- GameJunkieJim
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- Exalted Mythic Member
My question is -- what is tolerable racism? And tolerable hate speech?
When does it cross the line from a good natured ribbing to being mildly offensive?
For example -- I've kicked people out of my hosted games on XBL for using the word N*gg*r.
I hate the word with a purple passion. Yet as recently as a couple days ago, I was teasing a couple of my group members about money in Canada being Loonies and Two-nies (Looney Tunes jokes could have abounded) The verbatim exchange was - "I'd give you some money, but our money isn't worth squat" to which I replied, what do you expect when they call it Loonies and Two-Nies.
Nothing was meant other than a light hearted rib. But am I guilty of "Passive Racism"? Or is it tolerated as much as calling your best friend an -blam!- for no apparent reason?
Are stereotypes replacing everyday exchanges?
For example, when I was a wee tot, everyone was "Dude" Hey Dude, 'Sup Dude! S'Goin on Dude? Then as a pre-teen it was "Yo" or "Dawg". But then young Urban children had their own version of "Dude". Racial epithet, made into a greeting? Whassup N*gga? Now this was probably the beginning of my confusion, for my mother had raised me to believe that hate was the absolute worst thing imaginable, and this was at the very least similar to a word I knew to be associated with ignorance and hate.
Nowadays I use general insults as a greeting to my closest friends, and they do to me as well. "Hey -blam!-! When were you gonna bring your new lady over for us to meet?"
"Yo! Jerkoff! Yer mom called and she wants her car back! Yes Ms. O'Donnell, I told the little bastard to bring you back your whip."
My question is, is it up to the offended to decide whats offensive? If so, then isn't it too late?
What about the term "-blam!-"? Is it supposed to be an insult now? I think a more appropriate insult would be "intolerant" because most of the -blam!- people I know are really sweet people, they just don't have the same tastes as others.
The term f*gg*t? When did we decide that kindling was to be synonymous with "-blam!-" (Which used to mean happy, by the way) When did people run out of ideas to insult people?
Why is my life fairly free of hate, to the point where I never really thought of these rampant insults until I got here? Because I don't invent reasons that don't exist to not like someone that's why.
Now if you'll excuse me I'm gonna go smoke a -blam!-.