"I find DU often too PC for my tastes" Do you agree for disagree with this statement?

[Locut0s]

Last edited Wed Jan 8, 2014, 03:54 AM - Edit history (1)

I'm speaking of Political Correctness of course.

I've come to really like a lot of the people here and have made some genuine friends. Politically speaking I still find DU a fantastic refuge from the crazy shit that passes for normal political discourse in the media. And yet I also find the place to be too PC for my tastes at times. There's a lot of humour I'd love to post for example that I know would just start a flame war or would get alerted on. Which is one of the reasons I tend to stick to the Lounge, people here tend to be a little more laid back. I can tell there are some here who would probably share my views given the types of jokes and pics they like to post in the Lounge. Even here though it can feel like treading on egg shells at times.

So, do you agree or disagree with the above statement?

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	I strongly agree with this statement as described above.
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	I agree with this statement as described above.
	3 (100%)
	I disagree with this statement as described above.
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	I strongly disagree with this statement as described above.
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[TreasonousBastard]

1. I crack up at Amy Schumer routines...

that would generate 300 post threads here. With at least 50 hidden posts and 4 bannings.

Another of my favorite comics is Anthony Jeselnik, who specializes in offensive, but hilarious, remarks. He'd be banned in under 5 minutes here, but the suicide rate would go up in that time. A lot of dead baby, and dead mother, jokes that you should hate but just can't.

Neither of these two are just rude for the sake of rude but are having fun with taboos and culture. That wouldn't make any difference around here, though.

There's lots more out there, too.

[HappyMe]

12. I agree with what you said about Amy Schumer.

She's funny as hell, but it would get hidden or turn into another fight fest.

South Park, American Dad, Archer, Robot Chicken... there are a lot of others that sometimes aren't bland enough to post about here. I don't post any jokes really. If you don't post it, you can't get a verbal brick hefted at you. OTOH maybe I should start.

[OriginalGeek]

28. Agreed on both counts

also I'm kind of in love with Amy. And Sarah Silverman.

[petronius]

2. I disagree - if I understand correctly what you're describing, I'd say it's the

type of humor and interaction that I reserve for smaller groups of friends that I know will understand and be comfortable. DU is more like a large gathering where I don't know everyone - it's a place, IMO, for a bit of restraint. That's not to say that a no-holds-barred Group wouldn't be fun, with a nice big warning sign on the entrance. Don't know that Admin would go for that, though...

[Tuesday Afternoon]

22. ... lol ...

I see what you did there, peronius

[nomorenomore08]

3. Disagree. "Offensive" material has its place but it doesn't need to be constant, everywhere.

And there's even stuff slipping under the radar on DU, that doesn't really belong on a left-leaning site. I'm speaking more of political opinions - and attendant talking points - than humor though.

Sure there's stuff I might enjoy, or find funny, that I would never post or mention on DU, but that small sacrifice doesn't exactly trouble me.

[orleans]

5. i would like to vote but i would vote "meh...shrug" n/t

[ZombieHorde]

6. PC is just avoiding slurs and bigoted generalizations.

Being PC shouldn't be a challenge.

[Katashi_itto]

11. I would normally agree but you have several extremist groups that use it to bully

in a weird way here

[pipi_k]

17. No, actually it is

a challenge, many times.

Especially when someone uses a word or phrase they don't even know is non-PC, and people jump all over him. He comes back and says he didn't know...he gets jumped on even worse and is accused of being disingenuous. A liar. Or shamed because he didn't know, and he "should have".


Then there was an incident within the past year where someone used a phrase that wasn't considered offensive within that particular group and ignorant people jumped out of the woodwork to yell about how OFFENSIVE it was. After much arguing, a couple of people in that geographic/racial/ethnic group had to set the knee-jerk types straight on the matter.

And then there are the older DU members who haven't managed to keep up with the ever changing list of what's considered PC and what isn't. I often can't remember. And I have neither the time, nor the inclination, to document all this stuff for reference.

Ah, yes...there it is...on page 267, paragraph 3...OK...can't use that word...phew...wouldn't want to offend anybody...

Many of us don't set out to be offensive. Often it happens by accident, but even more often DUers refuse to let go of the recriminations.

[B Calm]

21. Boy, you know exactly what's going on and you report

it with clarity!

[OriginalGeek]

29. Whoa, hey - who you callin' "Boy"?

[B Calm]

32. OMG, are we being politically correct?

LOL

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

7. I don't "often" find it too PC but occasionally do

I think we all have different thresholds of sensitivity depending on our life experiences and natures. I don't recall the specific incidences of humor over the years at DU but I do remember reading objections raised towards such things as fat jokes (directed at Rush Limbaugh), funny comments about alcoholism or excessive crying (directed at John Boehner), or redneck jokes poking fun at conservative southerners. These things wouldn't bother me in the least despite the fact that I'm overweight, have engaged in my share of drinking in the past, or that one side of my family comes from the South. But I respect the fact that others very likely have a far different mentality than I on such matters and I therefore refrain from such joke-telling, preferring to confine them to my small circle of acquaintances around my fireplace at home, a pipe in one hand and a glass of scotch or cognac in the other.

