Is it too easy to be offended in this country?

[dingodan]

Anyone want to see me jerk a chicken?

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

Not quite sure what the OP is trying to prove with this poll. As some have already pointed out, things that 'offended' people 30 or 40 years ago no longer offend so many people, because society has changed. Other things that only offended a small number of people, now offend a larger number ... because society has changed.

Are these changes all good? I'd argue some are – you can't get away with racist or homophobic abuse, and when the law is properly used, a fairer and more tolerant society results. And maybe we treat each other better. [Optimists and Guardian readers, maybe]

On the other side of the coin, plenty would argue that we have a more dumbed down and brutal society, where moral standards have dropped, a sense of community is lost with more people feeling isolated and alone, and sexualisation and secularisation have stripped our values to the bone. [See 'hell in a handcart' Daily Mail readers].

I guess I'm somewhere in the middle

 

[Drumstick]

Interesting thread, I also post on footballforums.net and a thread on there with comments such as:

''Oh do **** off you rent boy you dont even go to games as your too busy in your in your rainbow pubs, your fans are charged £ 30 a season for free travel to the ground which is in your season ticket price FACTAMUNDO QUEER LAD.''

and lots of 'you bummer' etc

Now I don't believe the guy is homophobic generally and due to him putting this:

'Don't want to get in too much of an argument with you or i could be accused of homophobia'

But to him those words are clearly not offensive or homophobic, but to me they are for as little as it implies if your a 'bummer' and hang out in 'rainbow pubs' and a 'queer' are negative words.

Now my heart tells me it is wrong and homophobic and should questioned, but then is it actually? I don't know enough about it or about gay people to know if they would be offended.

Having written this I've now decided it isn't right and will question it but what do you all think?

EDIT: If anyone wants to read the original thread and my response it is here.
Cheap tickets l - Page 2

 

[Nibble]

I flat out don't believe in the existence of offence. Insulted yes, offended? It's an abstract concept that has no meaning. However, for the sake of this thread I will say I find it amusing that right wingers seem to think us lefty Guardianistas get offended at their points of view when in actual fact it's not us lefty's getting offended at their views it them getting offended that we don't agree with them.

 

[Frutos]

Interesting thread, I also post on footballforums.net and a thread on there with comments such as:

''Oh do **** off you rent boy you dont even go to games as your too busy in your in your rainbow pubs, your fans are charged £ 30 a season for free travel to the ground which is in your season ticket price FACTAMUNDO QUEER LAD.''

and lots of 'you bummer' etc

Now I don't believe the guy is homophobic generally and due to him putting this:

'Don't want to get in too much of an argument with you or i could be accused of homophobia'

But to him those words are clearly not offensive or homophobic, but to me they are for as little as it implies if your a 'bummer' and hang out in 'rainbow pubs' and a 'queer' are negative words.

Now my heart tells me it is wrong and homophobic and should questioned, but then is it actually? I don't know enough about it or about gay people to know if they would be offended.

Having written this I've now decided it isn't right and will question it but what do you all think?

EDIT: If anyone wants to read the original thread and my response it is here.
Cheap tickets l - Page 2

Not necessarily homophobic, just sad, pathetic and anachronistic.

 

[Drumstick]

Not necessarily homophobic, just sad, pathetic and anachronistic.

So what would tip the scale into homophobic?

 

[Frutos]

So what would tip the scale into homophobic?

Why is there the need for discrimination and labelling when it comes to insults? The guy you refer to is an ignorant fuckwit, that's all there needs to be to it.

Categorising insults into neat little boxes of homophobia, racism etc...are part of the problem. The sooner we stop labelling people and realise that we're all just human, the better we'll be as a species.

 

[Drumstick]

Why is there the need for discrimination and labelling when it comes to insults? The guy you refer to is an ignorant fuckwit, that's all there needs to be to it.

Categorising insults into neat little boxes of homophobia, racism etc...are part of the problem. The sooner we stop labelling people and realise that we're all just human, the better we'll be as a species.

There isn't but in this football world of banter many will ignore an ignorant idiot as banter if they can't put it in a box and realise the difference between banter and abuse.

Besides the human mind finds things much easier to process when things are ordered like that, it has no other reasoning.