me".

bpchaps 11y ago

Stephen Fry has bipolar and is very aware of what it means to be "triggered" and the incredibly adverse effects it can have an effect on his well being. Being called something bad or offended isn't always black and white. I'm sure this isn't just as simple as him telling others to "Deal with it." My guess is that it's closer to "Guys, it's really not as bad as you think it is if you just expose yourself to things that offend you!" Source: I have it too, and find the SJW/triggering crowd to be absolutely painful to listen to, especially considering they're usually the crowd that tends to call those with bipolar, "crazy". ;)

golemotron 11y ago

> If society is, in fact, "feminizing", it's a far safer place for the vast majority of humans than it was before. And out of that safety come a whole bunch of voices that weren't traditionally given much credence. And what do they do? Attempt to silence other voices. This isn't progress. Respect for all voices is progress.

acjohnson55 11y ago
So...silence the people calling for silencing?

BrofessorX 11y ago

"...that they now have to negotiate with people..." Watch the Yale video and tell me where the negotiation was. There was none. Many of these people are incapable or rational debate or discussion. Because...feelings.

acjohnson55 11y ago
Negotiation isn't a moment-to-moment thing. It's a process, which is often begun by people staking out entrenched positions. From that perspective, as distasteful as I find some of the protest tactics to be, there's no doubt that issues have been raised to general consciousness that haven't gotten a lot of press otherwise. The reality is that politeness is a privilege of those who are comfortable, those who have easy access to platforms, and those whose causes are already well represented. And let's be honest, the discourse is always driven by feelings. I detect feelings in Stephen Fry's piece. "Rational" is often code for "agrees with me".