General Discussion

ancianita

(43,178 posts)

117. A toxic language environment in politics is downright indecent. Don't pretend otherwise.

Sat Jul 18, 2015, 11:30 PM

Jul 2015

This was an effortful OP, reviewing word use contexts and asking about further productivity of its continued use.

While you sound pretty high ground in approach, you can be sure none of us are talking to DU owners, but DU members remind each other about all kinds of stuff and to that end the owners set up a alert and jury system to do just that.

I dare you to use "nigger" in any context when referencing the president. If you don't then you understand how the same will hold when using "whore" in any context referencing Hillary Clinton.

So people can fucking well use all the motherfucking passion they want on DU, but they goddamned well are not going to use easily twistable bullshit sexist dog whistle language during this campaign.

If you're all about calling it censoring, thin skinned touchiness or any other fucking labels, you can still respect that decency should be the overall spirit of speaking about our party's candidates, or our cheap shot opponents will claim we're no better than they.

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History of the use of the word "whore" on DU [View all] kath Jul 2015 OP

If you call a female democratic presidential candidate ... JoePhilly Jul 2015 #1

This ... DURHAM D Jul 2015 #2

Thank you. greatauntoftriplets Jul 2015 #3

Well said mcar Jul 2015 #5

Is that what this OP is really about? Talk about manipulative. stevenleser Jul 2015 #7

Yup ... apparently it's ok to call Hillary ... JoePhilly Jul 2015 #10

Indeed - the post in question (from this morning) had no modifying adjective.... George II Jul 2015 #34

I don't think that it is good idea to call Democratic candidate.... CajunBlazer Jul 2015 #196

Yup. n/t Gormy Cuss Jul 2015 #9

Context is everything. Warpy Jul 2015 #11

You want "context"?? JoePhilly Jul 2015 #13

If you can't stand the heat Warpy Jul 2015 #20

Why, I'm not afraid of clowns who post JoePhilly Jul 2015 #27

Like the contextual difference of calling a woman a whore and calling a man or institution one. Gormy Cuss Jul 2015 #43

No matter what word comes before or after the verb - whore boston bean Jul 2015 #49

It has a clearly nonsexual meaning in one usage now, namely doing anything for money. Gormy Cuss Jul 2015 #161

I am going to disagree with that. boston bean Jul 2015 #162

Every use relies on comparison to the dictionary meaning of the word gollygee Jul 2015 #164

But it's not a metaphorical use, it's an accepted meaning of the term. Gormy Cuss Jul 2015 #174

No, it is a metaphor gollygee Jul 2015 #176

When it's become one of the accepted meanings of the word it's no longer just metaphorical. Gormy Cuss Jul 2015 #179

It is used that way as a metaphor gollygee Jul 2015 #180

This is exactly it. kiva Jul 2015 #195

Unless the woman is in the sex industry, calling a woman a WHORE is sexist hate speech. MADem Jul 2015 #69

So melman Jul 2015 #139

No, it isn't "OK" but it stands up to scrutiny as a descriptor, insulting as it might be. MADem Jul 2015 #141

"They" I read the post and looked to see if I recognized the name. Did not. But what I did see was jwirr Jul 2015 #47

These should be discussed over in GD-P - don't bring it here as Meta. kath Jul 2015 #50

To my knowledge no one has suggested banning the word. DURHAM D Jul 2015 #57

No no ... please feel free to use that word as much as makes you happy ... JoePhilly Jul 2015 #102

Meta prohibitions only apply to the thread - starting post. We can get as Meta as we wanna be MADem Jul 2015 #130

Thank you Warpy. kath Jul 2015 #25

We have word jumpers and outrage trolls who alert on every word they don't like Warpy Jul 2015 #33

Can't take the heat? JoePhilly Jul 2015 #89

At the root of it they still all mean the same thing. boston bean Jul 2015 #35

Context? ismnotwasm Jul 2015 #36

I read fine. JoePhilly Jul 2015 #38

It isn't an issue of reading comprehension gollygee Jul 2015 #39

people always do that here...take a metaphor literally m-lekktor Jul 2015 #115

... Scuba Jul 2015 #148

There is NO context in which it is acceptable to call a woman a whore. pnwmom Jul 2015 #135

Rationalizing is everything. In this case, context is simply a pretty box we place our rationalizati LanternWaste Jul 2015 #193

