Just What is (and what is wrong with) Political Correctness?

So, what is your ethnic background, Faith.I want to know what to call you.

The following is one of my all-time favorite bits from the TV show, King of the Hill.The working-class, suburban Hill family (of which Hank is the patriarch) live in a small Texas town.The neighborhood is stirred up a bit when an Asian immigrant (Kahn) and his family moves in next door to the Hill's.The following is part of Hank's initial conversation as he meets his new neighbor.

So, in your view, those huffy PC people wouldn't come down on you like a ton of bricks if you were to refer to someone of, say, Italian descent as a "wop"?Edited by schrafinator, : No reason given.Edited by schrafinator, : kan't spel

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This show appears to be stereotyping Texans. I think I'll sue.

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No, it's stereotyping people who live insular lives.The funny and interseting thing about Kahn's character is that he is much more racist, bigoted, and is in general a complete asshole.Hank is really a nice guy, but flawed in understanding and perception at times.A few episodes later, Hank's absolutely reprehensible, awful, racist father, a veteran of Vietnam, comes to visit.He pegs Khan as a Laotian right away.Edited by schrafinator, : No reason given.

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Stereotypes can come in very subtle packages.

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Not typically.Stereotyping is, by definition, a crude way of categorizing groups of people in an overly simplistic way.I agree that we all do it, as part of how our minds work.However, most of the time, stereotypes are very limited in usefulness as they tend to make us have preconceptions in our interactions with individuals.It's lazy to rely on them in interpersonal interactions. Edited by schrafinator, : No reason given.

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Then why is the character a Texan?

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Probably for the same reason Hamlet was Danish.

Is it or is it not "PC" to frown on the use of certain terms for ethnic groups?

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I find it rather pathetically parochial myself, nothing to get all het up about, maybe about as small-minded and unmannerly as getting in a moralistic meltdown about it, or maybe not quite that bad.

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OK, so you agree that calling somebody of Italian decent a "dego Mafia wop" is small-minded and unmannerly, correct?Would you also agree that those terms are perjorative and intended to demean?Edited by AdminJar, : Usual needed cleanup after women tried to use codes.Edited by schrafinator, : No reason given.

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There's no real difference between "all wetbacks are thieves" and "all Latin-Americans are theives"

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ROTFLMAO!

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From the Leftists.

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Who, exactly, are these people; "The Leftists"?Do they have anyone in any sort of influential position?Why can't I think of anyone like that? Edited by schrafinator, : No reason given.

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If you were following the discussion you'd understand that PC is not about such things.

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Political correctness is exactly and precisely about what we refer to each otehr as, Faith.That's why it is perfectly on topic to discuss why you do or don't think it is OK to call a person of Italian heritage a "wop".Is "wop" a perjorative and demeaning term for a person of Italian heritage?Wouldn't it be considered "PC" to object to someone calling a person of Italian heritage a "wop"?

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I'm talking about a political agenda

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...and the names of the proponents of this political movement are...?

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I don't think it's separable.

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As someone who is highly trained in customer service, and who also trains others how to provide great customer service, let me assure you that it is not only seperable, but essential to separate what you think about other people from how you act towards them.

(the term is "kike", actually)

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It was coined by the liberals, as a joke.

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...and then, rather brilliantly, the conservative Right appropriated the term as is stated above.They did the same with the word "liberal" (hates america), and "feminist" {hates men, loves to kill babies).Congrats, robin, you bought the conservative spin.

Robin, do you feel oppressed to the de-gendering of words, like using "chair" or "chairperson" instead of "chairman", "mail carrier" instead of "mail man", "police officer" instead of "police man", or "flight attendant" instead of "stewardess"?

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"Science is like a blabbermouth who ruins a movie by telling you how it ends! Well I say there are some things we don't want to know! Important things!"
- Ned Flanders"Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." - Thomas Jefferson