Offensive content in editorials

[mr_spock]

Hi. Can't hit "report" on editorial content so will do it here.

The latest "shed" uses the term "limp-wristed" as an epithet seeming to imply "soft" and "un-manly". Sadly although it's banter, as with the "shed's wife is so fat..." stuff, this is the kind of thing that encourages the casual anti-gay comments that really need to go. I'm not gay personally, but I have very close family who are, and I can see how this sort of offhand comment hurts.

Please stop it.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

mr_spock said:

I can see how this sort of offhand comment hurts.

Really? Bit of a lame complaint.

[mr_spock]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

mr_spock said:

I can see how this sort of offhand comment hurts.

Really? Bit of a lame complaint.

I don't really want to discuss my family members' (yes, plural) lives of bullying, the challenges of coming out, the resulting mental health issues etc. It's tarring an entire, very diverse, group of people with the same "nancy boy" childish stupidity. I'm not surprised at this being in the forums, but editorials should be a little more careful. Why would PH want to alienate people? It didn't add to the content, they could have talked about "powerfully built company directors" or whatever, without the casual gay-bashing.

You're entitled to your opinion of course, and I'm entitled to mine, and I did say "please" rather than throwing a massive fit about it.

[robuk]

Fair play for calling it out. PH can do better.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

mr_spock said:

I don't really want to discuss my family members' (yes, plural) lives of bullying, the challenges of coming out, the resulting mental health issues etc. It's tarring an entire, very diverse, group of people with the same "nancy boy" childish stupidity. I'm not surprised at this being in the forums, but editorials should be a little more careful. Why would PH want to alienate people? It didn't add to the content, they could have talked about "powerfully built company directors" or whatever, without the casual gay-bashing.

You're entitled to your opinion of course, and I'm entitled to mine, and I did say "please" rather than throwing a massive fit about it.

That's a fair response, thanks. I suppose I was just a little surprised that you found the term offensive, but I appreciate that we all see these things differently. And, for the avoidance of doubt, I'm in no way defending gay-bashing.

[Groat]

The 'limp-wristed' comment might suggest unmanly but it's a serious bit of stretch to equate 'unmanly' and 'gay' is it not?

Edited by Groat on Friday 18th December 18:08

[CharlesdeGaulle]

Groat said:

The 'limp-wristed' comment might suggest unmanly but it's a serious bit of stretch to equate 'unmanly' and 'gay' is it not?

Well that's kind-of what I was getting at, but Spock is clearly sensitive to this and I guess we should avoid unintended offence if we can.

[Groat]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

Groat said:

The 'limp-wristed' comment might suggest unmanly but it's a serious bit of stretch to equate 'unmanly' and 'gay' is it not?

Well that's kind-of what I was getting at, but Spock is clearly sensitive to this and I guess we should avoid unintended offence if we can.

That's debatable. If free speech were to be curbed to the point of avoiding what EVERYONE found offensive, including unintentionally offensive, we'd have to reduce general conversation to something so emasculated and sterilised that it might not be worth having for the 'fear' of causing offence, which, I might add, a dubious lunatic of an MSP in Scotland is currently trying to make into a criminal matter.

[ApexCult]

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/englis...

Quite right to bring this up Mr Spock.

[vaud]

mr_spock said:

Hi. Can't hit "report" on editorial content so will do it here.

The latest "shed" uses the term "limp-wristed" as an epithet seeming to imply "soft" and "un-manly". Sadly although it's banter, as with the "shed's wife is so fat..." stuff, this is the kind of thing that encourages the casual anti-gay comments that really need to go. I'm not gay personally, but I have very close family who are, and I can see how this sort of offhand comment hurts.

Please stop it.

I agree. This isn't the 1980s.

[320d is all you need]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

Groat said:

The 'limp-wristed' comment might suggest unmanly but it's a serious bit of stretch to equate 'unmanly' and 'gay' is it not?

Well that's kind-of what I was getting at, but Spock is clearly sensitive to this and I guess we should avoid unintended offence if we can.

I don't associate limp wristed with gay.

Enough cancel culture complaint stuffr

[Pothole]

robuk said:

Fair play for calling it out. PH can do better.

I'm not sure they can these days.

[mr_spock]

Thanks. I am sensitive to the free speech issue, and today's rejection by the courts that free speech should not include the right to offend, of course. I'm not saying this should be illegal, or that one shouldn't be able to say offensive things about people in political or social commentary - or even in comedy. I'm just asking nicely that PH doesn't join in.

[Groat]

As I said.....debatable and probably quite an interesting matter to debate (emphasised by the obvious divergence of opinion).

[mr_spock]

320d is all you need said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

Groat said:

The 'limp-wristed' comment might suggest unmanly but it's a serious bit of stretch to equate 'unmanly' and 'gay' is it not?

Well that's kind-of what I was getting at, but Spock is clearly sensitive to this and I guess we should avoid unintended offence if we can.

I don't associate limp wristed with gay.

Enough cancel culture complaint stuffr

I'm not asking for the author to be no-platformed or punished. This is not cancel culture. They wouldn't use the N-word or P-word, so maybe just a little politeness on this one would be appreciated.

I'll stop now, this isn't a political crusade against PH. I love PH, been here a long time and it's my go-to site for most things. People on here have helped me through issues, I've tried to help others, met some lovely people. PH is great for the most part.

[Groat]

mr_spock said:

Thanks. I am sensitive to the free speech issue, and today's rejection by the courts that free speech should not include the right to offend, of course. I'm not saying this should be illegal, or that one shouldn't be able to say offensive things about people in political or social commentary - or even in comedy. I'm just asking nicely that PH doesn't join in.

So a couple of gay PHers are still 'allowed' to share a gay joke just not on the forum? Erm...ok.

[Pothole]

320d is all you need said:

I don't associate limp wristed with gay.

Nor do I. If some do, it's no difficulty not to use it, though, is it?

[mr_spock]

As I think I explained above, I'm asking about PH editorial content, not forum content, where the moderators can take a view based on their own rules and user reports. Editorial content doesn't appear to be moderated in the same way. My gay family members make gay jokes, black people use the N-word to each other, doesn't mean it's OK in an editorial context on a motoring web site IMHO. YMMV, by all means we can disagree, I'm not trying to persuade you, just the PH editors (who, I hope, will respond).

[Bill]

Groat said:

The 'limp-wristed' comment might suggest unmanly but it's a serious bit of stretch to equate 'unmanly' and 'gay' is it not?

Think about how it came to mean unmanly in the first place.

If someone made the "limp-wristed" comment in the forums (and it was reported) it'd be removed. I've flagged this with the powers that be, but it being a weekend can't say when it'll get sorted.

[derek.j]

I’m fat. However if an rs4 is described as wide. Flared or fat I don’t get offended.

It’s a non issue