I was going to point to a YouTube URL for that Life of Brian scene, but it was instantly followed by an anti-constipation commercial and I just can’t do that to anyone even though it might not happen every time. ::gack::
I’d like to know who came up with the banned words list for GoComics. You can’t use the plural of spice or the breed of the big Maine cats. There have been times that I couldn’t even figure out which word I was trying to post was banned so I ended up just not posting any comment at all. So much depends on context. I know the abbreviation for raccoon has been used as a racial slur, but it is not a racial slur when referring to a recognized breed of cats. And the plural of spice is not the same spelling as the plural of the racial slur that they think they are banning by banning spîces.
You should see what they did to you a hundred years ago for using certain words. Heck, during World War I, you could get arrested just for not showing enough patriotic enthusiasm.
And of course, if you were, say, black, you could get arrested or worse just for looking at someone the wrong way. Not saying people aren’t over sensitive these days (I even saw people freak out over “Happy Holidays”, but it’s not as different from the past as we like to think.
I once got Zucc’d on Facebook for saying that I used to ride a Crazy Carpet down a local hill. A Crazy Carpet was a type of child’s toboggan – it was literally just a large piece of smooth flexible plastic with two holes cut out at the front for handles. There was absolutely no way to steer or control it: Once you started moving you were at the mercy of gravity and fate. They were also very cheap, costing somewhere around two dollars in the 1980’s.
The logarithm didn’t care. I said the C word. 30 days in the hole.
If only we could eliminate ‘like’ (1) and ‘right?’ (2)
I think nearly 100% of meetings would be improved by this.
1 – unless used in its intended sense, such as “I really like that idea” or “….much like the time we did this……” But when you, like, insert like, into your conversation, like, nonstop, it’s like, really annoying and you should really, like, have duct tape, like, placed over your mouth.
2 – once or twice is okay, but I’ve listened to presentations recently in which the speaker ended every 3rd or 4th comment with “right?” (with that upward inflection at the end, often stretching it into two syllables) and it gets to be where you cringe in anticipation of the next use. If you can’t give a talk without doing this, don’t talk.
Stephan Pastis sounds like Jerry Seinfeld. “This is the result of the extreme left and PC crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people,’ Seinfeld said in a interview. Stephan has been repeating this censorship complaint for years in different variations, some funny, today’s not. He had a slow day and couldn’t think of a funny cartoon to draw.
How about this one: You can’t call a person a "pedi file " (spelled that way because of, ironically. the censors) you are supposed to call them Minor Attracted Person!!!!!!!
Last night my wife and I were watching a DVD of old TV commercials. It was an interesting combination of pop culture history and nostalgia. But I found myself cringing at the Cheerios Kid (anyone remember him?) in an Old West scenario fighting an Indian chief who was, not surprisingly, an over-the-top stereotype.
Keep in mind that employers, sponsors, and the general public don’t have to put up with everything that comes out your mouth. You really want free speech? Get your own podcast, or self-publish your own books. Nobody has to pay you to be a jerk.
Tomorrow! An all new Pearls starring PC Pig, Righteous Rat, Giddy Goat and a host of ethnically and socially sensitive characters beating each other up about word usage.
I used to love to ride my bike all over the back roads of our county. Even fancied calling myself a cyclist. No, I was not like Jef. One day, my sister, who lives in Woke-ington state, asked me if I considered the term, “cyclist” offensive. Some people in her group were saying the term should be, “people who cycle.” I told her I had never before heard such nonsense. She agreed it was over the top.
I’m clearly in the minority here, but I don’t think evolving as people to be more selective about what we say is inherently bad. If some people would prefer we not so freely toss around words that have historically been used to marginalize them, what’s the issue? When we know better, we do better.
I recently saw the article on the web that had these exact words on it. Learning the origins of the words was interesting, and I see the point that’s trying to be made. But for the vast majority of these words, their original meaning has faded over time (as happens to all words) and their current usage has shifted to mean something different entirely and not hurtful. That made the article feel pedantic.
BasilBruce 7 days ago
What we need are some First Amendment Crusaders.
TaliesinWI 7 days ago
Reminds me of the stoning scene in Life of Brian.
ronaldspence 7 days ago
Idiocracy
cmxx 7 days ago
I was going to point to a YouTube URL for that Life of Brian scene, but it was instantly followed by an anti-constipation commercial and I just can’t do that to anyone even though it might not happen every time. ::gack::
GeorgeInAZ 7 days ago
It’ll be interesting to see how some regulars deny this is happening and when it does its all Reps’ fault.
tudza Premium Member 7 days ago
Would semaphore be too Euro-centric?
cmxx 7 days ago
In my neck of the woods “homeless” has been replaced by “houseless.” That seems pointless to me.
