Blog Comments

Originally Posted by isladar

It's not okay for anyone to use hateful language.

It doesn't matter what flavour you are, how you identify yourself ethnically or sexually.

Owning something and making it yours is not the same as "hateful language" in the slightest. Unless of course you mean any kind of language that is vehement, you know like calling someone an idiot or something.

It's not okay for anyone to use hateful language.

It doesn't matter what flavour you are, how you identify yourself ethnically or sexually.

Here is the magical thing about "cunt" though, while it might be frowned upon for men to use it exclusively for women or to discredit other males by declaring femininity on them (lol dudes), it is perfectly fine for a woman to use it, along with bitch the same way a black person can use nigger and nigga all day.

Originally Posted by isladar

To cherry-picking: please report items you find to be problematic. This is kind of a pervasive issue, and I'm fighting a lot of silent and vocal push back. So everyone helping would be great!

'Dick' vs. 'cunt': This is an interesting one. It's also usually the first thing people point to as an issue of hypocrisy, though unfortunately that claim is often packaged with an idea I addressed:



So let's address 'dick' vs. 'cunt'. In fact, let's throw in some other favourites: pussy, bleeding vagina/vag/&c., don't be such a bitch, like a girl, and so on. I'm going to quote from this article since it puts it rather well:



This brings up the idea of the default assumption. The line I see constantly on the internet is something to the effect of "I assume everyone is a dude until proven otherwise". In fact, the default is actually "white dude". It's the same thing with why "cracker" hasn't ever had the same hateful nature as "nigger": calling someone a cracker is effectively calling them the winning team. It doesn't really sting.

The outpouring of rage and indignation over these new enforcements has been really interesting: there's obviously some people legitimately fighting for their 'right' to use hateful language (which is hilariously bizarre), but also people upset at perceived inequality. It's almost as if it's the very first time they've experienced being told that the way they are, and they way they're acting, is not acceptable.

You do not need to tell it to me, when I have made it clear in my original post that my retort was an obvious oversimplification.

Originally Posted by Alleya

If you can't recognize the connotative differences between cunt and dick then I have no idea what to say to you, other than read a book. The effects of language are not binary propositions, nor is language divided up into "bad" and "not bad". A hard stance on all this has been taken because that's the only way something is going to get done.

You're sort of correct about inconsistency, but consistency is what's being worked towards here. That's why there's a new mandate, and new rules, and a new push towards something different. Though if we're going to talk about inconsistency and hypocrisy, the fact that you decry broad generalizations in your first post and then dismiss the opinions of others as tumblr SJW in your third might be brought up.

Of course it goes deeper than my superficial explanation

If you could not understand or perceive that last comment as a joke, I'm not even sure what to tell you. If you've paid any kind of attention (which you haven't and I don't blame you for it) You would know that I am the SJW of the spam section or and probably all of BG, if I posted outside of spam much these days. Oh and I use tumblr voraciously, so holy shit, that might have been self-deprecating too!

To cherry-picking: please report items you find to be problematic. This is kind of a pervasive issue, and I'm fighting a lot of silent and vocal push back. So everyone helping would be great!

'Dick' vs. 'cunt': This is an interesting one. It's also usually the first thing people point to as an issue of hypocrisy, though unfortunately that claim is often packaged with an idea I addressed:

Originally Posted by me

3. Why is this a problem when [other thing] is still around?

Waiting for there to be no problems to take care of problems is really fucking stupid when you think about it. The existence of a worse thing does not obviate our duty to deal with a (maybe) lesser bad thing.

So let's address 'dick' vs. 'cunt'. In fact, let's throw in some other favourites: pussy, bleeding vagina/vag/&c., don't be such a bitch, like a girl, and so on. I'm going to quote from this article since it puts it rather well:

Originally Posted by Lily Cain, in the linked article

By calling a woman—or girl—a cunt, you are shrinking her down to one part of her, the part that society deems most grotesque and taboo. In addition, calling a man the same thing degrades him in a similar way, because calling a man something generally associated with females feminizes that man; this is seen as the worst possible insult because, as society dictates, women are of a lower class than men.

There is the argument the words “cunt” and “pussy,” do have their male counterparts, such as “dick” and “asshole” (technically “asshole” is gender-neutral, but it has a masculine inclination)—so by using insults both male and female, we’re being equal, right?

All these words are gendered insults, but they have different meanings and intentions. Whereas “cunt” demeans the person because of its association with women, “asshole” and “dick” are normal insults because being a man is normal.

These words are bad not because the gender they are associated with is bad, but because the act they are associated with is bad and taboo. And whose fault is this? Women.

This brings up the idea of the default assumption. The line I see constantly on the internet is something to the effect of "I assume everyone is a dude until proven otherwise". In fact, the default is actually "white dude". It's the same thing with why "cracker" hasn't ever had the same hateful nature as "nigger": calling someone a cracker is effectively calling them the winning team. It doesn't really sting.

The outpouring of rage and indignation over these new enforcements has been really interesting: there's obviously some people legitimately fighting for their 'right' to use hateful language (which is hilariously bizarre), but also people upset at perceived inequality. It's almost as if it's the very first time they've experienced being told that the way they are, and they way they're acting, is not acceptable.

Originally Posted by Demosthenes

Also, it is reprehensible that cunt invalid, but dick is a-ok. Come on. I'm all for that feminism, really I am, but that is simply vernacular that has been put on a pedestal because vaginas are socially unacceptable. Of course it goes deeper than my superficial explanation, but it is a tad silly to have a rule about.

