fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #291 ]

⌈ Secret Post #291 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

1.

__________________________________________________

2.

__________________________________________________

3.

__________________________________________________

4.

__________________________________________________

5.

__________________________________________________

6.

__________________________________________________

7.

__________________________________________________

8.

__________________________________________________

9.

__________________________________________________

10.

__________________________________________________

11.

__________________________________________________

12.

__________________________________________________

13.

__________________________________________________

14.

__________________________________________________

15.

__________________________________________________

16.

__________________________________________________

17.

__________________________________________________

18.

__________________________________________________

19.

__________________________________________________

20.

__________________________________________________

21.

__________________________________________________

22.

__________________________________________________

23.

__________________________________________________

24.

__________________________________________________

25.

__________________________________________________

26.

__________________________________________________

27.

__________________________________________________

28.

__________________________________________________

29.

__________________________________________________

30.

__________________________________________________

31.

__________________________________________________

32.

__________________________________________________

33.

__________________________________________________

34.

__________________________________________________

35.

__________________________________________________

Notes:

Posting for Shahni due to lack of computer and early due to class.

Secrets Left to Post: 05 pages, 105 secrets from Secret Submission Post #042.
Secrets Not Posted: 0 broken links, 0 not!secrets, 0 not!fandom, [ 1 ] repeat.
Next Secret Post: Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 24th, 2007.
Current Secret Submission Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Just a random Joe rifling through these comments, but I found what you said very interesting. First of all, I think (and rather hope) that the original commenter is being sarcastic. However, you brought up an interesting point about hot-button language. While it would be nice to believe that words can only hold as much power as you would allow it, I personally think that, due to historical context and differing social backgrounds, this is rarely the case. Our society as a whole hasn't moved past this issue yet, and no matter how good your intention, there's always going to be someone somewhere whose personal beliefs and situation will cause them to find a certain word offensive, and they will be entitled to that.

I believe in the power of words, I also accept that some words can be used for harm, but I like to think that there is always the option of not using them if you can help it. Of course, others will say that this is one step away from censorship, that clear, concise language needn't be transformed into meaningless euphemisms for the sake of strict PC-ness, but as issues of race and discrimination tend to be case-specific and people's reactions are often influenced by emotions, it's kind of hard to remain that level-headed.

But I'm not here to conflate harmless language with decades of real oppression =) The point at hand is that I rather think the comparison is effective, simply because it is very narrow. As can be inferred by the tone of the secret, OP 7 likely does not go around saying 'faggot' because they do not believe it has the power to offend - on the contrary, they use the word for the expressed purpose of getting a rise out of other people. Clearly, this person accepts a priori the power of this word to cause harm -- they are no defender of free speech, just a mindless drama whore, cashing in on a sensitive issue to get attention. This similar attitude is is depicted in the example cited for comparison - even in a hypothetical situation, what reason would you have to flaunt the word 'nigger' around in a black community? The (hypothetical) person who does this also accepts the negative connotation of the word, and purposefully targets an audience that would be most affected by its use. This is how the narrowness of the example illustrates the similarity between the two cases, and highlights the extreme tackiness in OP 7's behavior.

The difference is that (in my viewing of OP 7's secret) the audience they are seeking to get a rise out of are not actually the homosexual male community (although I am confused on the community they are actually trying to get a rise out of - I can only assume they mean the yaoi community, in which I do see a lot of this behaviour.)

I myself would not use the word "faggot" in front of a gay male if he asked me not to, nor would I ever use the word "nigger". But I make it a point that I do not give words that 'should' be personally insulting to me any power, and it's a philosophy I openly sell to others (but I don't have a go at them if they don't buy it XD )

I understand what you mean, and - my being a foreigner not quite familiar with the situation in the US aside - I'm frankly all for it. The problem I have identified, though, has more to do with intent than targeted audience. OP 7 clearly expects a significant number of people to find the word 'faggot' offensive, just as the person in the example expects members of a black community to be offended by the use of 'nigger'. The secret maker does not specify what he/she makes of homosexuals, but in any case, we can probably assume that a - there will be homosexuals included in the the audience and b - non-homosexuals may also this word derogatory. And really, it doesn't matter. It's the thoughtless, attention-seeking attitude that stands to be condemned - a word may just be a word, but when used in the way that OP 7 has detailed, that is giving it rein to do harm. The best way to combat this is just to let these ugly words die with the negative meanings that they hold.

I'm from the UK, so my opinion is most likely a little skewed anyway (to me, while the word faggot most often means gay male, it could just as easily mean a type of pork offal meatball found in some fish and chip shops - perhaps this holds more over my perception of the word before I even touched the internet, but this is neither here nor there.)

Yes, in this example, it is trolling in it's purest form. But the best way to deal with trolls is not to react to them - you're only feeding them. In this way it should not be 'condemned', but ignored or laughed at. OP 7 is clearly only doing it for the lulz, and it's this offended attitude that they're looking for - but from the phrasing I'd say that they've had experience, in that they've possibly come from a community like 4chan or somethingawful, where the use of the word faggot (and nigger) doesn't mean anything anymore, and then used it in an LJ fandom comm and started surprise!wank. I have seen this happen myself, and usually the person who started it will just end up laughing at everyone for thinking that their opinion actually matters to them. Which, from what I can gather, is exactly what OP 7 is saying (and is, unfortunately, how most internet arguments go.)

[ SECRET POST #291 ]

Re: 7.

Re: 7.

Re: 7.

Re: 7.