Comments by the always mild mannered, quiet Rush
Limbaugh brought insults and "bad words" to center stage.
Limbaugh called a woman a slut and a prostitute. This brought
on a fire storm of outrage.
Is it a bit strange that in the day of anything goes, any
two words, neither of which starts with, or even includes an "N,"
could provoke this much outrage? Why do some words upset
people?
Most insulting words fall into two categories. There are
the all purpose insults such as "jerk." Calling someone a jerk
does little to tell how the person earned his jerkhood. Did he
rob banks or merely have a weird haircut? Calling someone a
jerk mostly means the speaker dislikes something about the
"jerk."
Other insults, such as moron or slut, appear to have more
substance. Taken at face value they say something about the
nature or conduct of the recipient of the honorary title. Usually
that substance is mostly illusion. The person who calls another a
snake doesn't likely mean the caller believes the other person
literally slithers through the grass.
Neither is calling someone a moron or an idiot likely
intended to infer that the person really is a moron or an idiot. If
the person was a moron or idiot, he wouldn't care what anyone
called him.
The main thrust of insults is to express irritation with or
contempt for someone. Describing actual conduct is usually far
from the thoughts of the person hurling the insult. Those who
hurl insults commonly have overreacted. The response to insults
is also likely to be over the top.
In the midst of the brouhaha over the Limbaugh insults
others brought up the matter of media personalities who have
routinely hurled insults that many consider more offensive than
slut and prostitute. Some suggested that there might be a double
standard.
Of course, there is a double standard. Limbaugh is a
highly visible target. Many are willing and eager to hurl any
stone or mud they can grasp. The other insulters are minor
figures few notice or concern themselves about. Naturally
Limbaugh draws the most flack.
This doesn't excuse the double standard, though it does
explain it. There is nothing surprising or unusual in people
ignoring faults in themselves or their friends, while attacking
others for having the same or lesser faults. This is all part of
being human.
When the attackers are called out for their double
standard, they shouldn't complain and fake outrage. People who
live in glass houses shouldn't complain about being heisted by
their own petard. How is that for a mixed metaphor?
Limbaugh's statement was ill advised, and he eventually
admitted it. That may be a first for Limbaugh. His opponents
over reacted and, as far as I know, haven't admitted it. The
fallout is a public relations battle that generates far more heat
than light.
One of the insults used by some on television to slur
various women has nearly a thousand years of history. The
word was so common in the military I tend to think of it as a
military term. I didn't realize it had drifted into such common
use.
I was surprised to learn that some consider it to be the
most offensive word in the English language. I don't find the
word shocking. This is mostly because the familiar simply isn't
shocking.
This led me to ponder the matter of insults. If you call
someone a foot or an ear or most any other body part is he
likely to be insulted, or only puzzled?
Yet, many of the insults considered most vulgar, or
obscene, are only slang terms for body parts, usually of the
genital persuasion. Many of these words weren't even
considered vulgar at first.
This raises another question. When two words mean the
same thing, Why is one considered vulgar and insulting while
the other is just a word people use to describe something?
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Copyright 2012
Albert D. McCallum
18440 29-1/2 Mile Road
Springport, Michigan 49284
Limbaugh brought insults and "bad words" to center stage.
Limbaugh called a woman a slut and a prostitute. This brought
on a fire storm of outrage.
Is it a bit strange that in the day of anything goes, any
two words, neither of which starts with, or even includes an "N,"
could provoke this much outrage? Why do some words upset
people?
Most insulting words fall into two categories. There are
the all purpose insults such as "jerk." Calling someone a jerk
does little to tell how the person earned his jerkhood. Did he
rob banks or merely have a weird haircut? Calling someone a
jerk mostly means the speaker dislikes something about the
"jerk."
Other insults, such as moron or slut, appear to have more
substance. Taken at face value they say something about the
nature or conduct of the recipient of the honorary title. Usually
that substance is mostly illusion. The person who calls another a
snake doesn't likely mean the caller believes the other person
literally slithers through the grass.
Neither is calling someone a moron or an idiot likely
intended to infer that the person really is a moron or an idiot. If
the person was a moron or idiot, he wouldn't care what anyone
called him.
The main thrust of insults is to express irritation with or
contempt for someone. Describing actual conduct is usually far
from the thoughts of the person hurling the insult. Those who
hurl insults commonly have overreacted. The response to insults
is also likely to be over the top.
In the midst of the brouhaha over the Limbaugh insults
others brought up the matter of media personalities who have
routinely hurled insults that many consider more offensive than
slut and prostitute. Some suggested that there might be a double
standard.
Of course, there is a double standard. Limbaugh is a
highly visible target. Many are willing and eager to hurl any
stone or mud they can grasp. The other insulters are minor
figures few notice or concern themselves about. Naturally
Limbaugh draws the most flack.
This doesn't excuse the double standard, though it does
explain it. There is nothing surprising or unusual in people
ignoring faults in themselves or their friends, while attacking
others for having the same or lesser faults. This is all part of
being human.
When the attackers are called out for their double
standard, they shouldn't complain and fake outrage. People who
live in glass houses shouldn't complain about being heisted by
their own petard. How is that for a mixed metaphor?
Limbaugh's statement was ill advised, and he eventually
admitted it. That may be a first for Limbaugh. His opponents
over reacted and, as far as I know, haven't admitted it. The
fallout is a public relations battle that generates far more heat
than light.
One of the insults used by some on television to slur
various women has nearly a thousand years of history. The
word was so common in the military I tend to think of it as a
military term. I didn't realize it had drifted into such common
use.
I was surprised to learn that some consider it to be the
most offensive word in the English language. I don't find the
word shocking. This is mostly because the familiar simply isn't
shocking.
This led me to ponder the matter of insults. If you call
someone a foot or an ear or most any other body part is he
likely to be insulted, or only puzzled?
Yet, many of the insults considered most vulgar, or
obscene, are only slang terms for body parts, usually of the
genital persuasion. Many of these words weren't even
considered vulgar at first.
This raises another question. When two words mean the
same thing, Why is one considered vulgar and insulting while
the other is just a word people use to describe something?
* * * * *
* * * *
* * *
* *
*
Copyright 2012
Albert D. McCallum
18440 29-1/2 Mile Road
Springport, Michigan 49284
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