Sam Smith using plural pronouns

[Brads67]

Stupid ? or is it just me ? I don't care what he calls himself but calling himself more then one person seems odd.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-4968...

[UnderSteerD]

I think he's the only person in the world that doesn't realise that no one gives a fk what he calls himself.

I don't keep up with things like this, but I suggest he's just attention seeking.

[Rider007]

UnderSteerD said:

I think he's the only person in the world that doesn't realise that no one gives a fk what he calls himself.

I don't keep up with things like this, but I suggest he's just attention seeking.

This, also explains his whiney soprano singing style. Please see my other thread https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Explorer1959]

Sam announces on Twitter “My pronouns are they/them.”

Best response....

This is so confusing

It's quite easy actually. Sam has bought into the social construct that boys play with cars and soldiers and girls like dresses and princesses. As he can't identify with either or try to challenge the ideas that boys can like dresses, he has decided he's neither a man nor a woman

You said he three times...

Edited by Explorer1959 on Saturday 14th September 09:55

[funkyrobot]

Dear oh dear.

Reading that article with 'they' just makes it confusing.

He can say what he likes, but I'll still use the term 'idiot'.

[Mojooo]

I am sure there is a good grammatical reason as to why calling him 'it' is not suitable? It rolls off the tongue a little easier....?

i.e he played football / it played football

[JagLover]

Explorer1959 said:

Sam announce a on Twitter “My pronouns are they/them.”

Best response....

This is so confusing

It's quite easy actually. Sam has bought into the social construct that boys play with cars and soldiers and girls like dresses and princesses. As he can't identify with either or try to challenge the ideas that boys can like dresses, he has decided he's neither a man nor a woman

You said he three times...

True enough

Once there were girls who liked all the pretty pink stuff and others who were more tomboyish and a variety in between. Now we have girls and "non-binary" people with a female birth certificate. A bit of a backwards step in my view to say there is only one permitted way of behaving for each gender.

[Wooda80]

If Sam would like us to call them "them" then I don't have any problem with them requesting it.

The wider question for non-binary people in general is how are we supposed to know their preferred pronoun automatically, or is it their responsibility to state it?

If I meet a CIS man or woman then it's the current social norm to assume from their appearance how they wish to be addressed.
If I meet a transgender person then it's reasonable to address them with the pronoun of their adopted gender which again would usually be apparent from their appearance.
If we meet someone whose gender we are not sure of from their appearance then it's diplomatic to refer to them as "they" . I'm sure we've all met a 10 year old boy who might resemble a girl, or an elderly lady who might be mistaken at first sight for an old man, as well as those people who choose to be androgynous in their appearance.

But Sam is difficult to differentiate from a CIS man upon first acquaintance, so how would he recommend that people in a similar situation to him but without the accompanying publicity machine go about affirming their preferred identity?

Are non-binary people content to have to point out to people how they wish to be addressed or is it something that we must all ask each other when we first meet?

[vaud]

UnderSteerD said:

I think he's the only person in the world that doesn't realise that no one gives a fk what he calls himself.

I don't keep up with things like this, but I suggest he's just attention seeking.

The progressive view is that he is using his fame/platform to give people with less confidence, etc to do the same... In teh same way that gay icons gave other people more confidence to come out.

[BigMon]

[thebraketester]

I think them are a total bellend.

Am I doing it right?

[Gandahar]

My daughter does A level maths and we were having a meal and I told the family that I was now " non binary" and my daughter laughed. My wife then said :-

"Is this one of your mathematical jokes?" Classic from Her Indoors ( not there indoors note ).

Having said that I'm thinking of going Gender Fluid.

Or was it gender stodgy?

[bitchstewie]

Wooda80 said:

If Sam would like us to call them "them" then I don't have any problem with them requesting it.

The wider question for non-binary people in general is how are we supposed to know their preferred pronoun automatically, or is it their responsibility to state it?

