okay, so why is 'politically correct' the worst thing anyone could be, ever? i mean, what is so wrong about being inclusive and/or respectful in your speech and writing? i'm so tired of 'pc' being the worst insult ever designed to shut up anyone who is even remotely tolerant. yes, some people have gone overboard, but hello? this is the united states of america--going overboard is practically in the constitution. why does the fact that some people are overdoing it have to mean that it should be dead in the water? maybe we should call it something else, but changing our language for the better seems to me to be something we should continue doing. language matters. words are important. they are how we communicate and create our realities. of course, we shouldn't say things simply because they are politically correct but because they are right. but history has shown that bigots and small-minded racists are not into changing for the better unless they are forced to. (see civil rights movements of the '60s and the women's movement of the '70s.) so, start with the words and hopefully the minds will follow. yes, i believe in tolerance and that everyone is entitled to their opinions. i also believe i'm right about certain things and others are wrong.

it's like the ERA. aside from the ridiculousness of phyllis schlafly in the '70s, we now have 'modern women republicans' who assert that they don't need an amendment to the constitution to tell them they are equal. this is disingenuous and beside the point. of course the amendment wouldn't be telling us we're equal; it would be telling everyone else and forcing them to treat us accordingly. this new 'post-feminism' or whatever it's called based on how the world should be, not on how it is. yes, i know i'm as capable as any man to do any job i set my mind to. i don't need anyone to tell me that. what i do need is to force my old, white, rich boss to not only know that, but to be forced to treat me equally. no amount of working twice as hard to be accepted is actually going to stop sexism or challenge the patriarchy. it would only make men think i was an exception and not force them to re-think their views at all. of course, there are legions of old white men who are not ever going to re-think anything. which is why, while we're waiting for them to die, we need to make them do what's right. history has also shown that, left to their own devices, most old white men DON'T do the right thing. they are let get away with so much throughout their lives that it becomes second nature.

so what's the harm in political correctness? i understand that some people feel so hemmed in by the media coverage of it that they feel they can't even voice an opinion without being attacked. but i think the real problem isn't political correctness, but the fear people have of it. it seems that tv producers (who are mostly white men) won't make shows with people of color 'cause they're afraid of not doing it right. and a million things like that are paralyzing the entertainment industry. um, if people complain about your show or are stirred up by it-doesn't that mean they are watching it? things are by and large still run by white men of a certain age and class. these are also the people who are "the enemy" to minorities. and no one wants to make the first move. every show and movie is whitewashed and sanitized until no one even with a lobotomy would be offended. this is the climate that creates a space for eminem, for the shield, for the execrable the man show. we go along not saying boo to anyone and then fucking jimmy kimmel is all of a sudden the voice of cutting edge comedy. what the fuck is that about? and adam corolla? really? there's social commentary and there's moronic bullshit. never the twain shall meet. the shield is supposed to be so great because it's "gritty" or something. i have only seen a few episodes but it seems to me just another reason to show violence on television. don't get me wrong; i can take violence if it's there for a reason. i believe the sopranos is brilliant and firmly on the side of social commentary. the shield is not.

there are a million little things that, when they are all added up, can change the way things are. for the most part i have accepted that there won't be one big revolution (mostly) but is saying humankind in place of "mankind" really too much to ask? i don't really know what my point is. it just seems that if putting bikini-clad women on trampolines is touted as "brave" because these days "crazed feminists" tend not to "let" that type of thing happen--i mean, if lad mags are the epitome of cutting edge and cool...well, what does that say about us? all of us. humans. collectively. seriously.