Write Or Wrong 86

Word

Language is important, right? I mean, we need it to communicate. We use specific words to get ideas across and any perversion of that makes communication that much more difficult. And sometimes, it can make it painful.

I know that sounds cryptic but I actually have a good reason for it. I know that slang; the changing or modification of language, is an accepted and sometimes necessary aspect of culture. It facilitates better communication and fosters a feeling of connectedness amongst the individuals who use it. But I've noticed the trend of changing the use of certain words to use as put downs or as having negative connotations.

The most glaring example that I've witnessed is the use of the word "gay". Now we all know that gay means happy, and also refers to homosexuals. But, as I've witnessed it, kids seem to be using the word as a means to put each other down or to associate a negative feeling with something. For example, I saw a couple of kids playing basketball and one of them took a jump shot and hit nothing but backboard. One kid looked at him and called him "so gay" because of his less than stellar jump shot. I've also witnessed people being called "bitch" as a form of a putdown for guys.

So let's see, let's do a rundown. Using "gay" and "bitch" as put down. While bitch has always been a negative thing to call a female, its use on males makes a very dangerous assertion. You're referring to man using the derogatory word mainly reserved for use with woman and female dogs. This connotes a sense of weakness or inferiority inherent in females. That it is somehow not a good thing to have female qualities. And with gay, well, I think it's similar to what I said about bitch. We're equating the word with negative characteristics and, as such, we're equating the people that the word applies to as inferior, weak, or something negative.

Now I know it's a small thing to pick on. Words. People say a lot of nasty and unsavoury things every minute of the day. But transforming of altering the meanings and uses of such words sets up a dangerous situation. It's setting up one where misogyny and homophobia are on display in very subversive and infiltrating ways. And that is NEVER acceptable. People may say that I'm being really picky and overly sensitive but I think most things, most bad situations, start small and just get bigger. If we could do away with something small such as this, we could avoid a lot of problems in the future.