Something that I want to get off my mind for years.

[A2P]

cross post from my facebook but I don't care.

I'll be honest with you guys. I use the word "*****" a lot. But I don't use it as the 1500-1800s definition of describing someone of someone who's inferior to myself. I use it to describe someone who's so awesome and someone that I'm so close to that I consider them a real close friend of mine, as if they were the most awesome person on the planet. When I say *****, I don't mean it to insult you. I say it to let you know that I feel so comfortable with you that I place you as one of my closest friends. When I say "what's up my *****!", I don't mean "aw fuck this person, he's lesser than me, I'm going to insult him to let him know.", I mean "hey, you're the shit, so therefore, you're my *****!"

We should do away with that old definition. Let the racists find a new word to insult people...like "Bieber" or something, I don't know! The point is, if I call you *****, that means I consider you as someone that's great. Fuck racism and fuck political correctness.I mean that as, hey, you're pretty cool, therefore, you're worthy of being one of my *****s. That's all.

[Kibblre]

I call my friends bitches, ******s, queers, sluts, etc. for the same exact reason. The problem is there's always uptight people who have nothing better to do then complain about usage of words.

[top]

it's usually pretty easy to tell when somebody is using the word in an insulting manner. saying it how you described is just fine.

people need to stop freaking out about trivial shit that way threads like this wouldn't even matter!

+1 a2p for ffr dictator

[thesunfan]

I tend not to use words like that because there are a bunch of people I know that don't like it and there are plenty of other words I can use. I personally don't necessarily enjoy being called some words either, brings back more painful memories that aren't worth the feeling of being called that, even if its in a positive manner.

[Reincarnate]

It depends on your audience. To some people, those words are very triggering. Maybe you see no harm in calling someone a "******" because you're just playing around, but to someone else, that word can bring back a surge of angry/sad emotions and painful memories of being teased, mocked, marginalized, or even beaten and humiliated. It's easy to complain about political correctness when you haven't been at the receiving end of the damage.

[mi40]

i live in berkeley
if i said that out loud i'd get mugged

[igotrhythm]

Reincarnate raises a good point. Certain words have power because of the experience people tie to the use of that word. There's currently a debate in Washington DC over what to call their NFL team because "redskin" is pretty much the Native American equivalent of the n-word.

Provided one takes care to choose their audience appropriately beforehand, I see no harm in using certain words. It's when you broadcast it for all to see and hear, when you lose control of how you meant the term to be interpreted in the given context; that's when the trouble starts.

[LLaMaSaUceYup]

Well the more you say a word the less meaning it seems to have, and I do mean this for everyone as a whole.. *****.

[thesunfan]

Reincarnate basically hit the nail on the head for me.

[dAnceguy117]

Originally Posted by thesunfan

I tend not to use words like that because there are a bunch of people I know that don't like it and there are plenty of other words I can use.

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

It depends on your audience. To some people, those words are very triggering.

Originally Posted by igotrhythm

It's when you broadcast it for all to see and hear, when you lose control of how you meant the term to be interpreted in the given context; that's when the trouble starts.

answer:
E) all of the above

Bigots give certain words derogatory connotations by consistently using them in a hurtful manner. Unfortunately, I don't think this process can be reversed by using the words with good intentions. It just doesn't really work like that.

The best thing you can do in terms of your dialect would be to avoid words which might unintentionally make someone feel badly. Instead, use words which are universally friendly.

My two cents.

[Arkuski]

From my experience, the people most upset by the use of derogatory terms are the people who think that other people will be offended by those terms.

[PaperclipGames]

The way A2P describes his usage of the word, to me honestly doesn't sound like it even could be interpreted incorrectly, especially if he uses it exclusively around his close friends. I'd assume his close friends would know what he means.

Some of my close friends tend to call me a total ******, but since it's clear that it's in a humourous light, it's all okay. In fact, it's pretty funny.

It's when you post such words in the open, such as a forum and call some random person a word that may or may not be taken in the right light by everyone who sees it. That's when you should be careful about posting what you do.

I never swear or use words with bad connotations, unless I'm sure I'm in an environment where it's okay and people don't interpret things in the wrong manner.



Also, this post is a little bit extra funny because A2P actually has a black person as his avatar, ohoho

[welsh_girl]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

It depends on your audience. To some people, those words are very triggering. Maybe you see no harm in calling someone a "******" because you're just playing around, but to someone else, that word can bring back a surge of angry/sad emotions and painful memories of being teased, mocked, marginalized, or even beaten and humiliated. It's easy to complain about political correctness when you haven't been at the receiving end of the damage.

This. I wouldn't call anyone it, but you carry on if you're cool with it, and more importantly, those around you are cool with it.

[Izzy]

I wouldn't dare talk in that way unless I was sure everyone in the room was entirely comfortable with it. So for the most part I stopped cursing and using fowl language a long time ago. It seems pretty childish anyway, but with close friends its all in good fun.

[PaperclipGames]

Originally Posted by Izzy

I wouldn't dare talk in that way unless I was sure everyone in the room was entirely comfortable with it. So for the most part I stopped cursing and using fowl language a long time ago. It seems pretty childish anyway, but with close friends its all in good fun.

This.

[SKG_Scintill]

***** = bro
****** = brown

[Quigly]

to avoid awkward situations with using the word ***** simply communicate with runes for the rest of your life

[Hateandhatred]

I personnally use these words just to be a nice-offensive-asshole really (I'm trying to quote dAnceguy117 on this one but I don't really remember how he phrased it).

But I encourage anyone telling me "yo, this x word/thing you say, I don't like it" and I'll refrain from using it in their presence. It has happened with a lot of people, even with FFR people. I usually say things blunt and readjust my aim later to be more precise with sensitive things, that's how I communicate.

It's just part of the personality I make myself have really, it might be childish, but it seems to work out okay!

In the end words have an impact that defines someone's character. Communication is what makes (or should make) people like other people or not. People don't get or don't like why you say things in some way? It's either because they don't know your personality, or they didn't have time to fully get you. Maybe act more relaxed or try to help them understand what you are, and if they're still offensed, you simply don't fit well. While that doesn't mean you shouldn't behave differently depending on who you're being with, I say that if calling your buds your "*****s" in a relaxed way is the way you want to communicate with familiar people when in a more popular fashion, stick with it.

[Frank Munoz]

If I were to name my child ****** would that end all racism?

[Fission]

if your last name is ****** then yea