One Cliché to Rule Them All
The Primary Contradiction re-blogs an essay that talks about how the term politically correct serves those in power to make like the victim. This has been said before, but sometimes it's not what you say, it's how you say it, and the opening is particularly well-crafted and will draw you in: the blogger explains why clichés should be avoided, gives some examples of blog clichés, and then attacks one particular term.
The essay is written by Kai Chang (Zuky), and Y. Carrington liked it so much she posted it at her blog with the author's permission. Comment threads exist at both sites.
Studiously avoiding clichés is Blogger on the Cast Iron Balcony, who writes posts with such titles as "The Stinky Camembert of Multiculturalism meets the Whiskas of Wimminism". This is about "Australia's living treasure" Michael Leunig and how he has "lost the plot". I don't want to spoil it for you, just visit the blog and read the takedown.
Still in the "takedown" category is Sherry Chandler, who has a nicely biting one on Dr. Eric Keroack, the new head of family planning programs at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Chandler points to another blogger writing about Keroack, who in turn links to further relevant blogging. It's a bit like a cascading row of dominoes.
To use a cliché.
Hat-tip to Hoyden About Town. Also posted at BlogHer.
2 comments:
I've written about the "new" meaning of "politically correct" on several occasions, and the fact that complaining about so-called political correctness (I hate the term) is often a bigot's way of re-claiming his or her language and behavior and not getting called on it.
But this issue is not black and white. Consider the "niggardly" incident. Consider the woman who was reprimanded for hugging her own husband in the company parking lot. Consider Michael Steele's recent tirade about a perfectly valid use of the word "slave." People who do not understand sensitive language and sensitive behavior make outlandish accusations, and that gives "political correctness" a bad name, even with me.
People don't get it. I made the point recently that calling an African American man a boy is considered extreme bigotry, but calling an adult woman of any color a girl is considered okay or even "polite." Because people DO NOT UNDERSTAND the philosophies behind "political correctness," they are offended by it, make fun of it, or make "politically correct" attacks that are ridiculous.
http://www.newtopiamagazine.net/archives/content/issue9/features/politicalcorrectness.php
Thanks for the link, SourDuck. Diane, I've been meaning to write a post just on the "politically correct" meme for ages. Just in passing, though, I've noticed that a few people have taken the opportunity in the local rag's Letters to the Editor page, to refer to conventionally neoliberal / neoconservative thinking as "politically correct". Which, of course, it is, in the current Drift to the Right climate. It's a complete hoot, but few people probably notice, and it's probably counterproductive in the long run...
Cast Iron Balcony
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