honkey, offended much?

[stevie]

tis supposed to be an offensive word, but im not offended by it randomly

'chink', and 'black person', are considered offensive too, but im not sure how, people are offended because they allow themselves to be, what?

discuss

[ramseytheii]

tis supposed to be an offensive word, but im not offended by it randomly

'chink', and 'black person', are considered offensive too, but im not sure how, people are offended because they allow themselves to be, what?

discuss

Racism implies a degree of power and abuse of power over the suppressed.  The reason that in Amerika, derogatory words against statistical minorities are so offensive is that these people are underrepresented and often left out of the system, and then to add insult to injury you are going to call someone one of these names?  Honky is about as offensive as throwing a dried cow pie at a tank.

It reminds me vaguely of a television program we just had in Amerika called, "Black/White," where two families through the aid of super-modern makeup techniques "switched" races, and tried to integrate themselves into their counterparts' communities.
The white fellow who was done up in sophisticated blackface, had this stubborn idea that anybody who was racially insulted and took offense, was, like the previuos poster said, "offended because they allow themselves to be."  He was actually desparate for someone to call him a name (while in blackface) so he could prove that it could be easily ignored.  Needless to say, to anyone who was a victim of such verbal harassment, the fellow looked like quite the fool. 

Walter Ramsey

[thalbergmad]

30 years ago, I used to go to school with a Black kid called Jerome.

He called me "honkey" and i called him "nig nog".

Nowadays, in England, you would probably get 30 years hard labour for using either of these words, such is the state of political correctness.

One of the funniest programmes ever to grace the screens of the BBC, was "Love Thy Neighbour". The two central characters used the same nick names for each other. This programme would not be screened today.

I is not in the slightest bit offended with with"honkey" and neither should anyone else.

Thal

[jason2711]

I didn't even know what it meant... found it a bit random like, though I suppose I've never really hung around with groups containing more than one or two asian/ black people (simply because we don't get many around here)

Knowing what it means, I'm no more offended than I was when I didn't know it's meaning...

[gilad]

it all depends on the intent of the person directing the term.

[johnny-boy]

It's only ignorant to use stereotyping terms. Honkey, as well as the other counterparts implies you’re a particular race (in this case white) to be looked down at (as if less than human).

An intelligent person should know better. Unfortunately it’s quite difficult for the ignorant person to dig him/herself out of the discriminatory ditch. This has been branded into one’s mind since childhood.

John

[ted]

Thal:

Yeah, that was a good series. So was Alf Garnett. Some of the things he came out with would be banned nowadays for sure. Benny Hill ? Another of my favourites but banned here for a while, and still hard to get in shops. Is Enid Blyton still off limits because of Policeman Plod, the Golliwogs and pictures of Noddy and Big Ears in the same bed ? Tony Hancock was thankfully too great for them to interfere with, although I remember complaints about the Japanese imitation in the Radio Ham episode.

Yet in one night's television, I'm sure to see a bucketload of murders, rapes and general nastiness which is somehow deemed to be acceptable viewing. I've long ago ceased trying to understand the rules.

[stevie]

'black person'

i used the N word here, it appears to have been censored.

is it important that this word is censored so that we forget it exists, or is censoring it giving more power to the word?

racism is declining all the time, so the word has took on new meaning...i think.

i think people SHOULD be allowed to racially offend other people, just like people have freedom to be an idiot.
if people were allowed to do it freely, it would lose meaning.

[instromp]

I have never called a white person a "honkey" before,funny word i think  . i can't see how that is offensive at all 

Being that I am African-American i have been referred to as a "black person" before and i dont know what the big deal about it is.Who would find that offensive?? I mean only a person that is always ready to get "riled up" just for attention would find that offensive, that would be a complete idiot in my eyes.The "N word" is different it has a meaning says a black person is lazy, a bum,trifling,,lower class,a coward,stupid,retarted,tawdry, etc...It goes way deeper than"black person" so why get offended when sum1 says it.

