@Supernova122:
Lovely word, cultured.
Hmm~ I don't know about using gay as a by-word for stupid, but using gay as an insult generally, is not, in my view exclusively not okay. If you're doing it knowingly around someone who you know would not like it, that's pretty much the definition of being a prick, but otherwise, what's the big deal?
More or less the same thing as above. Of course I understand what you're saying, but when people aren't saying these things out of nastiness, to and amongst people with whom they're well acquainted, it's not a big deal. For some fairly obvious reasons, things like ethnicity, sexuality and religion have become no-go areas for a lot fo people for joking, which is pretty odd (even though I just said it was obvious why …) - a lot of people have learned to take the world more lightly and don't get offended so easily. And a good number of those people in turn hav learned to avoid offending the people who are easily offended.
Oh yeah I was just saying I think erring on the side of caution is not always a bad idea.
If you and your friends are OK, then keep doing what you do. I just don't like when people start fucking whining when someone starts yelling at them over that shit.
In my personal experience, calling someone a jew is not going to rustle most people's panties. Knowing my shit luck, I'd do it at a bad time, or somehow find some context that it was offensive in (or again, someone might have gotten to the point they're tired of hearing it).
A somewhat related to example of that is I was in a Hetalia cosplay group that was in the mall. When one lady, who appeared to be of eastern european origin, asked what we were dressed as, my friend who was cosplaying germany had to explicitly state she was WW-II Germany. The lady looked kind of puzzled and told this to her co-worker, who was an ISRAELI, and she had this O_O look and screamed very loudly (we werent directly in front of them, they were down a little ways) SO YOU HATE JEWS?? And people started to cock some bad eyes. My other friends and I laughed our asses off, but my friend who spoke is embarrassed forever. And started to get annoyed when people kept poking her about it.
I'm saying that sometimes it doesn't hurt to keep your filter on, especially if you're in public around other people. I really don't get deeply offended by much, personally I have no difficulties tuning people out. I'm also someone who doesn't really have a good friend or someonethat supports me and has my back on jack shit and have spent years constantly being in STUPID pissy wars about people getting offended over stupid things. So I choose to just avoid certain topics and not even joke about certain crap. I watch what I say so I don't piss off other people, it's pretty much a reflex now.
I make a lot of nazi and hitler jokes (mostly on the inside with one friend, though some get on FB between us on occasion), some people think that is offensive on principal alone just for mentioning it (I miss the days of the internet when that was pretty much everywhere). I really give no shits if you are offended. I'm not a neo-nazi or glorifying it.
And gay IS used as a by-word for stupid. Unless you are putting someone as the butt of a homo-erotic joke or poking fun of them for liking something feminine (Dude you watch chick flicks? You are so gay! and etc), then gay is almost exclusively used as a by-word for stupid:
"Man I am so tired, this is gay."
"This test is so gay"
"My mom is making me stay home from the concert because I failed algebra, dude that is way gay."
"Sorry I can't get out of going to this gay family night my parents are making me go to. So fucking gay."
"My gay dog won't shut up!"
"My grandma is so gay for making me wear this sweater"
And etc. etc. You NEVER hear people using gay like that?? If you google something like 'gay is not stupid', there's even news articles about this shit.
And honestly if you get butthurt over someone telling you what you can or cannot do/say/joke around with your friends in PRIVATE….. >____> I have to be honest from what you posted you seem like someone who will be easily slighted if someone disagrees with you, and you have NOT learned how to completely avoid offending people who are easily offended. There is insecurity all over the place.
The secret is being cool with who you are and not giving any fucks. If you like off-collar and less then popular offensive-humor you keep between your pals. If you feel you have to be open and flaunt those things everywhere, you're asking for a fight. That's not "avoiding" jack shit. Personally I don't think it's ok to ever do something that is offensive on purpose. If you make an accidental faux pas and someone rips you a new asshole over it, I'd say in most cases they are being a pretentious butthurt jerk. As long as you learn and don't do it again, well all you did was just gain some new knowledge on how to address a certain subject (or whatever it might be).
When people constantly air out their offensive views in public and are getting slammed for it constantly and then BITCH OUT everyone out for them for it and call people pretentious and weak because they "can't take a joke", dude I have no respect. I have unpopular opinions that I get slammed and berated for and I give no fucks. I can respect people's views even if I don't agree, some people will play and abuse the "offended" card too (ie I am offended at you for being a christian. You may not be disrespectful and denounce other people's beliefs but you obvious agree with the bad people who do those things, and shit similar to that). People get offended over things and try to make people feel like shit over personal and harmless opinions that are fucking ridiculous. There is abuse all around.
But calling your dumb math test "gay" is not something that gets a free pass in regular society. You have the right to joke and say whatever you want with your friends, technically it's not something anyone can stop you from doing. If someone calls you out though, getting butthurt over it is pretty childish.
@MDL:
You know those people who live in caravans 24/7, and park anywhere and everywhere they can until the police move them along or they go away?
Around my area, everyone casually labels that kind of person a Gypsy when referring to them in conversation.
"oh hey look, there are some Gypsys in that field." It's been like that for as long as i remember.
We don't use it as an insult, it's just a coined descriptive word we use for folks of a certain lifestyle.
Upon reading Arei's post, i'm having second thoughts about it.
So i guess that me and the folks in my area, despite not meaning to be, have actually been pretty offensive?
If so, then i'll stop using the word to describe caravan dwellers.
I had NO fucking clue, to be honest. There ARE people who HAVE adopted the title of gypsy and they wear it proudly. There are those type of caravans that are people who have no problem with the gypsy title and see it as a very good thing…. some of those little caravans (atleast in these part) are generally just a group of homeless folks sticking together =X
Again technically the word gypsy was a derogatory term for nomads that were generally associated with thievery, con artists, cheaters, swindlers, etc. etc.
Honestly I think you are going to find more people who are ok with it then people who are grossly offended. Just keep in mind many Roma do see it as pretty much a racial slur. I honestly don't think many people who "adopt" the culture see it as something bad. I dunno, if it's a pretty casual thing in your area that everyone lolz over then you're probably ok. The word gypsy is not something that's really apart of my daily life or local culture and I've never been in a situation where I've had to question using it (not something I talk about). I'd just not say it if you think you might be somewhere where it could get taken wrong, but if not then go for it. This is a really gray word, there is technically not a 100% correct answer.
@Hiroy:
If there are people out there that can tolerate eating shit, then that's all fine and dandy.
But to assume that it should not be a big deal to anyone that refuses to swallow, let alone taste that stuff?
Yeah. No thanks.
Oh man I finally found a sig worthy quote :D