Has political correctness actually gone mad?

Does seem to be completely out of hand, all this (political correctness and catering to people's perceived sensitivities). I was listening to a radio show not long ago actually, and on that show a teacher spoke of how he'd been assessed by some sort of inspector during a class. Apparently, he was taken to one side afterwards and brought up about his use of the word 'guys', and told that he shouldn't use a word like that in case it offends people.

I don't know if people actually are offended by this sort of thing, but if they are then we're going at the problem in the complete wrong way in society, and should maybe be working on finding out what is making people so sensitive, instead of just accepting this and creating a society where people feel like they're constantly treading on eggshells.
 
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I saw an article on the BBC this week slating Justin Timberlake for not using his super bowl performance as a chance to apologise for exposing Janet Jackson's breast back in (I think) 2003.
 
antsmithmk said:
I saw an article on the BBC this week slating Justin Timberlake for not using his super bowl performance as a chance to apologise for exposing Janet Jackson's breast back in (I think) 2003.
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It was a clearly choreographed thing or does she randomly wear nipple tassles?
 
Jippy said:
It was a clearly choreographed thing or does she randomly wear nipple tassles?
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It was choreographed for him to expose her red bra, but he ripped it off - fair enough that's an easy enough mistake to make, however she was somehow blamed for it, shamed for it and Justin got none of the bad press. She also has/had her nipples pierced, hence why they were covered in the way that they were.

Subsequently, she was banned from ever performing at the Superbowl again. Rumour has it that she was blacklisted from many events, and wasn't given the platform to continue to succeed.
It's also important to remember that her career at the time of the incident was doing incredibly well, she was one of the biggest stars in the world and was performing to sold out arenas. Justin in comparison was getting his feet wet as a solo artist.
After the incident Justin used the incident to propel his fame (this along with the Britney incident) and has never publicly apologised to Janet.

Justin is trash. Has some great songs/albums (mostly because of Neptunes & Timbaland), but generally he's overrated, and comes across incredibly fake.
 
vi1lain said:
It was choreographed for him to expose her red bra, but he ripped it off - fair enough that's an easy enough mistake to make, however she was somehow blamed for it, shamed for it and Justin got none of the bad press. She also has/had her nipples pierced, hence why they were covered in the way that they were.

Subsequently, she was banned from ever performing at the Superbowl again. Rumour has it that she was blacklisted from many events, and wasn't given the platform to continue to succeed.
It's also important to remember that her career at the time of the incident was doing incredibly well, she was one of the biggest stars in the world and was performing to sold out arenas. Justin in comparison was getting his feet wet as a solo artist.
After the incident Justin used the incident to propel his fame (this along with the Britney incident) and has never publicly apologised to Janet.

Justin is trash. Has some great songs/albums (mostly because of Neptunes & Timbaland), but generally he's overrated, and comes across incredibly fake.
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Oh right, I thought it was just a stunt they both pulled. Tbf it was years ago and something I remember in passing.

I remember there was a hoohah from conservative Americans, but never read any follow up stuff.

Did it really derail her career -I genuinely don't know. Madonna thrived on courting controversy. Janet was huge I do remember.
 
Jippy said:
Oh right, I thought it was just a stunt they both pulled. Tbf it was years ago and something I remember in passing.

I remember there was a hoohah from conservative Americans, but never read any follow up stuff.

Did it really derail her career -I genuinely don't know. Madonna thrived on courting controversy. Janet was huge I do remember.
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Yeah it really did, she was one of the biggest pop/r&b stars, then almost overnight she disappeared, and at that time female pop/r&b was taking off too, so there were plenty of new singers to fill the gap.

It's interesting you mention Madonna, because there's a lot to unpack here, we could get into a lot of politics particularly when it comes to controversy and who the 'controversial' artists are who benefit from it, and who doesn't. But that'll derail the thread, and i'm sleepy.
 
vi1lain said:
Yeah it really did, she was one of the biggest pop/r&b stars, then almost overnight she disappeared, and at that time female pop/r&b was taking off too, so there were plenty of new singers to fill the gap.

