The Blurry Line Between Political Correctness and Absurdity
There is a very blurry line between political correctness & silliness. Are you tired of your offspring and their offspring reminding you that, "We Don't Use That Word Anymore"? Well, I certainly am tired of hearing those words. I have no children of my own, but I work with them regularly.
When I first saw my copy of "The Official Politically Correct Dictionary and Handbook" in 1993, I thought it was a hoot! Like the "Preppy Handbook" of the 1980s, which was one of the funniest books I had ever read.
I knew several "preppy" people and the book just nailed them; Names like Biff and Muffy, Ralph Lauren polo shirts (bonus points for popping the collar), Sperry topsiders (it was "de rigueur" to wear them without socks), plaid 'kilt" type skirts for girls, etc... It was a great trend at the time, so a book satirizing it was bound to hit the shelves. The trend died out. The die hard preppies stayed the way they were, and most younger people moved on to trends they had seen in music videos.
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| My Preppy Handbook copy is dog eared and so worn, I have nearly tossed it out on several occasions! |
I’m an old fashioned gal. I’m certain I was born in the wrong era. I love the clothing and styles from the 1950’s and am a fan of most all things retro, even though poodle skirts pretty much died out long before I was born. But this “retro” subject has overstayed its welcome. I had assumed the new "PC" words and terms would die out as well. How wrong I was! Political correctness has grown even more absurd as time marches on, yet in some instances, it works well.
"The Official Politically Correct Dictionary and Handbook" is full of crazy terms, that evidently someone had thought were just fine. Some are commonly used now but the very absurd terms and words have not come into common use. Yet.
Take for example, "person of substance". In my mind, a person of substance is a person of quality and character. Basically, he or she has something substantial to add to a conversation or situation. But size? No.
I've seen or heard "generously cut" and "size-friendly" many times. I like those terms. "Fatism" I have never heard, but when I heard a chirpy, cheery, and very polite morning show host say, "He's not fat!" when speaking with surprise of an encounter she had on the street with a television personality, my first thought was, "Couldn't she have phrased that a bit differently?" (Personally I prefer the term “Big-Boned”). Her co-host chimed in, "But he's fat on the show!" and they went into a long discussion as to why someone would want to "look fat" on t.v. Yes, sadly they went from awful, to much worse. And they came off incredibly, but unintentionally, rude.
Reader, meet 'prewomen'. You read that right! According to the 'Politically Correct' dictionary, the word 'prewoman' is for a young girl and was coined by cartoonist, Jeff Sheshol, in 1990. Thankfully, I have never heard either word in use.
Pro-choice is a word I have never understood. It only seems to be pro-choice for those who believe abortion should be legal. Those I know who choose to have many children (and pay fully for them, as opposed to say "Octomom") or those who feel abortion is killing a living being, are looked upon with scorn. Pro-abortion would be a better term, and more accurate unless it favors all. PWA and PLA I have not seen. As for "protector"? I'll start using it the minute a cat starts protecting me!
I remember a story of Maura Graber's about the word "retard" and an argument with her daughter. According to Graber, she was prepping for an after-school etiquette class, and was speaking with a teacher from the school. Graber described a brief discussion about something capable of retarding a child's social growth, when her daughter walked in carrying the food for class. "My daughter heard the word 'retard' and snapped that the word 'retard' was not acceptable, paying no attention to which syllable I had put the accent on." The teacher, who clearly knew what Graber's daughter had missed, chuckled as Maura tried to explain to her daughter that the word, used properly, was not offensive. Her daughter continued to tell her she was wrong. Ms. Graber said, "I gave up. “Flame-retardant” Halloween costumes and such? She wasn't interested in hearing that. Once kids reach the ages of 18 to 21, suddenly they think they are adults and know everything. They don't." How true!
"The Official Politically Correct Dictionary and Handbook" is full of crazy terms, that evidently someone had thought were just fine. Some are commonly used now but the very absurd terms and words have not come into common use. Yet.
Take for example, "person of substance". In my mind, a person of substance is a person of quality and character. Basically, he or she has something substantial to add to a conversation or situation. But size? No.
I've seen or heard "generously cut" and "size-friendly" many times. I like those terms. "Fatism" I have never heard, but when I heard a chirpy, cheery, and very polite morning show host say, "He's not fat!" when speaking with surprise of an encounter she had on the street with a television personality, my first thought was, "Couldn't she have phrased that a bit differently?" (Personally I prefer the term “Big-Boned”). Her co-host chimed in, "But he's fat on the show!" and they went into a long discussion as to why someone would want to "look fat" on t.v. Yes, sadly they went from awful, to much worse. And they came off incredibly, but unintentionally, rude.
Reader, meet 'prewomen'. You read that right! According to the 'Politically Correct' dictionary, the word 'prewoman' is for a young girl and was coined by cartoonist, Jeff Sheshol, in 1990. Thankfully, I have never heard either word in use.
Pro-choice is a word I have never understood. It only seems to be pro-choice for those who believe abortion should be legal. Those I know who choose to have many children (and pay fully for them, as opposed to say "Octomom") or those who feel abortion is killing a living being, are looked upon with scorn. Pro-abortion would be a better term, and more accurate unless it favors all. PWA and PLA I have not seen. As for "protector"? I'll start using it the minute a cat starts protecting me!
Etiquette authority Maura Graber has a few words to say about the word retard, as does her outspoken daughter!
I remember a story of Maura Graber's about the word "retard" and an argument with her daughter. According to Graber, she was prepping for an after-school etiquette class, and was speaking with a teacher from the school. Graber described a brief discussion about something capable of retarding a child's social growth, when her daughter walked in carrying the food for class. "My daughter heard the word 'retard' and snapped that the word 'retard' was not acceptable, paying no attention to which syllable I had put the accent on." The teacher, who clearly knew what Graber's daughter had missed, chuckled as Maura tried to explain to her daughter that the word, used properly, was not offensive. Her daughter continued to tell her she was wrong. Ms. Graber said, "I gave up. “Flame-retardant” Halloween costumes and such? She wasn't interested in hearing that. Once kids reach the ages of 18 to 21, suddenly they think they are adults and know everything. They don't." How true!
This article was first published in 2012 on the “Social Graces and Savior-Faire” blogspot of dear friend and contributor to this site, the late-Demita Usher
🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia
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