General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Wypipo Poll [View all]d_r
(6,907 posts)It can be used to describe a poor argument or excuse, but in slang, it is used to refer to something that is "un-cool" - nerdy, dorky. But I think it is an example of semantic shift - where a word that used to be acceptable becomes a slur over time. An example of that is the word "retarded." A century ago, words like "cretin," "moron," and "imbecile" were considered perfectly appropriate words to refer to someone with an intellectual disability. By the 1950s, those words were clearly used as slurs, and so the word "retarded" became the preferred word to refer to someone with an intellectual disability. But over time, that word became used as a slur, and today we realize that it is not appropriate to refer to someone with an intellectual disability because it has become a slur. So we created the term "intellectual disability." I think the word "lame" is another example of that. It used to be a perfectly acceptable term to refer to someone with a physical disability. For example, historical records of the time refer to Sequoyah, the developer of the Cherokee Syllabary as "lame." But, over time, it began to be used as a slur, and now it means something that is "un-cool and dorky." Another example is the word "gay." It used to mean something like "happy and cheerful," then was used as a positive way to refer to homosexuals, then became a slur to refer to homosexuals, then became a word like "lame" that meant "un-cool or dorky." That one is more complicated, because the use of the word "gay" to mean "uncool" can be perceived as a slur by someone who is homosexual. There are other examples of this, but I think you get my point.
So, in my view, none of those words should be used in polite, kind, civilized interactions. It doesn't really matter if the person who speaks them intended to be hurtful or to use the word as an insult or slur, they have been used as slurs so often that they have become so. If one's intentions are not to be hurtful, then one should simply avoid using the terms so that they are not misunderstood. Sometimes, people genuinely do not understand or realize that these sorts of loaded words are slurs, and if so, they should discontinue using them when they learn that they are hurtful. This is not a function of "political correctness," it is a matter of being a decent and kind person. If you know a word is hurtful but you use it anyway, then you are an asshole.
The meanings of words change over time, and the use of a word as a slur is in the intention of the user, but it is also in the ear of the person the term is directed to. If a term is commonly used as a slur, it becomes a slur.
In this particular case, I wrote this because I wanted to say that the term was "lame," as in "un-cool or dorky," because the term is only a made up attempt to generate a slur that is being used to try to get attention in a way that comes off sort of pitifully desperate. But, I didn't want to say "lame" because I know it can be a hurtful term. So I will say I think the term is "un-cool." I understand that repressed groups can feel a sense of power in sharing nicknames for majority groups, and I appreciate that. It does not "hurt my feelings" any more than any other term that is used to slur groups that I do not belong to, such as "retarded" or "gay," but, although it doesn't sting me personally, I can certainly see that those words are ugly and hurtful even if they do not refer to me, so I can resist using them. To intentionally try to create and propagate a slur does not seem to me to be consistent with a courteous, kind, respectful society.