Society lets you go from an asshole to "truther" with one word

[hershel_layton]

binary solo said:

JWeinCom said:

Well half of those are bad examples anyway... but...

In 28 states you can be fired for being gay without recourse. There are people actively fighting to keep it this way. Gay people can not share benefits with their partners, adopt, and so on.

Women earn significantly less than men and are often perceived as less capable despite being otherwise qualified. Studies have shown biases towards labeling women as "chatty", "talkative", or "gossipy" even in cases where they have not been.

A skinny bodytype is definitely preferred. People underweight on BMI are perceived as healthier and more attractive than those within the normal range. Magazines photoshop already thing people to make them abnormally thin, then promise advice on how to reach these unattainable goals.

If you didn't realize when you were typing it, the common denominator in all of these examples is power. The top example is an example of people in power talking about the less powerful group. Quite often these groups have the power and influence to impose, or at least attempt to impose, their will on the less powerful group. So that's the difference here.

I disagree, all of the examples in the OP are bad.

Lemme think. Making critical comments and jokes about a currently and or historically oppressed demographic, by a member of the demographic who used to be, or still is, the oppressor is more likely to be objectively offensive and inappropropriate and assholish than being critical or making jokes about the oppressor demographic. Seems pretty legit to me. I don't really understand why people don't get this. But still making broad negative generalisations about the worth of any demographic group is, generally, entirely inappropriate and is pretty much never absolutely fine. Which is why even if some of the exmaples in the OP are less badly wrong than others, they are all still wrong.

Humour does not exist in a vaccuum and it can be used to further belittle and denigrate an already disadvantaged group, or person.

Humour is the last thing I care about. As I said, it's when we reach serious conversations does this double standard effect truly take place.

Look at the cases of Muslims and black people. Face it, we have an issue with some black people and some Muslims. however, people just say "it's not all of them" and drop the issue. However, if it were with a different group, people will explode and go nuts.

 

Your last point is also what I'm trying to say. I don't like being mean to anyone at all. I'd rather be respectful than rude to people for no reason.