Sunday, December 25, 2005

What's in a word?

Pansy Wong has changed the name of her newsletter to Pansyspeak. The DomPost's Last Word made this comment today;

"Given the growing number of gay MPs in the House, it's surprising one of them hasn't grabbed that title first."

Is it OK to infer that Parliament's gay MPs are pansies? I guess we will find out.

It's possible to avoid political correctness without actively practicing political incorrectness. As comments go, it's not even very funny. Which brings me to another question. Would it be OK if is was?

David Farrar makes a comment on his blog today that a woman who swallowed her cellphone must be a blonde. The blonde stereotype has delivered some of the best jokes which I can't repeat here. As a blonde I enjoy them.

I guess it's a fine line between bad taste and humour and where that line gets drawn is very subjective.

1 comment:

David Farrar said...

The line can be fine. I think a lot depends on the intent of the people behind it.

Tim Barnett joking that he wishes he had the name "Pansy Speak" would be very funny. Graham Capill suggesting it would be less so.

SOmething I have found intersting over time is that words once offensive have been reclaimed as a mark of pride. Queer is a very nomral self-id term now for gays. Geeks wear their geekdom as a badge of honour etc.