I have asian friends and some of them dont even know what "chink" is and that ones that do know, wonder why its suppose to be a offensive word when  they clearly find it unoffensive to them.

[jas]

What does it mean? I've never heard it before.

30 years ago, I used to go to school with a Black kid called Jerome.

He called me "honkey" and i called him "nig nog".

Nowadays, in England, you would probably get 30 years hard labour for using either of these words, such is the state of political correctness.

One of the funniest programmes ever to grace the screens of the BBC, was "Love Thy Neighbour". The two central characters used the same nick names for each other. This programme would not be screened today.

I is not in the slightest bit offended with with"honkey" and neither should anyone else.

Thal

I think that's quite cute. I agree, PC here in the UK is going mad. I wonder if it's because the government have proved themselves so incompetent in all other areas that they're overcompensating by trying to make us feel like we're in the wrong...
I read some madness in a newspaper about someone somewhere (you can tell I wasn't paying very close attention to the details ) who was told to say "coffee without milk" instead of black coffee by his/her boss. And I remember a few months ago seeing on GMTV that it's no longer legal (or it's frowned upon, or something) to coo at babies in hospitals becuase it infringes their bloody human rights. I'm sure in twenty years' time there will be thousands of people in therapy because of their commitment issues and underachievement due to being cooed at when too young even to have noticed.
And being made to feel guilty for saying "merry Christmas" to people in a christian country?
A bloke who abducted a three-year old girl from her home, raped and almost killed her, and all this when on bail from a sex attack on someone else, could be out of prison in 5 years if he behaves well, because the judge didn't want to infringe his human rights by giving him too harsh a sentence in case it looked like revenge rather than justice. That monster has no human rights.
And look at this: https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/1988952.stm
What is wrong with our government? They really aren't fit to be there any more.

I have always believed that a word is just a word. Racism makes my blood boil. I won't get started on it because I'll be here for days. But racist words are used by angry and stupid people who are usually too cowardly to really act on their pointless prejudice. Which is a good thing, of course, because violence is far worse and obviously much more harmful. It says a hell of a lot more for the person saying it than the person on the receiving end because essentially, the word itself means nothing, the intent behind it means everything.
It kind of reminds me of when I was about 11, and I went through a phase of thinking I was fat, so whenever I fought with my sister after that, even long after I'd got over this phase, she made sure to call me every word for "fat" under the sun. I swear she had a thesaurus hidden somewhere. When I thought I was fat it really upset me (the end result being that she ended up with a black eye and I ended up grounded for a fortnight ), but when I got over it and realised I wasn't it just became a pointless word that I didn't give a toss about. I just ignored it because it meant nothing to me. That might sound like I'm trivialising it a bit, and I know that racial problems in America run very deeply, but it kind of reminds me of it.
But not being in a racial minority, or in a country where race is usually a problem, I suppose I'm not really in a position to comment.

Jas

[thracozaag]

 My fellow hapas (pc term) have various nicknames for our background--half slant being my favorite.

koji

[ahinton]

My fellow hapas (pc term) have various nicknames for our background--half slant being my favorite.

koji

The whole PC thing has indeed gotten well out of hand in UK and in many other places.

I'm not sure what the PC police (the real PC Plods?) would have said years ago before it got quite as invasively nonsensical as it is in UK now, when I witnessed the tour leader of a party of Far Eastern gentlemen at the entrance to the Roman Baths in Bath, UK being told proudly by the receptionist that they had details about it in 33 different languages besides English as she handed one of them to him - to which, in the most serious and earnest tones, he politely replied "thank you very much, madam - but we are not Chinese, we are Japanese; eyes slant the other way".