100% agree n/t gollygee Jul 2015 #22

That you even have to explain that is unbelievable. It really isnt still_one Jul 2015 #30

Exactly ismnotwasm Jul 2015 #32

Agreed. ancianita Jul 2015 #37

Well said. KMOD Jul 2015 #40

Absolutely! But it reflects so poorly on Bernie supporters in general that I am suprised... Walk away Jul 2015 #46

What are we to do? The poster had 160 posts and I for one do not remember seeing any of these jwirr Jul 2015 #52

I'm reading this thread of lame excuses by Bernie Supporters... Walk away Jul 2015 #72

I totally agree with you. DURHAM D Jul 2015 #83

Henry was a rescued Cairn Terrier but I always thought he had Westie in there too..... Walk away Jul 2015 #98

Henry was brilliant. I see why you loved him. nt MADem Jul 2015 #131

I watched the vid. He seemed precious! boston bean Jul 2015 #155

I am a Bernie supporter who was among all those arguing against the word's use, which, by ancianita Jul 2015 #204

Wow, what did I miss? Starry Messenger Jul 2015 #58

Here you go... DURHAM D Jul 2015 #73

Ugh. :( Starry Messenger Jul 2015 #120

Yup. Agschmid Jul 2015 #74

Agreed. That was just wrong. historylovr Jul 2015 #77

+ a million. nt sufrommich Jul 2015 #80

Amen to JP shenmue Jul 2015 #82

absolutely right.... quickesst Jul 2015 #90

Thank you (nt) Recursion Jul 2015 #100

FWIW, the jury system has been a hot mess for awhile now... Blue_Tires Jul 2015 #104

I was on that jury. I was shocked it wasn't hidden. nt Adrahil Jul 2015 #110

Well Done, JoePhilly! Cha Jul 2015 #121

Exactlly. sheshe2 Jul 2015 #122

^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^ Tarheel_Dem Jul 2015 #140

x 10,000 irisblue Jul 2015 #146

A-frigging-men! Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #160

Nailed it... SidDithers Jul 2015 #165

Nailed it in one. nt msanthrope Jul 2015 #189

+infinity Kalidurga Jul 2015 #201

Most interactions with whores have a "happy ending". ZX86 Jul 2015 #4

No, censorship never accomplishes what it seeks to control Ligyron Jul 2015 #6

Censorship involves the government making some kind of expression illegal gollygee Jul 2015 #24

The word "whore" shouldn't be applied to prostitutes anymore LittleBlue Jul 2015 #8

Interesting, still not a good reason to show disrespect. Thinkingabout Jul 2015 #12

The word is wrong whether used for sex workers or otherwise gollygee Jul 2015 #29

Unrec... just delete this meta shite. n/t demmiblue Jul 2015 #14

Here's one that didn't show up in the first 7 pages of the search, kath Jul 2015 #15

That should have been hidden too gollygee Jul 2015 #21

I checked mercuryblues Jul 2015 #67

That poster just got a post hidden today, surprise, surprise... nt MADem Jul 2015 #132

I'm sure you're bringing this up now because of the furor over a post early this morning.... George II Jul 2015 #16

Can we not discuss the use of this word, in its various CONTEXTS, without getting all kath Jul 2015 #18

Would you be offended if, because of this OP, I called you (obviously not meaning it so DON'T..... George II Jul 2015 #23

It is meta gollygee Jul 2015 #42

After this the name Bernie Sanders actually makes me sick. You people have finally... Walk away Jul 2015 #51

Because of a 160 post idiot? Are you sure he/she is a supporter of Bernie? The trolls come to DU jwirr Jul 2015 #55

Yes "she" is a Bernie supporter. nt DURHAM D Jul 2015 #59

It is a Clinton supporter sock who claims to be a Bernie supporter... demmiblue Jul 2015 #65

Yes, I do not know for sure who the poster was - as I said I did not recognize the name. But when jwirr Jul 2015 #75

I'm sure it will be used ad infinitum. SOP, for some. n/t demmiblue Jul 2015 #78

I guess the threads filled with Bernie supporters defending the use of the word.... Walk away Jul 2015 #81

You have no idea what I think... I would have voted to hide. Nice try, though. n/t demmiblue Jul 2015 #84

It's refreshing to hear of a Bernie supporter who it's so blinded by their... Walk away Jul 2015 #91

I think the reference was to the OP here, justifying the use of the word. George II Jul 2015 #87

