Society/Culture Being 'offended' - Australia's favourite pastime?

[fairdinkum]

Seems to me like a lot of people actually seek out things which 'offend' them, and enjoy venting their frustration at being 'offended'. As though they live to be 'offended'. 'That's offensive', 'that's going too far', etc. I seem to hear these sorts of phrases more and more often.

Just now on the AFL Board (probably in light of Reid's likely withdrawal from tomorrow's clash with the Eagles) a well-known poster decided it would be funny to create a thread with the title 'Things less shakey than Crookwood's premiership defence', and posted a photo of the WTC burning as the OP. I suspect he might have meant for it to be on Bay 13 rather than the main board, but I digress.

Here are just some of the responses to his efforts before the thread was swiftly deleted:

• 'Dude. You know it's the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 on Sunday? Go play in traffic.'

• 'Very, very poor form'

• 'Absolutely disgusting, even by Bay13 standards, which we aren't even on.'

• 'we dont even take it this far in the Bay poor thread s**t Poster'

• 'Just had to get in to call you a w***er before the lock... w***er.'

• '...you are a disgrace. I have never targeted an individual on this forum but your post says a lot about you. You need help.'

Leaving aside the blatant hypocrisy of some of these responders' potentially-'offensive' retorts, the thread got me to thinking. When did we become such a bunch of PC dogooders who froth at the mouth as soon as somebody makes light of something none of us can do anything about? Has it always been like this? Is it getting worse? Are we in this country too quick to get upset and emotional over the use of words and ideas we don't agree with?

Over to you, good folk of bigfooty.

 

[CHIEF SMACKAHOE]

how could you support somebody that makes light of the greatest tragedy in world history!? mods?

 

[Daytripper]

Since when is it okay to make fun of people deaths?

 

[fairdinkum]

Since when is it okay to make fun of people deaths?

Have you ever watched a childrens' cartoon? Death is made fun of all the time in those shows.

What's that you say? Cartoon characters aren't real? Howabout the old joke about how they named a pool after former Australian Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Harold Holt? Is that offensive too?

 

[evo]

My favourite topic.

Yes, people love to be offended. Bizzarely many believe it is some sort of natural right not to be.

As is oft the case TJ has it about right:

[YOUTUBE]zwoqzb5R6vw[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Daytripper]

Have you ever watched a childrens' cartoon? Death is made fun of all the time in those shows.

What's that you say? Cartoon characters aren't real? Howabout the old joke about how they named a pool after former Australian Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Harold Holt? Is that offensive too?

It wasn't named deliberately and ironically because he drowned.
If it was it would have been offensive.

And comparing people's deaths to a kids cartoon.

Are you serious?

 

[fairdinkum]

Sorry evo, but I only got through four minutes of that before I had to stop it. That guy is as internally conflicted about liberties (and, although 'TJ' doesn't use the term, liberalism) as Malifice.

It's odd. A dear friend of mine convinced me of the virtues of America and Americans and, for a good year there, I no longer resented American accents or people who spoke with them. After just one month living with a girl from Wisconsin, I've gone back to resenting that smug, self-important, baselessly-arrogant tone in their voices. Sorry TJ, you are for the tip.

 

[fairdinkum]

It wasn't named deliberately and ironically because he drowned.
If it was it would have been offensive.

LOL. The joke doesn't turn on whether or not the pool was intentionally named after Holt ironically. The joke turns on whether or not it is ironic that the pool is named after a guy who (allegedly) drowned, full-stop.

Is the joke/gag offensive? If I say 'Isn't it ironic that there was a pool named after Holt, lol', is that offensive?

Don't bother answering. In fact, please get out of this thread. You are only going to clutter it up with obfuscations and non-sequiturs.

EDIT: Trippy, I am happy to let you have the last word in this little exchange if you promise to leave this thread for good.

 

[Daytripper]

LOL. The joke doesn't turn on whether or not the pool was intentionally named after Holt ironically. The joke turns on whether or not it is ironic that the pool is named after a guy who (allegedly) drowned, full-stop.

Is the joke/gag offensive? If I say 'Isn't it ironic that there was a pool named after Holt, lol', is that offensive?

Don't bother answering. In fact, please get out of this thread. You are only going to clutter it up with obfuscations and non-sequiturs.

Imagine if one of your family was one of those killed in 911?
Are you completely lacking in any empathy whatsoever?

In short.
Grow up.

 

[Theseventhhamster]

I'd like to think things are getting a little better in spite of the efforts of various lobby groups and governments (mostly Labor). The kind of stuff you see on South Park and Family Guy would have been banned 20 years ago but on the other side we have blasphemy laws in Victoria and a future internet filter to shield us from perfectly legal things that offend various ministers.

 

[Djcjdees]

how could you support somebody that makes light of the greatest tragedy in world history!? mods?

I think the jews may have something to say about that..

 

[Clay Davis]

911 is a joke.

 

[Junk Time]

911 is a joke.

I agree, 000 is a much better emergency number

 

[Gough]

how could you support somebody that makes light of the greatest tragedy in world history!? mods?

Greatest tragedy in world history, ever hear of the Holocaust? Bhopal? Come on mate, the New York attacks were horrible, but the greatest tragedy in world history?
I suggest you do a bit of research.