I suppose that it's difficult for the PC cops to do much about it when this kind of thing is perpetrated by a Japanese, or when the "n****r" word is used by a central African person or when a Jew tells a Jewish joke - the last of which reminds me of when this did once happen to a Jew I know; he was upbraided by a Welshman (who clearly didn't realise that he was Jewish) who, when he told him in no uncertain terms that it was in very bad taste to tell a joke about a Jew like that, responded "would you have preferred that I'd said "Welshman" instead of a "Jew"? - I wouldn't, because I'm Jewish, so I know what I'm talking about and what I just said would no longer be funny".

I also remember, when I was a student, a Congolese person laughing about someone calling an Indian "black"; "it's not insulting", he said - "it just shows that the person is colour-blind". He should know.

Really, this entire thing is all about busybodying people who have let themselves be persuaded that there's nothing more honourable and moral that telling people what they should do, when, why and before whom - as in "go find out what Johnny is doing and get him to stop it".

I'm all for showing appropriate decency, respect and sensitivity to people of races, creeds and skin colours different to my own but, when taken to the extremes that some people nowadays expect, it risks becoming almost as much of an insult as using the "n****r" word (which I do not do, incidentally).

Best,

Alistair

[thracozaag]

  I still remember fondly the time my friend played a concert and in the audience was a large japanese contigency (he was trying to impress them enough to get a Strad that one of them owned).  He played one of the most exciting Sibelius concerto's I've ever heard, and I'm going nuts, shouting "bravo", etc., but the predominantly japanese audience is well, luke-warm.
  So backstage, I tell him, "Man, that was phenomenal!  It's too bad the reception wasn't more enthusiastic because of all the Japs in the audience".
  EVERYONE froze for about a half-second and then realized it was me who said it--you see, I reserve the right to make fun of my own race (even if it's only half my genetic make-up).

koji

[ahinton]

  I still remember fondly the time my friend played a concert and in the audience was a large japanese contigency (he was trying to impress them enough to get a Strad that one of them owned).  He played one of the most exciting Sibelius concerto's I've ever heard, and I'm going nuts, shouting "bravo", etc., but the predominantly japanese audience is well, luke-warm.
  So backstage, I tell him, "Man, that was phenomenal!  It's too bad the reception wasn't more enthusiastic because of all the Japs in the audience".
  EVERYONE froze for about a half-second and then realized it was me who said it--you see, I reserve the right to make fun of my own race (even if it's only half my genetic make-up).

koji

Yes - that's just the kind of point I was making! Thanks for sharing this with us.

The only thing that is perhaps less acceptable (though still not one for the attentions of the PC major-generals) is when anyone - including Scots - make jokes about the meanness of Scots or anyone - including Irish - do so about the stupidity of the Irish - but my reason for so saying is largely in line with the attitude of Congolese person of whom I wrote - it's just not that accurate!

Best,

Alistair

[lisztisforkids]

What does it mean? I've never heard it before.
I think that's quite cute. I agree, PC here in the UK is going mad. I wonder if it's because the government have proved themselves so incompetent in all other areas that they're overcompensating by trying to make us feel like we're in the wrong...
I read some madness in a newspaper about someone somewhere (you can tell I wasn't paying very close attention to the details ) who was told to say "coffee without milk" instead of black coffee by his/her boss. And I remember a few months ago seeing on GMTV that it's no longer legal (or it's frowned upon, or something) to coo at babies in hospitals becuase it infringes their bloody human rights. I'm sure in twenty years' time there will be thousands of people in therapy because of their commitment issues and underachievement due to being cooed at when too young even to have noticed.
And being made to feel guilty for saying "merry Christmas" to people in a christian country?
A bloke who abducted a three-year old girl from her home, raped and almost killed her, and all this when on bail from a sex attack on someone else, could be out of prison in 5 years if he behaves well, because the judge didn't want to infringe his human rights by giving him too harsh a sentence in case it looked like revenge rather than justice. That monster has no human rights.
And look at this: https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/1988952.stm
What is wrong with our government? They really aren't fit to be there any more.