Concretionist 7 days ago
Around here, last I heard, those folks were “unhoused” from the folks who aren’t… and “sidewalk chateau” from at least one of the ones who is.
franki_g 7 days ago
Good thing they were just penciled in.
The use of graphite language has always had a negative connotation.
Ninette 7 days ago
Cultural appropriation, Pastis. Pal: From Romani phal ‘brother, mate’, based on Sanskrit bhrātṛ ‘brother’.
iggyman 7 days ago
Yes, all the time once common sayings are all of a sudden not politically correct, hard to stay on top !
Bilan 7 days ago
I’m still trying to figure out why it’s offensive to name a football team after Indians.
SameAsOldFfred 7 days ago
White slavery. That got me fired.
c001 7 days ago
May I point out that “Stephan” reads very un-American?
I’m not supposed to use the N-, the I-, the Z- and the E-word anymore.And plenty of others, of course.
A Common 'tator 7 days ago
Oh look, Stephan’s using a rubber…
Keno21 7 days ago
I’d leave a thumbs-up emoji, but those are now banned.
Gent 7 days ago
KageKat 7 days ago
I’m sure this will be a delightful comment section today.
Sue Ellen 7 days ago
I’d like to know who came up with the banned words list for GoComics. You can’t use the plural of spice or the breed of the big Maine cats. There have been times that I couldn’t even figure out which word I was trying to post was banned so I ended up just not posting any comment at all. So much depends on context. I know the abbreviation for raccoon has been used as a racial slur, but it is not a racial slur when referring to a recognized breed of cats. And the plural of spice is not the same spelling as the plural of the racial slur that they think they are banning by banning spîces.
fencie 6 days ago
Stephan unalived his own creations.
cdward 6 days ago
You should see what they did to you a hundred years ago for using certain words. Heck, during World War I, you could get arrested just for not showing enough patriotic enthusiasm.
And of course, if you were, say, black, you could get arrested or worse just for looking at someone the wrong way. Not saying people aren’t over sensitive these days (I even saw people freak out over “Happy Holidays”, but it’s not as different from the past as we like to think.
Ignatz Premium Member 6 days ago
You will notice that every one of those phrases is in this comic, and being printed in newspapers, with no consequences.
up2trixx 6 days ago
I once got Zucc’d on Facebook for saying that I used to ride a Crazy Carpet down a local hill. A Crazy Carpet was a type of child’s toboggan – it was literally just a large piece of smooth flexible plastic with two holes cut out at the front for handles. There was absolutely no way to steer or control it: Once you started moving you were at the mercy of gravity and fate. They were also very cheap, costing somewhere around two dollars in the 1980’s.
The logarithm didn’t care. I said the C word. 30 days in the hole.
old_geek 6 days ago
When the inflamed amygdalas take over…
Rowlajj 6 days ago
One of the best yet…
David in Webb Premium Member 6 days ago
George Orwell’s 1984 – a good read if you want to know where our country is headed.
Croc Holliday 6 days ago
If only we could eliminate ‘like’ (1) and ‘right?’ (2)
I think nearly 100% of meetings would be improved by this.
1 – unless used in its intended sense, such as “I really like that idea” or “….much like the time we did this……” But when you, like, insert like, into your conversation, like, nonstop, it’s like, really annoying and you should really, like, have duct tape, like, placed over your mouth.
2 – once or twice is okay, but I’ve listened to presentations recently in which the speaker ended every 3rd or 4th comment with “right?” (with that upward inflection at the end, often stretching it into two syllables) and it gets to be where you cringe in anticipation of the next use. If you can’t give a talk without doing this, don’t talk.
Doug K 6 days ago
Stephan should have to erase himself.
Gameguy49 Premium Member 6 days ago
Progressivism has proved to be very regressive. Someone decides that some ordinary words are “just not nice” and out they go!
possumqueen Premium Member 6 days ago
YES!!! YES YES YES!!!!! Thank you Stephan! The word police have gone WAAY off the deep end!
SquidGamerGal 6 days ago
Bullplop! How are all those words racists?!
aerotica69 6 days ago
I wonder if they sell those erasers at Walgreens.
CaveCat87 6 days ago
Way to show Rat a thing or two, Stephen.
rossevrymn 6 days ago
Let the old people complaints commence.
Judy Ford Premium Member 6 days ago
“Perfect”… and any “ly” adverb, badly, goodly….