Oh, please... Blue_In_AK Jul 2015 #99

I never claimed to be a supporter. Most Democrats aren't. Walk away Jul 2015 #111

I've been a Democrat and a woman for a long time, Blue_In_AK Jul 2015 #118

Please, my mother brought me into the voting booth when she cast her vote for JFK... Walk away Jul 2015 #158

Here is you calling a woman a whore on DU. How can that be? It's like, hypocrisy almost!!!! Bluenorthwest Apr 2016 #206

I called the entire family attention whores. The leader is a man. Walk away Apr 2016 #207

Not a new usage. Igel Jul 2015 #17

Yeah that must make it OK because there's no misogyny in the Bible. gollygee Jul 2015 #31

Bullshit gollygee Jul 2015 #19

So it is misogynist even when it is applied to male politicians, male media figures and male kath Jul 2015 #44

The word is misogynist gollygee Jul 2015 #54

In other contexts its meaning is mistakenly conflated with 'prostitute'. ancianita Jul 2015 #63

Okay. Thought provoking. Perhaps "whore" should not be used at DU, but "sellout" or "shill" used kath Jul 2015 #70

Thank you n/t BooScout Jul 2015 #53

I wish I could say I'm surprised Jamaal510 Jul 2015 #147

Meta! Iggo Jul 2015 #26

KelvinMace scolded me for that years ago... hunter Jul 2015 #28

Another words have magical powers thread. hobbit709 Jul 2015 #41

White privilege. n/t Gormy Cuss Jul 2015 #45

I thought it was the music that has magic power pintobean Jul 2015 #56

Geeeee.... BooScout Jul 2015 #48

I have used the word whore when referring to politicians who give every appearance guillaumeb Jul 2015 #60

So, if I called Sanders a whore for the gun industry, that would be ok with you? OKNancy Jul 2015 #61

Meta kath Jul 2015 #64

You have got to be kidding... boston bean Jul 2015 #71

This whole thread is meta starting with your OP. PeaceNikki Jul 2015 #168

Don't be a hypocrite. gollygee Jul 2015 #170

So - the general consensus is that posts containing the word "whore" should always be hidden kath Jul 2015 #62

You can find people using the "B" word and the "C" word in the DU archives, too. MADem Jul 2015 #66

Who, other than you, suggested an outright ban on the word "whore"? tammywammy Jul 2015 #68

Made up by a BSer. nt DURHAM D Jul 2015 #85

That's what I figured tammywammy Jul 2015 #86

Bullshit. I'm a Bernie supporter on the jury who's been arguing against the use of that word. ancianita Jul 2015 #107

I thought it was clear I was referring to the OP in my post tammywammy Jul 2015 #112

This message was self-deleted by its author ancianita Jul 2015 #114

I was led to DU from a website called Media Whores that no Cleita Jul 2015 #76

The folks who ran that website were not misogynists and would not approve of folks calling Hillary stevenleser Jul 2015 #93

Where in my post did you get any reference to Hillary? Cleita Jul 2015 #94

That post gives some context for what started the current argument muriel_volestrangler Jul 2015 #95

So? I didn't call her that. Cleita Jul 2015 #96

The thread isn't about what you have said muriel_volestrangler Jul 2015 #97

That poster loves to make it all about her. n/t JTFrog Jul 2015 #124

Post removed Post removed Jul 2015 #125

Oh, gonna berate me again because I dared tell about being raped and beaten? JTFrog Jul 2015 #126

I thought I offered to talk to you, privately, off line about that. Cleita Jul 2015 #127

Post removed Post removed Jul 2015 #128

If the "media whores" they were talking about were FEMALE broadcasters, you'd have a problem with it MADem Jul 2015 #134

we run out of nuance olddots Jul 2015 #79

I didn't know it was considered today to be just a sexual term. People valerief Jul 2015 #88

It's not "just" a sexual term. But one does not have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind MADem Jul 2015 #181

"We ask. You decide" LuvLoogie Jul 2015 #92

I would no sooner use that word than I would use ... etherealtruth Jul 2015 #101

Amen to that. ancianita Jul 2015 #109

heck, there's a whole island of them apparently! MisterP Jul 2015 #103

Whore you asking? Orrex Jul 2015 #105

Censorship? Is this the most important issue you can think of that needs to be dvocated for? notadmblnd Jul 2015 #106

