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Me personally? I've become much less tolerant of sexist humor. Back in the day, cracking a joke at women's expense was pretty common when I was a teen. As I've matured and become aware to the horrific extent of toxicity and bigotry pervading all tiers of our individualistic society, I've come to see how exclusionarly and objectifying that sort of 'humor' really is, and I regret it deeply.

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[-] SCB@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I miss "Retarded" so much for how it was used in slang but it's pretty irredeemable as a word at this point. Nothing really replaced it as a call-out, which sucks.

Even before it was considered offensive, I generally took the Michael Scott route with the word.

I feel the same about the f-slur for gays. I'm in the LGBT + community and still miss that word too.

[-] ManosTheHandsOfFate@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

I think given enough time it could make a comeback. A few generations of people who used it to refer to the developmental disability will need to die off. Language changes and insults come and go. I'll be dead for sure, but in the meantime when something inane is happening to me I can still go back to my childhood vocab and think to myself, "This is retarded."

[-] Bazoogle@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

It literally is just a substitute for idiot. There are tons of words you can use. Here's a list of 123: https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idiot

[-] SCB@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

I am aware that it has synonyms, but it's not just a substitute for idiot. It meant a specific thing

[-] Bazoogle@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

It means someone has a developmental disability. But that is not how people used it. They used it to call someone an idiot, 100%. If someone did something dumb, they would retort "retard". How is that not exactly how it was/is used? Call them a bafoon, hammerhead, numskull, nincompoop, a schnook, make up a word for all I care. But to use a word that describes someone with a developmental disability should not be used as an insult. Don't complain about there not being a substitute when there's hundreds of options. You just seem to want to use it.

[-] SCB@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

A person you insulted in that was being an idiot, but you used a different, harsher word for specific effect.

That's what isn't replaced. An S-tier idiot, described in one word.

[-] kazerniel@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It's probably specific to my social circles, but in the late '00s some of my family and acquaintances started using certain vegetable and food names as synonyms for stupid person. E.g. "you carrot", "you cake". I guess this was a less openly offensive way of disparaging someone's intelligence.

[-] SCB@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I like this a lot. We should spread this around.

[-] Event_Horizon@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

Is this a localised to the US thing? Here in Aus I've never heard removed being used as either an insult or linked to someone with a developmental disability. What context is it used in for a developmental disability?

[-] Bazoogle@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Did you mean to say "removed"? We're talking about the word "retard"

[-] possum@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago

Interesting. Lemmy.ml has a filter that replaces slurs with removed, so I guess that's what @Event_Horizon@lemmy.ml saw

[-] kazerniel@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

This illustrates really well why word filters are a terrible idea; they have no regard for the conversational context.

[-] ZodiacSF1969@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago

It also illustrates what a bunch of pussies they are lol, can't handle a few mean words

[-] Event_Horizon@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

Oooooooooooh shit that makes sense now hahahahahaha.

I didn't even know there was a word filter!

I'm sitting here all confused thinking "Removed" was the actual word not what is being displayed here

[-] ZodiacSF1969@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I'm Australian, it used to be very common. You might be too young?

[-] Event_Horizon@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

Haha nah

There's a word filter so I was only seeing "Removed" in place of the actual word. Confused the shit out of me. Now it all makes sense

[-] Mammal@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

Nothing really replaced it as a call-out, which sucks.

There are lots of words one can use: "Wanker", "Idiot", "Dumb-ass".

Would using the term dumb not be just as bad as retarded? Both are medical terms defining issues that people didn't choose.

[-] ZodiacSF1969@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

This is why this is such a stupid thing to get upset about. It's hypocritical to argue against one word and accept the other.

[-] SCB@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Wanker is the closest in approximate meaning, but I'm not British

If you're British you'll know what I mean. Wanker isn't interchangeable with idiot 100%. There's more... Edge?

[-] Wanderer@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago

Wanker isn't close to retard.

Wanker is someone that is an arsehole. Retard is someone who is an idiot.

[-] SCB@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

So what you're saying is you do agree with my point that there isn't another perfect word for it, since wanker means "asshole idiot"

[-] Reliant1087@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

But isn't using wanker as as insult sex negative?! /s

P. S. I've always wanted to say 'You bloody wanker' after seeing British television as a child but haven't had a chance so far.

this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2023
582 points (92.1% liked)

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