Offensiveness (request for comments)

[andrewducker]

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 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?

Comments

[darkoshi]

The first time I saw the icon, I knew you well enough to know those weren't statements you would agree with. While watching the icon, I think I was a bit intrigued/puzzled as to the reason for the statements... until the Bush 2004 one, which seemed to be the punchline, and made the entire thing seem amusing.

I don't think you should remove the entire icon. As for removing or changing the word "retarded", I'm not sure. I think this whole discussion... unfortunately, prynne's page which was linked to is still f-locked, as I can't access it, so I can't see what she originally said about it... but I think this whole discussion at least has served to remind that the word "retarded" can be seen as offensive... not so much so to most people, perhaps, in which case it is just an insult, but to people with learning disabilities. To the latter group of people, even seeing the word used in a sarcastic context could be upsetting, because it shows that some people think that their disability is something so bad that it can be used as an insult. It might feel sort of like how I feel when I see/hear people make jokes about vegetarians, or females who don't shave. Yes, I can just ignore it and/or pretend to be amused, because I know that the other people don't really mean it maliciously, but still it does hurt in a way.