If I meet a CIS man or woman then it's the current social norm to assume from their appearance how they wish to be addressed.
If I meet a transgender person then it's reasonable to address them with the pronoun of their adopted gender which again would usually be apparent from their appearance.
If we meet someone whose gender we are not sure of from their appearance then it's diplomatic to refer to them as "they" . I'm sure we've all met a 10 year old boy who might resemble a girl, or an elderly lady who might be mistaken at first sight for an old man, as well as those people who choose to be androgynous in their appearance.

But Sam is difficult to differentiate from a CIS man upon first acquaintance, so how would he recommend that people in a similar situation to him but without the accompanying publicity machine go about affirming their preferred identity?

Are non-binary people content to have to point out to people how they wish to be addressed or is it something that we must all ask each other when we first meet?

I tend to think common sense usually wins the day.

People make mistakes and most people are forgiving of mistakes.

There was a thread on here about this kind of thing, not too long ago, where there were a subset of posters who took the view to paraphrase that "I think they are a biological male or female so I shall address them as he/him/she/her as I see fit regardless of their wishes".

That isn't a mistake it's simply vindictive and most people are less forgiving of vindictiveness.

[rxe]

thebraketester said:

I think them are a total bellend.

Am I doing it right?

Them is a total bellend.

Ali G was right all along.

[Gandahar]

thebraketester said:

I think them are a total bellend.

Am I doing it right?

I thinks it's them is? Now everyone has to get up to speed again with grammar ! Who or whom?

We could say "It's a total bellend" but then is it its or it's ? The possessive?

Arrgggghhhhhhhhh

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Nowt as queer as folk.

[mmm-five]

"They" is more commonly used in the plural sense, but it can also be used in the 3rd person singular.

For example, when a friend is bringing an unknown-to-you friend as a +1 to a party, if you don't know their (singular) gender, then would you say "Bill's bringing a friend, but I don't know if he/she is also vegan", or "Bill's bringing a friend, but I don't know if they are also vegan".

Personally, I think they should use 'Per' (short for person), so it would be Me/Him/Her/Per/Them and Mine/His/Hers/Pers/Theirs - although it get a bit messy with I/He/She/Pee/They

Edited by mmm-five on Saturday 14th September 10:07

[stinkyspanner]

'I'm not male or female'
Clue: What's that thing between your legs?
Clue 2: Can you have a baby?

I can't stick this theys whiney singing, and I care even less whether they thinks they are a sausage or a sponge

[anonymous-user]

bhstewie said:

Wooda80 said:

If Sam would like us to call them "them" then I don't have any problem with them requesting it.

The wider question for non-binary people in general is how are we supposed to know their preferred pronoun automatically, or is it their responsibility to state it?

If I meet a CIS man or woman then it's the current social norm to assume from their appearance how they wish to be addressed.
If I meet a transgender person then it's reasonable to address them with the pronoun of their adopted gender which again would usually be apparent from their appearance.
If we meet someone whose gender we are not sure of from their appearance then it's diplomatic to refer to them as "they" . I'm sure we've all met a 10 year old boy who might resemble a girl, or an elderly lady who might be mistaken at first sight for an old man, as well as those people who choose to be androgynous in their appearance.

But Sam is difficult to differentiate from a CIS man upon first acquaintance, so how would he recommend that people in a similar situation to him but without the accompanying publicity machine go about affirming their preferred identity?

Are non-binary people content to have to point out to people how they wish to be addressed or is it something that we must all ask each other when we first meet?

I tend to think common sense usually wins the day.

People make mistakes and most people are forgiving of mistakes.

There was a thread on here about this kind of thing, not too long ago, where there were a subset of posters who took the view to paraphrase that "I think they are a biological male or female so I shall address them as he/him/she/her as I see fit regardless of their wishes".

That isn't a mistake it's simply vindictive and most people are less forgiving of vindictiveness.

You’re both overthinking it. It’s really not worth that effort.

There are two genders. Male and female, he and she.

[vdn]

stinkyspanner said:

'I'm not male or female'
Clue: What's that thing between your legs?
Clue 2: Can you have a baby?

I can't stick this theys whiney singing, and I care even less whether they thinks they are a sausage or a sponge

You care enough to post - and seem a little triggered by the whole thing.