• 2 Posts
  • 96 Comments
Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: July 24th, 2023

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  • I think the point is that to you, it’s just semantics. But, to use your example, given that some people have started intentionally using “female” in place of “woman” as an (arguably) subtle way to exclude trans women, it suddenly becomes more than semantics to both trans and anti-trans populations. That’s what Smotherlove is saying about “dog whistle” language only being transparent to the perpetrator and the victim.

    So from your/my perspective (admittedly assuming you’re neither trans nor anti-trans), it’s largely a case of “a few rotten apples ruining it for the rest of the bunch.” What should just be a semantic difference has been coopted and intentionally weaponized by some, so all of us have to be conscious of whether or not we’re making that worse.

    It’s also not a new phenomenon. Many epithets start as PC terms and then become offensive based on how a specific group starts to use them, notably, almost every one-time PC terms for Black Americans and people of color. Unfortunately, it’s basically the reason that, for at least 100 years, (responsible) individuals/media have had to change terms for many marginalized peoples every 10-20 years, with many other examples, like “Oriental” and the terms that predate it, and plenty of others.










  • So you really don’t believe someone can like something for themselves and not for how others see it? In my mind, that’s a sign of massive insecurity on your part, projecting that 100% of others think that much about what people think about their stuff, rather than just buying things they like.

    Some people are definitely compensating, but you can buy a Porsche as a trust fund baby with something to prove, or as an engineer who is enthusiastic about design, performance, and guaranteed replacement parts for even discontinued models.

    I think you’ve gotta worry a lot about what others think of you in order to assume that’s the only reason someone else would buy something.