Toxic language in the name of the 1st Amendment creates toxic environments for campaigns. ancianita Jul 2015 #113

And what does that have to do with censoring language on DU? notadmblnd Jul 2015 #116

A toxic language environment in politics is downright indecent. Don't pretend otherwise. ancianita Jul 2015 #117

You dare me? What, are we in the 5th grade here? notadmblnd Jul 2015 #183

This political website by adults who don't use childish talk. I advocate suspension, not censorship. ancianita Jul 2015 #190

What you said to me is childish. notadmblnd Jul 2015 #194

I did presume to tell the poster that not clarifying what he meant left his words interpretable ancianita Jul 2015 #198

Don't twist what I said into "promote all the free use of language." I am against censorship notadmblnd Jul 2015 #199

As a juror I'll say you're welcome. I have a daily 99% chance of being on one for a reason. ancianita Jul 2015 #200

Yes, I've been a donating member in the past also notadmblnd Jul 2015 #203

No one resurrected "nigger" when Obama ran, and no one's using "whore" while Clinton runs. ancianita Jul 2015 #108

Are the DU hosts asleep? KMOD Jul 2015 #119

That rec list is hilariously unsurprising. n/t JTFrog Jul 2015 #123

What, not a whore? - Othello Act 4 Scene 2 William Shakespeare Tierra_y_Libertad Jul 2015 #129

No, not. You are deceived by treachery LuvLoogie Jul 2015 #143

in the case of this video, it was the center of the issue, and should probably be allowed tomm2thumbs Jul 2015 #133

The Word Police have arrived TerrapinFlyer Jul 2015 #136

Right on man. KMOD Jul 2015 #137

You can call a woman anything you want... it helps point out who is on the wrong side TerrapinFlyer Jul 2015 #138

Calling a woman a whore is something you should have learned was wrong by age four. KMOD Jul 2015 #142

Right! TerrapinFlyer Jul 2015 #145

Bingo! B Calm Jul 2015 #191

The words "whore" or "prostitute" should never be used to attack any woman, pnwmom Jul 2015 #144

I don't think I've ever used the word here madokie Jul 2015 #149

How the fuck is this thread not META? I've had similar ones locked when trying to discuss why a boston bean Jul 2015 #150

That was a grave dancing thread. pintobean Jul 2015 #159

Oh, all grave dancing threads are locked? Uh no they are not. boston bean Jul 2015 #163

You seem to be able to find that message a lot. pintobean Jul 2015 #166

point me to some others that were gravedancing. You're good with the search button. boston bean Jul 2015 #167

cyberswede's thread was a day before your's pintobean Jul 2015 #173

SKP was banned. My thread was a positive thread regarding the actions taken. boston bean Jul 2015 #175

Pffft pintobean Jul 2015 #177

ha! boston bean Jul 2015 #178

Also, it was a postive post about an action taken on DU. It was not boston bean Jul 2015 #172

Does not follow any of the criteria in the Statement of Purpose... Phentex Jul 2015 #169

I don't think any word should be banned on DU. Vinca Jul 2015 #151

Ok, but those that use them words in the context of misogynistic/sexist/racist/homophobic boston bean Jul 2015 #154

Exactly. Vinca Jul 2015 #156

It would certainly cut down on the usage and make this place feel much more welcoming boston bean Jul 2015 #157

When they got nothing..... Smarmie Doofus Jul 2015 #152

You know when it is I think a person has "got nothing" boston bean Jul 2015 #153

Strange OP/thread. H2O Man Jul 2015 #171

Been thinking alot about this thread since yesterday kath Jul 2015 #182

This is what I posted yesterday when someone labeled Hillary thus: tblue37 Jul 2015 #184

"Whore" is inescapably sexual and misogynist. Adrahil Jul 2015 #185

Reality: It's important that we carefully monitor our language when speaking Zorra Jul 2015 #186

I find it interesting 'progressives' use gender-demeaning terms at all. wyldwolf Jul 2015 #187

This is a really stupid thread MFrohike Jul 2015 #188

We certainly do try to rationalize our dramatic lack of empathy in odd little ways... LanternWaste Jul 2015 #192

I don't think that it is good idea to call Democratic candidate.... CajunBlazer Jul 2015 #197

CajunBlazer OP about Bernie: Bluenorthwest Apr 2016 #205

I posted the evoution of just one term this mornig nadinbrzezinski Jul 2015 #202