DaBump Premium Member 6 days ago
When you’re a cartoon, you REALLY have to be careful about cancel culture!
royq27 6 days ago
I have no words…
caw Premium Member 6 days ago
Stephan Pastis sounds like Jerry Seinfeld. “This is the result of the extreme left and PC crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people,’ Seinfeld said in a interview. Stephan has been repeating this censorship complaint for years in different variations, some funny, today’s not. He had a slow day and couldn’t think of a funny cartoon to draw.
Goat from PBS 6 days ago
Why this is still a thing… I have no idea. Words cannot hurt you, unless you let them hurt you.
Ellis97 6 days ago
Stephan finally uses his cartoonist power to punish Rat for his insolence. Too bad Pig and Goat have to suffer, too.
Stocky One 6 days ago
I happen to be tone deaf. What’s wrong with that expression?
Ellis97 6 days ago
Maybe they should’ve used sticks and stones instead of words.
Otis Rufus Driftwood 6 days ago
I believe the point here is to be reasonable with each other.
Happy Tinkerbelle Premium Member 6 days ago
How about this one: You can’t call a person a "pedi file " (spelled that way because of, ironically. the censors) you are supposed to call them Minor Attracted Person!!!!!!!
klapre 6 days ago
I thought “homeless” people were just “unhoused”.
klapre 6 days ago
And then we have the secret list maintained by the Comics Censor.
oish 6 days ago
I find the intolerance of tolerance to the intolerant intolerable
Chrisstopher 6 days ago
Words are Words.Use them appropriately and try to not be an A-Hole.
The Fly Hunter 6 days ago
We’ve all disappeared….
Flossie Mud Duck 6 days ago
The news-speak that currently bothers me most is “we’ll discuss it on the other side”.
Liam Astle Premium Member 6 days ago
‘Person Experiencing Homelessness’ makes it sound like a temporary thing.
Lord King Wazmo Premium Member 6 days ago
Oh please. Enough with the “Right To Be Rude” stuff.
zeexenon 6 days ago
Come to think of it, what do they do with the giant pink eraser leftovers when they chop them down to pencil size?
paullp Premium Member 6 days ago
Last night my wife and I were watching a DVD of old TV commercials. It was an interesting combination of pop culture history and nostalgia. But I found myself cringing at the Cheerios Kid (anyone remember him?) in an Old West scenario fighting an Indian chief who was, not surprisingly, an over-the-top stereotype.
socalvillaguy Premium Member 6 days ago
Language evolves faster than reactionary minds do.
snowedin, now known as Missy's mom 6 days ago
I don’t give a rat’s (sorry, Rat) patoot who bans which word or this person. That’s idiotic.
JoeMartinFan Premium Member 6 days ago
Keep in mind that employers, sponsors, and the general public don’t have to put up with everything that comes out your mouth. You really want free speech? Get your own podcast, or self-publish your own books. Nobody has to pay you to be a jerk.
Count Olaf Premium Member 6 days ago
Pal… gone. Derogatory term for MFWB (male friend with benefits). Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
tomfromthe50s 6 days ago
We’re living at the sensitivity level of a 13-year-old girl, who makes a game of catching people making “mistakes”. (“Oh, you said duty!”)
Mark Epple 6 days ago
Reality does not offend!
eddi-TBH 6 days ago
Tomorrow! An all new Pearls starring PC Pig, Righteous Rat, Giddy Goat and a host of ethnically and socially sensitive characters beating each other up about word usage.
AndrewSihler 6 days ago
I think the term now is unhoused, not to be confused with “unhouseled”.
jbruins84341 5 days ago
I used to love to ride my bike all over the back roads of our county. Even fancied calling myself a cyclist. No, I was not like Jef. One day, my sister, who lives in Woke-ington state, asked me if I considered the term, “cyclist” offensive. Some people in her group were saying the term should be, “people who cycle.” I told her I had never before heard such nonsense. She agreed it was over the top.
ajt526 Premium Member 4 days ago
I’m clearly in the minority here, but I don’t think evolving as people to be more selective about what we say is inherently bad. If some people would prefer we not so freely toss around words that have historically been used to marginalize them, what’s the issue? When we know better, we do better.
chriscc63 4 days ago
GOOD ONE TODAY.
Bryan Smith Premium Member 4 days ago
I recently saw the article on the web that had these exact words on it. Learning the origins of the words was interesting, and I see the point that’s trying to be made. But for the vast majority of these words, their original meaning has faded over time (as happens to all words) and their current usage has shifted to mean something different entirely and not hurtful. That made the article feel pedantic.
razzledazzle295 3 days ago
If it’s a good, everyday word, you’re okay.