"That's So Gay"

[Louis]

RE:That's So Gay

 

The word gay, has several meanings, none of which are related to each other, though I suppose a person could be a gay (happy), gay (homosexual), wearing gay (awful) clothing. The word black has several meanings. Another person could be a Black person, practicing black magic, for members of the Black Society. For those of you who may not know, the Black Society in China, is similar to the Mafia in the US.

I think that when people take posession of a word, there is always the potential for misunderstandings. Language evolves, and there are words in Middle English, that very few people would understand, so that is one of the reasons many people don't read the King James Bible any more.

[MindThe Gap]

RE:Wayland and Madame

 

>P.S. An acquaintance was on a gay cruise once where La Flowers

>was the hired entertainment. Reportedly spent most late

>evenings alone at the bar quietly weeping into his brandy

>alexanders.

 

Here's a couple classic Wayland clips when things were good.

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=D61AUO5Xl-Y

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=---tyXiY1fE

[Guest EWC]

RE: "That's So Gay";

 

>You might ask your son, does anyone refer to themselves as

>being "so gay". I am curious if it is used as

>self-deprecating as well as insulting.

 

I asked him and he confirmed that it is not used in a self deprecating manner, however, to be entirely fair, self deprecation not a style that most teens would use in any case. Rapier wit not generally being a characteristic of that age group. They tend to bludgeon.

 

It occurs to me, however, that anytime any tribe describes themselves or others by adjectives rather than nouns they invite adjectives in return. Queer, fag and faggot used to be the noms des guerre for male homosexuals (used in the perjorative sense) and then the term gay was co-opted in the homosexual community. Not to be out done, cock-sucker then gained wider currancy, but it became unclear whether that was an insult or a compliment. Queer has become self describing (I presume in a self deprecating sense), however, again it's not quite clear whether that's a compliment or insult.

 

Further, any attempt to describe a group using an adjective invariably misses a large percent of the group. Few Africans, Asians, Eurpoeans, American Natives or Latinos are black, yellow, white, red or brown respectively. Some male homosexuals are sour and grim. Some Marines do not have heads of an unusual shape. Not all Germans like sour cabbage.

 

If there is no real need to know ones ancestrial heritage, sexual inclinations, religous affiliations, etc.; perhaps there would be less confusion if we stopped using adjectives to name a tribe and simply went back to the actual nouns that accurately describe we humans such as persons or people.