I have always believed that a word is just a word. Racism makes my blood boil. I won't get started on it because I'll be here for days. But racist words are used by angry and stupid people who are usually too cowardly to really act on their pointless prejudice. Which is a good thing, of course, because violence is far worse and obviously much more harmful. It says a hell of a lot more for the person saying it than the person on the receiving end because essentially, the word itself means nothing, the intent behind it means everything.
It kind of reminds me of when I was about 11, and I went through a phase of thinking I was fat, so whenever I fought with my sister after that, even long after I'd got over this phase, she made sure to call me every word for "fat" under the sun. I swear she had a thesaurus hidden somewhere. When I thought I was fat it really upset me (the end result being that she ended up with a black eye and I ended up grounded for a fortnight ), but when I got over it and realised I wasn't it just became a pointless word that I didn't give a toss about. I just ignored it because it meant nothing to me. That might sound like I'm trivialising it a bit, and I know that racial problems in America run very deeply, but it kind of reminds me of it.
But not being in a racial minority, or in a country where race is usually a problem, I suppose I'm not really in a position to comment.

Jas

 Wow.. I had no idea it was that bad..

[lisztisforkids]

What does it mean? I've never heard it before.
I think that's quite cute. I agree, PC here in the UK is going mad. I wonder if it's because the government have proved themselves so incompetent in all other areas that they're overcompensating by trying to make us feel like we're in the wrong...
I read some madness in a newspaper about someone somewhere (you can tell I wasn't paying very close attention to the details ) who was told to say "coffee without milk" instead of black coffee by his/her boss. And I remember a few months ago seeing on GMTV that it's no longer legal (or it's frowned upon, or something) to coo at babies in hospitals becuase it infringes their bloody human rights. I'm sure in twenty years' time there will be thousands of people in therapy because of their commitment issues and underachievement due to being cooed at when too young even to have noticed.
And being made to feel guilty for saying "merry Christmas" to people in a christian country?
A bloke who abducted a three-year old girl from her home, raped and almost killed her, and all this when on bail from a sex attack on someone else, could be out of prison in 5 years if he behaves well, because the judge didn't want to infringe his human rights by giving him too harsh a sentence in case it looked like revenge rather than justice. That monster has no human rights.
And look at this: https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/1988952.stm
What is wrong with our government? They really aren't fit to be there any more.

I have always believed that a word is just a word. Racism makes my blood boil. I won't get started on it because I'll be here for days. But racist words are used by angry and stupid people who are usually too cowardly to really act on their pointless prejudice. Which is a good thing, of course, because violence is far worse and obviously much more harmful. It says a hell of a lot more for the person saying it than the person on the receiving end because essentially, the word itself means nothing, the intent behind it means everything.
It kind of reminds me of when I was about 11, and I went through a phase of thinking I was fat, so whenever I fought with my sister after that, even long after I'd got over this phase, she made sure to call me every word for "fat" under the sun. I swear she had a thesaurus hidden somewhere. When I thought I was fat it really upset me (the end result being that she ended up with a black eye and I ended up grounded for a fortnight ), but when I got over it and realised I wasn't it just became a pointless word that I didn't give a toss about. I just ignored it because it meant nothing to me. That might sound like I'm trivialising it a bit, and I know that racial problems in America run very deeply, but it kind of reminds me of it.
But not being in a racial minority, or in a country where race is usually a problem, I suppose I'm not really in a position to comment.

Jas

 Wow.. I had no idea it was that bad.. I thought it was bad here..

 My city lives on a major highway and therefore there are many large illegal drug busts. Several black people were arrested for transporting over 20 pounds of Cocaine and several hundered if marijuana but the judge let them off because of 'Racial Profiling' by the police. What I dont get is the arrest was at night...

[thalbergmad]

Thal:

Yeah, that was a good series. So was Alf Garnett. Some of the things he came out with would be banned nowadays for sure. Benny Hill ? Another of my favourites but banned here for a while, and still hard to get in shops. Is Enid Blyton still off limits because of Policeman Plod, the Golliwogs and pictures of Noddy and Big Ears in the same bed ? Tony Hancock was thankfully too great for them to interfere with, although I remember complaints about the Japanese imitation in the Radio Ham episode.