 

[Richo83]

Sorry evo, but I only got through four minutes of that before I had to stop it. That guy is as internally conflicted about liberties (and, although 'TJ' doesn't use the term, liberalism) as Malifice.

I'm interested to hear why you think this. I've got my own theories about the problem of the video, what are yours?

 

[DeanoT]

911 is a joke.

[YOUTUBE]oJ-ldcnhsLY[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Father Jack]

This is why we have TLC. I'd be surprised if there was a single thread there without something potentially offensive.

 

[MoscowHawk]

Didn't see the thread with the Twin Towers, so can't comment. But fully agree with the sentiment regarding people being offended and too PC. Can't stand it.

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/05/28/101-being-offended/ (It's from the website "Stuff White People Like", hence the constant references to white people"

To be offended is usually a rather unpleasant experience, one that can expose a person to intolerance, cultural misunderstandings, and even evoke the scars of the past. This is such an unpleasant experience that many people develop a thick skin and try to only be offended in the most egregious and awful situations. In many circumstances, they can allow smaller offenses to slip by as fighting them is a waste of time and energy.
But white people, blessed with both time and energy, are not these kind of people. In fact there are few things white people love more than being offended. Naturally, white people do not get offended by statements directed at white people. In fact, they don’t even have a problem making offensive statements about other white people (ask a white person about “flyover states”). As a rule, white people strongly prefer to get offended on behalf of other people.
It is also valuable to know that white people spend a significant portion of their time preparing for the moment when they will be offended. They read magazines, books, and watch documentaries all in hopes that one day they will encounter a person who will say something offensive. When this happens, they can leap into action with quotes, statistics, and historical examples. Once they have finished lecturing another white person about how it’s wrong to use the term “black” instead of “African-American,” they can sit back and relax in the knowledge that they have made a difference.
White people also get excited at the opportunity to be offended at things that are sexist and/or homophobic. Both cases offering ample opportunities for lectures, complaints, graduate classes, lengthy discussions and workshops. All of which do an excellent job of raising awareness among white people who hope to change their status from “not racist” to “super not racist.”
Another thing worth noting is that the threshold for being offended is a very important tool for judging and ranking white people. Missing an opportunity to be outraged is like missing a reference to Derrida-it’s social death.
If you ever need to make a white person feel indebted to you, wait for them to mention a book, film, or television show that features a character who is the same race as you, then say “the representation of <insert race> was offensive and if you can’t see that, well, you need to do some soul searching.” After they return from their hastily booked trip to land of your ancestors, they will be desperate to make it up to you. At this point, it is acceptable to ask them to help you paint your house.

 

[TheStinger]

When people get offended by an Aboriginal Affairs minister using the often quoted saying "The pot calling the kettle black", then it is quite clear that we as a society are losing our ability to have a laugh.

Is there a line? Of course there is, but it would seem it is moving closer and closer to outright conservatism when it should be closer to the other end of the scale.

How many times have you heard a joke or a statement made or seen a picture and thought that's pretty funny (however tasteless) but someone else has immediately decried it as offensive, racist etc. You then stop for a minute and think, should I be laughing at this.

But in reality if something is funny to you, then it is funny to you. Forcing yourself to temper your sense of humour to fit in with society's ever changing sense of outrage is deluding your self. What I can accept as humourous and what others can are obviously two different things (either way). Should I be called insensitive because I can find humour amongst tragedy?

Laughter after all is the best medicine.

 

[telsor]

I'm offended by this thread.

 

[DeanoT]

I'm offended by this thread.

[YOUTUBE]SagayzX2T7Y[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Donners]

The problem, OP, is that the thread you refer to relies on the content being at least somewhat offensive.

It's not particularly funny or clever to post a picture of some random wobbly building, thus the poster tried to be "edgy" and post something which would be controversial - some people would see it as black humour, some find it offensive.

Thus, it provokes a reaction rather than simply being dismissed as a crap thread.

 

[Caesar]

What's wrong with people being offended anyway?

As far as I'm concerned people can be as offended as they like, by whatever they like, as long as they don't try and ban stuff simply for that reason.

I actually quite like the concept of offensiveness. Calibrating and being aware of what various people are offended by, and possessing a desire to not to offend others, is what gives us a code of social etiquette. Most people would agree that is a good thing (in some form) to allow us all to live harmonious lives with a minimum of government interference. A broadly-held sense of etiquette amongst citizens can maintain social harmony without needing to legally regulate everything that might go against that.

Similarly, the 'acceptability' of being allowed to offend people (in the sense that it's in most cases perfectly legal) ensures that those boundaries are constantly being explored. It helps keep society accountable to be able to openly question and challenge 'PC culture'. That allows society to adjust to shifting social mores - if nobody was allowed or willing to offend others then we may never have seen the bikini on our beaches.

The right to offend is a good thing. The right to be offended is a good thing. They both serve a beneficial purpose. Generally I don't like to see either banned or ridiculed.

 

[Father Jack]

It is written in the Psalms that the taking of offence is what lies in the bosom of the stupid one.

I think there's something in that for all of us.

 

[Ghostwriter]

Mods need to take some responsibilty for this, cripes i've been on other sites where almost anything goes, but on here it's like a sunday school picnic, btw has anybody ever been sued for what they've posted on an internet forum?