Is PC a real problem?

[Berati]

I saw an SNL fake commercial called "Asian American Doll". I thought it was an hilarious comment on our current level of Political Correctness .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFCAGVopUp0

A few days later I was watching the Golf Channel ( I love golf, so sue me) and one of the big stories this year was that PGA of America president Ted Bishop was fired for making sexist comments. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/24/us-golf-pga-bishop-idUSKCN0ID2JD20141024

Here is the Coles Notes version:
A British golfer named Ian Poulter had made some snotty comments about some other hall of fame type golfers. Ted Bishop thought these comments were whinny and called him a "Lil girl" in a tweet and followed that up with this tweet:
"Tom Watson (8 majors and a 10-3-1 Ryder Cup record) and Nick Faldo (6 majors and all-time Ryder Cup points leader) get bashed by Ian James Poulter. Really? Sounds like a little school girl squealing during recess. C'MON MAN!" 

The story of the tweet grew quickly in the golf world and Bishop withdrew the post and apologized. However, the damage had been done so he was fired pretty quickly by the board of directors for making sexist comments.
A little background.. Bishop has a very good track record promoting women's golf and has two daughters one of whom I believe is pursuing a career as a pro. I looked to see if there were any other reasons the board might want to get rid of him but I couldn't find anything. He has apparently been doing a good job besides this faux pas. He was only a couple of months away from completing his term as president though I can't see that as being a factor.

How do you view the PC discussion? Is it overdone or over exaggerated or do you think there is a real problem?

[Solitary]

PC is just another word for censorship which I hate.   

[Berati]

PC is just another word for censorship which I hate.   

I differentiate the two based on authority. Censorship is the official suppression of speech and PC is more unofficial.

I cannot envision any society in which PC does not exist in one form or another. I'm just wondering if it's really worse now or if it's our perception that it is worse. People have always gotten into trouble for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time even if it's not against any codified rule.

[PickelledEggs]

http://www.clickhole.com/video/if-you-dont-think-you-have-any-racial-prejudices-y-1026


In seriousness though. There are some things that just shouldn't be said... like derogatory racial slurs.
But if someone is from china, they are chinese, if someone is from japan, they're japanese, if someone is from mexico, they're mexican...


People DO get overly offended, but there are cases where being offended is called for.

[Johan]

How do you view the PC discussion? Is it overdone or over exaggerated or do you think there is a real problem?

Two thoughts on this which both essentially say the same exact thing.
1 We get the society we deserve.
2 We have seen the enemy and it is us.

[Hydra009]

But if someone is from china, they are chinese, if someone is from japan, they're japanese, if someone is from mexico, they're mexican...

I agree.  And I've never witnessed anyone get offended from being called by the correct nationality.  But when it's incorrect, that's when the sparks fly.  Like calling someone a Mexican if they're from from Brazil or Cuba.  Or Chinese if they're Korean.  I'm looking at you, Merle.

Personally, I'm a fine with being called an American.  Or a Southerner.  But call me a redneck...

[PickelledEggs]

Really anyone that has United States citizenship can be called "american"...

And Yes, hydra, getting the ethnicity wrong does cause sparks to fly sometimes... Although, I have made many honest mistakes from curiosity (otherwise the subject doesn't even come up) Thinking someone was Colombian when he was Ecuadorian, and thinking someone was Korean when they were of Chinese descent. But in all cases my friends just corrected me nicely and no harm or foul was made. That's the other thing, as long as you aren't an asshole about it, like if you are just asking what ethnicity someone's bloodline is, there usually isn't backlash.

[Hydra009]

It's really all in how you go about doing it.  People are pretty cool with polite inquiries.  But they quickly get mad at assumptions, especially derogatory ones.

[GrinningYMIR]

I'm against Political Correctness, I utterly detest it in every form, that said I don't think you should run around throwing slurs at everyone that you see, that accomplishes nothing, or it gets a fight started, which also accomplishes nothing

[Hydra009]

One term that doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to me is African-American.  (Or really, anything-American)  I went to school with a white guy from South Africa who had dual citizenship.  He called himself African-American, and technically, he's correct.  (The best kind of correct)

[_Xenu_]

Political correctness is mind control, similar to how cults work. By limiting spoken vocabulary, you're limiting thoughts. I don't advocate being an asshole or anything, but political correctness can be suffocating, and this board has its share of it.

[Berati]

People DO get overly offended, but there are cases where being offended is called for.

I sort of agree, but I also think this is why people put religion on a pedestal. It appears that exactly when it is called for is a matter of opinion like in the example I gave above.

[Atheon]

Problem is, too many of those who say they dismiss PC are those who wish to have an excuse to be rude, bigoted assholes.

[PickelledEggs]

Problem is, too many of those who say they dismiss PC are those who wish to have an excuse to be rude, bigoted assholes.

That is not a PC problem, it's a bigot problem and an uneducated problem. There are some things that will never be "politically correct".

Derogetory racial slurs (like the "n" word)  will never be ok to use, no matter how it is used, and who it is used by. There is too much hate and violence tied with the origin of that word as with many other similar words. I don't even think it's not politically correct to use those words, it's just plain wrong. They are flat out inexcusable words to use.

There are other words that are not as bad and would have to be designated "not politically correct" or "politically correct", but those words are a huge no-no to say...

[PickelledEggs]

Idk maybe it is also a PC problem as well as a bigoted-prick problem... I'm all tired and shit and about to go to bed.