It's interesting you mention Madonna, because there's a lot to unpack here, we could get into a lot of politics particularly when it comes to controversy and who the 'controversial' artists are who benefit from it, and who doesn't. But that'll derail the thread, and i'm sleepy.
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Thee last big hit I remember Janet having was Scream (?) with Michael. Shit if that wrecked her career. She was weird, like most of her family, but very talented. Amazed if a dollar symbols for pupils record exec dropped her over that.

I guess others who benefited from controversy, eg Marilyn Manson, NWA, The Sex Pistols etc...took a hell of a lot of shit along the way.
 
Jippy said:
Thee last big hit I remember Janet having was Scream (?) with Michael. Shit if that wrecked her career. She was weird, like most of her family, but very talented. Amazed if a dollar symbols for pupils record exec dropped her over that.

I guess others who benefited from controversy, eg Marilyn Manson, NWA, The Sex Pistols etc...took a hell of a lot of shit along the way.
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The Janice thing happened in the earlier 2000's and I think people forget just how conservative the US(And the UK) was.

 
No idea what that video is all about but Janet's nipple on TV was one of the most ridiculous reactions I can remember. Talk about a storm in a tea cup. Feel sorry for her if it ruined her career. Quite like Justin's new track though.
 
Classical Mechanic said:
No idea what that video is all about but Janet's nipple on TV was one of the most ridiculous reactions I can remember. Talk about a storm in a tea cup. Feel sorry for her if it ruined her career. Quite like Justin's new track though.
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Yanks get really weird like that about some things.
 
van der star said:
Beloved Lollipop Man Leaves Job After Council Says He Can't High-Five Kids
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One day the majority, who are in the main made up of fair minded and genuine people will rise up against crap like this, and finally silence the pathetic minority that are listened to, purely because anyone in authority is sh*t scared of them.

The world has gone mad very quickly, but I personally think it will grind a halt pretty soon, and sanity will resume, if not we are doomed.
 
C'est Moi Cantona said:
One day the majority, who are in the main made up of fair minded and genuine people will rise up against crap like this, and finally silence the pathetic minority that are listened to, purely because anyone in authority is sh*t scared of them.

The world has gone mad very quickly, but I personally think it will grind a halt pretty soon, and sanity will resume, if not we are doomed.
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The article says that the council did not listen to the complaints (contradicting the headline).
 
C'est Moi Cantona said:
One day the majority, who are in the main made up of fair minded and genuine people will rise up against crap like this, and finally silence the pathetic minority that are listened to, purely because anyone in authority is sh*t scared of them.

The world has gone mad very quickly, but I personally think it will grind a halt pretty soon, and sanity will resume, if not we are doomed.
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I think they've since reversed the ban following the reaction, but not sure if he has still quit or not.
 
C'est Moi Cantona said:
One day the majority, who are in the main made up of fair minded and genuine people will rise up against crap like this, and finally silence the pathetic minority that are listened to, purely because anyone in authority is sh*t scared of them.

The world has gone mad very quickly, but I personally think it will grind a halt pretty soon, and sanity will resume, if not we are doomed.
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Isnt that is how Trump voters characterised his win? A victory for the fair minded and genuine (and mainly white) majority who believe political correctness (and the general tyranny of liberal, metropolitan elites) has gone too far.

I guess the issue is you cant counteract something like this with moderation, that is rarely how it works. You have to counteract it with something as extreme in the opposite direction. Moderation tends to get drowned out.
 
Black History month here yet I just saw a couple of trailers of white guys in minstrel get up at the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. How is that considered OK?
 