Yet in one night's television, I'm sure to see a bucketload of murders, rapes and general nastiness which is somehow deemed to be acceptable viewing. I've long ago ceased trying to understand the rules.

Ted

I enjoyed your post.

In a recent case in England, a shopkeeper was cautioned for displaying golliwogs in his toy shop. Apparantly, it was OK to sell them, but not to put them on display.

When i used to work for a Bank, a friend of mine was disciplined for telling a coloured customer that he was on the "black list".

I strongly feel that the PC brigade actually stir up hatred rather than stop it.

Thal

[ronde_des_sylphes]

One of the many things I find odd about PC is that it appears to be driven by largely white middle-class males who then condescend to tell the rest of us what ethnic minorities, homosexuals, etc, find offensive (as if they themselves are in any position to actually know).

[ahinton]

One of the many things I find odd about PC is that it appears to be driven by largely white middle-class males who then condescend to tell the rest of us what ethnic minorities, homosexuals, etc, find offensive (as if they themselves are in any position to actually know).

Once upon a time, maybe - but that's history, sadly, for everyone (or at least someone +  from each and every conceivable grouping) is at it now. It's a highly profitable industry...

Best,

Alistair

[anekdote]

Political correctness is Orwellian. It is an politically-driven attempt to change the language. Pro-PC people consider language an influence (and perhaps even a determinist) over people's thoughts, hence if offense is removed from language, offense will soon be removed from people's thoughts.

In Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, Newspeak is the supplant of English. Terms such as "bad" are replaced with "ungood." If someone thinks of thoughts which are unapproved of, he has committed "thoughtcrime" and will soon be captured by the "thought police." Today, if someone commits a "thoughtcrime," they run the risk of getting sued, losing their job, creating a media firestorm, and in extreme cases getting arrested.

The political correctness of today has negative terms altered so as to be less offensive or more inclusive ("physically handicapped/challenged" in place of "crippled"; "African American" in place of "black" or other terms). At the same time the political views are very black and white. Example: If you do not support gay marriage, you are a bigot and a homophobe. It is all part of the polarisation of all views as either good or bad.

Political correctness also favors the minority over the majority (a result of Marxist doctrine -- and that is why the biggest advocates of PC are usually educated upper-class whites). While the official mantra may be egalitarianism, in practice the majority is demonized while the minority is subtley elevated to a higher position in the public mind (from Orwell's Animal Farm, everyone is equal but some are more equal than others). Example: If a white (majority) person labels a minority with a pejorative, he has committed hate speech. But if a minority labels a white person with a pejorative, his speech can be excused as the result of discrimination, etc. An extreme example of this would be the Duke rape case.

[steve jones]

tis supposed to be an offensive word, but im not offended by it randomly

'chink', and 'black person', are considered offensive too, but im not sure how, people are offended because they allow themselves to be, what?

discuss

I think that honkey is a piss funny word 

I probably should be offended, but I guess being a white, straight, male it wouldnt do much good anyway!

SJ

[lisztisforkids]

Lets not overlook Gringo! 

[contrapunctus]

I don't know how it is in England, but where I live (in the US) Black, White, and Oriental are the Politically Correct terms because not all black people are African American nor are all white people Caucasian.

I don't find the word N****r racially offensive because the only people I have ever heard say it are black people.

[BoliverAllmon]

I don't know how it is in England, but where I live (in the US) Black, White, and Oriental are the Politically Correct terms because not all black people are African American nor are all white people Caucasian.

I don't find the word N****r racially offensive because the only people I have ever heard say it are black people.

what I don't understand is if a black person cales someone a N it is cool, but if a white man says it it is racism. It makes no sense to me.

[stevie]

ummm

hahaha randomly

you can be a honkey and hung like a d*nkey, but a n**ger will always be bigger 

something like that