[BobUp]

8. I'm still trying to

figure this place out, so I didn't participate in the voting process.

I'd like to think that this being the Democratic Underground we all have similar likes and beliefs.

Me, coming from a Reich Wing biased website before here, where everyday was a struggle to just not offend a winger or you'd be either attacked en masse by righties, and if you fought back or defended yourself with equally repulsive retorts, the mods would either suspend you, or ban you for life, in my case, it was the latter.

If people think this place has some crazy shit going on, you ain't seen nothing, if you want a great fight where your ass is whooped whilst you sleep, shitty-data dom com is for you, and if that ain't good enough, try the USMessage Bored dot com, you will not have an asshole left after they shred it.

I will say being here is a positive for me though, at least here at DU, they tolerate a certain level of profanity and is not anal retentive as the websites I mentioned in this post.

[seaglass]

9. So you want to poke fun of people based on their gender, race, religion, ethnicity,

sexual orientation or disability and it bothers you that you can't because the targets of your jokes may be offended?

Glad you're showing some restraint.

[Locut0s]

10. I wouldn't say that I want to do any of those things. However...

A lot of the humour I find funniest has aspects of all of those qualities to them. If they are in whole racist, sexist, etc I find that disgusting and have no interest. Some of the most liberal comedians out there though have acts that would certainly be hidden here even though the underlying message is often a very progressive one. Another example might be the light racial jokes that are often kicked back and forth between long time friends of different races. I'm 1/2 Chinese and almost all of the Chinese friends I've had and acquaintances I've met tend to poke fun at their own racial stereotypes, Chinese people can't drive, etc etc... Often it's a large part of their own humour among themselves and with their white friends. I've seen much the same among very strong black and white friendships. Another example might be a lot of the humour in things like South Park or Family Guy.

[Neoma]

13. A problem I've found is that DU is not PC or educated enough on mental health issues.

Might as well say there's no PC when it comes mental illnesses though.

[pipi_k]

15. Other things as well...

like obesity.

And issues associated with aging.


A disturbing number of people think these things are the fault of the person suffering from them.

[pipi_k]

14. Somewhat

agree.

I have sort of a weird and twisted sense of humor. Many times I argue with myself over what to post, for the same reason you do...unintentional flame wars.

Or I'll unwittingly post something that will get alerted and hidden.

[Xyzse]

16. I can agree.

Sometimes it is best to just let things go and look at the heart of what people are saying, rather than find one objectionable piece on a much longer post that actually talks about something else, or takes a nuanced view on an issue.

It makes discourse hard sometimes, but it is still better than many places. So, I guess I'll stay.

[pipi_k]

18. IMO, that's the same

tactic some people take with regards to spelling or grammar of someone they disagree with.

They can't argue the point, so they focus on the person's spelling skills, or lack thereof, and insult away, thinking they've "won" the argument.

It's a weasel tactic.

[Xyzse]

19. Pretty much.

It happens, and I tend to live and let live.
I do address their concern but go back to my main point.

[nolabear]

20. Sometimes "PC" is very, very conservative and prohibitive of real understanding.

In general it's pretty hard to have any kind of discussion about anything where there's a difference of opinion, and it's considerably worse than it once was. As long as it's a "Fuck yeah!" pile-on about some politicosocial topic things are fine, but there's a whole lot of goading and responding and triangulating and backstabbing and stalking, and yeah, it's hard to be anything but pinched and painfully sincere.

Humor is based on seeing something as ridiculous or absurd, and if you can't see any other person as ridiculous then humor is impossible. But even asking a question can be dangerous. It's interesting that some of the most unpleasant, mean, hurtful people here hide it behind righteousness.

Okay Coppers...come an' get me!!!!

[Kaleva]

23. DU is a big place and it's not for me to decide what is or isn't offensive to others.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

25. Yes, Because we all have converged here from different paths. How would one know but,

to be sensitive and attuned to others and respecting of others paths.

Humor is very subjective and timing and tone from the Sender is not always transmitted correctly to the Receiver and the humor will fail/fall on deaf ears so to speak.

[Kaleva]

26. I've served on a number of juries where what was alerted on didn't offend me...

but I knew that some here at DU would be so I voted to hide.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

27. a small number(relatively speaking), yes ... but, me too as well, Kaleva. me too.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

24. If you think DU3 is too PC, I am not sure you would have cared at all, for DU2.

Last edited Sat Jan 11, 2014, 12:47 PM - Edit history (2)

[Tuesday Afternoon]

30. Do you agree "for" disagree with this statement? do you mean "or"

[pokerfan]

31. I run Linux on all my devices

and still feel welcome here. There is a lot of Windows (PC) talk here but also some Apple and Linux.

[In_The_Wind]

33. I didn't expect this post to go to a jury but it did.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018381314#post8

I posted the jury results on another thread the next day.

[Ohio Joe]

34. Since I've come to Colorado, I've been meeting tons of libertarians...

It seems to be a big point with them that everything is now "too PC"... They seem to be very bothered that they can't just be openly racist and bigoted. I think it's pretty fucked up.

[Demo_Chris]

35. And humor aside, I avoid many discussions that might be interesting. nt