andrewducker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
andrewducker) wrote2006-09-10 09:52 pm
andrewducker) wrote2006-09-10 09:52 pm
Offensiveness (request for comments)
I posted an entry earlier today with this LJ Icon.
It's not a nice LJ icon.
It's clearly offensive.
In fact the keyword for this icon is Offensive.
And![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
prynne asked me if I could be convinced to delete it. Her reason being that it contains the word "retarded", and she objects to that word (link now public).
I don't disagree that it's an offensive word. I'd certainly never use it in normal conversation.
But then I'd never say any of the things in the icon. It's there, largely, as a list of things _I_ find offensive.
And I think, myself, that it serves a purpose of saying that "Andrew finds all of these statements offensive, and wouldn't care to hear them from people around him."
In particular, it says "Goths are Retarded", which I _clearly_ can't mean, as I have numerous friends who are, or have been goths, and I've seen the Sisters of Mercy live three times, and have a large collection of black t-shirts. Nobody that knows me could in any way think I mean it as something other than "Here are things that highlight idiots when they say them."
But it's not necessarily obvious from the icon. You could read it as "Here are things Andy believes." if you didn't know me very well. You could more easily read it as "Here are things Andy finds amusing."
Knowing the internet like I do, I know that it's very easy not to recognise irony ("Saying one thing and meaning something quite different"). Many's the time I've made a comment intended to be taking as silliness and had it taken seriously.
So should I take it down? Should I depend on my audience to realise what it means?
It's not a nice LJ icon.
It's clearly offensive.
In fact the keyword for this icon is Offensive.
And
prynne asked me if I could be convinced to delete it. Her reason being that it contains the word "retarded", and she objects to that word (link now public).I don't disagree that it's an offensive word. I'd certainly never use it in normal conversation.
But then I'd never say any of the things in the icon. It's there, largely, as a list of things _I_ find offensive.
And I think, myself, that it serves a purpose of saying that "Andrew finds all of these statements offensive, and wouldn't care to hear them from people around him."
In particular, it says "Goths are Retarded", which I _clearly_ can't mean, as I have numerous friends who are, or have been goths, and I've seen the Sisters of Mercy live three times, and have a large collection of black t-shirts. Nobody that knows me could in any way think I mean it as something other than "Here are things that highlight idiots when they say them."
But it's not necessarily obvious from the icon. You could read it as "Here are things Andy believes." if you didn't know me very well. You could more easily read it as "Here are things Andy finds amusing."
Knowing the internet like I do, I know that it's very easy not to recognise irony ("Saying one thing and meaning something quite different"). Many's the time I've made a comment intended to be taking as silliness and had it taken seriously.
So should I take it down? Should I depend on my audience to realise what it means?
no subject
I'm not going to make this personal as I don't have a clue who you are, so lets keep it objective: If you censor everyone to remove any offensive language or humour that some people my misunderstand or find offensive, you take with it freedom of speech and a fundamental right to express yourself, Do you not agree?
(And before anyone says it, no I don't think I'm going to extremes here. This *IS* in effect trying to force one persons beliefs on someone else and something I have seen increasingly prevalent in the US and UK of late, and something I myself find offensive.)