Grinner said:
Black History month here yet I just saw a couple of trailers of white guys in minstrel get up at the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. How is that considered OK?
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Maybe a topic for another thread, why don't you start one asking if blackface is okay
 
Someone at the swimming lake I go to has a fish tail style contraption. It's not all colourful and sparkly like her mermaid gear though, and I think it only covers his ankles and feet. I assumed he used it as a training tool, but perhaps he's a closet Merman?
 
The article mentions mermen and merpeople. Had no idea this was a thing. Given she can't find anyone from the 'mermaid community', I guess it's pretty niche.
 
Jippy said:
The article mentions mermen and merpeople. Had no idea this was a thing. Given she can't find anyone from the 'mermaid community', I guess it's pretty niche.
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Yes, full grown adults dressed as merpeople, who would have thought they're few and far between! :lol:
She will probably inspire a few others though. People who watch too much disney probably.
 
Bill.s.preston said:
Yes, full grown adults dressed as merpeople, who would have thought they're few and far between! :lol:
She will probably inspire a few others though. People who watch too much disney probably.
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:lol:Would love to see her parents' faces when they see that paper.
 
Adebesi said:
Isnt that is how Trump voters characterised his win? A victory for the fair minded and genuine (and mainly white) majority who believe political correctness (and the general tyranny of liberal, metropolitan elites) has gone too far.

I guess the issue is you cant counteract something like this with moderation, that is rarely how it works. You have to counteract it with something as extreme in the opposite direction. Moderation tends to get drowned out.
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I dunno, I think stuff like this is beyond stupid, as are alot of things that are suddenly offending people nowadays, but I wouldn't counter it with anything extreme the opposite way, I'd just keep my own fair minded, and knowing the difference between right and wrong way of life, and I'd also like to think the vast majority think the same, and will do the same, which will hopefully win through and drown out the current 'trendy' attention seeking minority.

The Trump line maybe makes your second paragraph more relevant, but I know what he is, and he doesn't represent how most normal people think or go about things.
 
C'est Moi Cantona said:
I dunno, I think stuff like this is beyond stupid, as are alot of things that are suddenly offending people nowadays, but I wouldn't counter it with anything extreme the opposite way, I'd just keep my own fair minded, and knowing the difference between right and wrong way of life, and I'd also like to think the vast majority think the same, and will do the same, which will hopefully win through and drown out the current 'trendy' attention seeking minority.

The Trump line maybe makes your second paragraph more relevant, but I know what he is, and he doesn't represent how most normal people think or go about things.
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What you are saying is certainly rational at the individual level. That is my response too. But it feels like somehow, at a societal, level it works differently. It seems to me Trump is an example of that. Obviously there are many, many more reasons why Trump won in the US, but I have heard his supporters cite PC and liking "a politician who isnt afraid to speak his mind" as a factor. It is not insignificant.

I think it is why you get periods where everyone fights over the centre ground, like we had in the 90s and early 00s, and then you have periods where politics becomes deeply divided and tribal and the two sides find it hard to even talk. Like now. Its hard to remember that not so long ago people felt frustrated that they didnt have any choice, that Labour and Conservative were basically the same. Now you have the right in the ascendancy in the Tory party and people seriously proposing JRM as a potential leader on the one hand, and Corbyn on the other. Every reaction seems to trigger an equally extreme counter reaction.
 
KingEric7 said:
I was listening to a radio show not long ago actually, and on that show a teacher spoke of how he'd been assessed by some sort of inspector during a class. Apparently, he was taken to one side afterwards and brought up about his use of the word 'guys', and told that he shouldn't use a word like that in case it offends people.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5351511/Universities-clamp-transphobia.html

"One institution – City, University of London – has even banned lecturers from using terms such as ‘mate’, ‘guys’, ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’ because it might upset transgender students."
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Eriku said:
Erm, what’s the connection to PC here?
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Bobcat said:
I don't see why Bristol finds this a problem. That mermaid tail is little different from a freediving monofin
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I guess she self-identifies as a mermaid but is being restricted from being herself. Even if it is just a glitzy monofin.
 
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