If you can't recognize the connotative differences between cunt and dick then I have no idea what to say to you, other than read a book. The effects of language are not binary propositions, nor is language divided up into "bad" and "not bad". A hard stance on all this has been taken because that's the only way something is going to get done.

You're sort of correct about inconsistency, but consistency is what's being worked towards here. That's why there's a new mandate, and new rules, and a new push towards something different. Though if we're going to talk about inconsistency and hypocrisy, the fact that you decry broad generalizations in your first post and then dismiss the opinions of others as tumblr SJW in your third might be brought up.

Triple reply, y'all need to tumblr level up some more before y'all start rowing the SJW boat. Self examination y'all.

Also, it is reprehensible that cunt invalid, but dick is a-ok. Come on. I'm all for that feminism, really I am, but that is simply vernacular that has been put on a pedestal because vaginas are socially unacceptable. Of course it goes deeper than my superficial explanation, but it is a tad silly to have a rule about.

For the record, it is pretty silly to presume people that are up in arms are so because "defending racism, sexism etc etc." What looks like cherry picked hypocrisy is pretty much my fucking issue here. We've got mods/admins or whatever, throwing out "faggot" et al. A ban image that has been offending the "rules" that everyone is supposed to follow. Since we're being real here, even the spam section should not exist in the capacity that it does (not that I'm advocating deletion). There is a severe lack of consistency and pretense of care, followed by actions that often look like saving face/I guess we have to follow our own rules (aka still not caring). That makes you complicit to a degree. I say you but I mean the site owner, moderators and admin group as a whole. Are there mods that don't fit the glove, probably. We're making blanket statements and you're the face on the blanket right now.

Originally Posted by galkaindaclub

long time lurker

Firstly, thank you for this blog post Isladar; it's important and needed to be said. I also feel that your own acknowledgement towards the apathy of yourself and others towards speaking up (for fear of reprisal?) is admirable, but I wonder if you should go a step further.

We're all mostly guilty of this at some form of another on the internet. You're not an exception as you've used language in the past that I'm sure homosexuals would not appreciate. So rather than approach this as someone reprimanding all the forum farty babies, perhaps you would communicate this message more effectively by understanding that saying shitty things is not the same as being awful racists and bigots (for most people).

Your message is correct but condescending; this is something that everyone needs to be cognizant of to be better posters and better people.

Thanks for this!

Perhaps you're right, and saying bigoted things doesn't automatically make one a bigot. On the other hand, what advantage is there to raising the bar for qualifying as a bigot? Consideration for the feelings of assholes? That's not a terribly high priority for me, to be honest.

As for my conduct in the past, you're right! I've said absolutely hateful and reprehensible shit. Hell, I remember when the rule was very first put down (by Nikkei, which is so interesting to me now that I think of it), that I objected because I wanted to keep saying "cunt". It was a hilarious word, why shouldn't I be able to say it? Who could possibly be offended by a stupid word? It doesn't mean anything. This is stupid! In fact, I said a lot of awful, misogynist shit because I was an ignorant asshole, and because I was doing what a lot of women do on the internet -- being just as bad, or worse, as the men, so as to be included by them. We've all seen what happens to gals on BG who don't adopt a hyper-misogynistic attitude, I think. Of course, constructing the 'Auntie' idea was a really good solution. It allowed me to be recognized as a woman, but at least partially cut off avenues for people to devalue, otherize, and sexualize me. Plus it's a nice nickname!

I also started to grow the fuck up. It sucks that it often takes being hurt yourself before you can perceive the hurt of others, but there it is. My objections to the inconvenience of adjusting my language (and holy fuck it is so petty when it's laid out like that, isn't it?) were because I had no comprehension of the possibility of others' feelings and experiences. Once I had a bit more of an idea of what being the target of that kind of hate was like, I started to actually pay attention to the shit that came out of my mouth. And it was horrifying, because I could understand what it felt like. That sucked. It sucks like whoa to realize that you're an awful person.

When you are told, or maybe realize, that you're an awful person doing awful things, you have two options: You can lash out, avoid self-examination, double-down on your shitty behaviour, and hide behind the behaviour of other awful people to try and justify the continuation of your bullshit. Or you can stop, look at what you're doing, and resolve to change.

Another win for Obama.

Originally Posted by isladar

I submitted a new one to Sono's specifications yesterday! We're waiting for Ragns to implement it, since he's the only one with access to the ftp at the moment. But if people would like to put their money where their mouth is, please PM Ragns about it! It needs to be changed ASAP.

Cool, thanks.

Originally Posted by hey

So, uh, when is the ban avatar going to be changed?

I submitted a new one to Sono's specifications yesterday! We're waiting for Ragns to implement it, since he's the only one with access to the ftp at the moment. But if people would like to put their money where their mouth is, please PM Ragns about it! It needs to be changed ASAP.

Originally Posted by Qalbert

You don't understand, it's all about context bro.

LOL! The context of using faggot at all? Do as I say, not as I do!

and the context is "haha some mods/admins think this is funny"

You don't understand, it's all about context bro.

Originally Posted by hey

So, uh, when is the ban avatar going to be changed?

Never apparently. It has been brought up several times and still persists.

So, uh, when is the ban avatar going to be changed?

This rule is Racistist. It discriminates against racists!

lol, jk. Mama raised me right. She said not to hate people who don't give you a reason, and even if they DO give you a reason, keep it to your fucking self.