<p>I hope that the group can reschedule another event so that the intended recipient (literacy group) can still benefit. This is a good lesson for the university group - to pick up, regroup and seek your intended goal in another manner. </p>
<p>I think I’m going to suggest to my son that his frat hold a themed party of Political Correctness. The guys could stand around apologizing for their accident of birth, being male, and the white guys in particular could apologize for their whiteness. The phrase of the day could be, “Check your privilege,” and they could just keep apologizing the entire time. If someone dared to eat a typically ethnic food, or brought some insensitive liquor choice like tequila–apologize. They could scrutinize every word choice for some sort of bias that reflected their complete insensitivity to any other person. Sound like fun?</p>
<p>One of the big problems I have about political correctness is that it is based off of the assumption that some groups of people are superior, and others are inferior. And the superior groups must recognize their superiority, and treat the “lesser” groups with special sensitivity. Now THAT concept is offensive to me, as I believe every single person is first and foremost an individual, and should be treated with respect, not treated as part of a group.</p>
<p>
Were they worried about enduring the hassle from the “holier-than-thou” or were they worried about offending people who have gotten a raw deal from the justice system? Quite different groups.</p>
<p>
Why, was this their only idea for a fundraiser? Greek organizations at my alma mater raise millions every year for childhood cancer by… wait for it… standing on street corners asking for change.</p>
<p>If people in need of aid are losing out in this scenario it isn’t because the frat was afraid of offending people. It is because they were either just looking for charitable cover for some fun or because they couldn’t be bothered to think of any of the thousands of alternatives available.</p>
<p>So much agreeing with bd. This group business is making my crazy and it is getting seriously out of control.</p>
<p>No, busdriver, your S’s fraternity may not hold a party, as fraternity parties are responsible for all the evils in the world. And they may not hold a fund-raiser, as fraternity fund-raisers are simply a cover for the <em>real</em> reason that fraternities exist, which is to hold parties that offend people. </p>
<p>I think that what you call PC, @busdriver11, is based on the idea that some groups are more <em>privileged</em> than others, not superior. Big difference.</p>
<p>Yeah, well, in the bigger scheme of things ANYONE who attends NU or a similar school is wildly privileged, no matter what their actual SES background. </p>
<p>
I think that would be fun to watch from a distance! I don’t think it would go well for anyone involved, but I like a good disaster as much as the next person!</p>
<p>
Not really. It is more about understanding what words and actions have been used to demean, belittle, abuse, and rob various groups in the past… and then stopping the use of those words and actions. It isn’t about superiority on either side. It’s about understanding that when some of my ancestors called some of my other ancestors “redskins” they were calling them “less than white people”, so maybe that isn’t a great choice of words anymore because it turns out the indigenous population still knows that and sometimes still has to put up with that attitude.</p>
<p>Is that really such a big deal?</p>
<p>
I really hate this devolvement of an argument into ridiculous black and white extremes. I was never in a frat but I know a lot of frat brothers and had fun at some frat parties. I’ve seen frats do great things and terrible… just like most groups of people. Acting like frats are uniformly saintly or evil is a tactic that only works in slapstick comedy, not in actually solving any problems.</p>
<p>I have major issues with the PC police, but this does seem insensitive to me, especially now. </p>
<p>Prison is a tragedy for those affected by it. I don’t see how making light of someone else’s personal tragedy is a good thing. And yes, to me it is more distasteful that the population staging the event is not primarily the population likely to have experiences of loved ones in prison. For once, I think cobrat’s Marie Antoinette analogy is apt.</p>
<p>This is nothing like a serious TV show taking on a difficult subject sensitively, nor is it like avoiding dunk tanks in case someone has a traumatic memory of a loved one drowning. I don’t like the expectation that all of society cater to every individual’s often subjective and unpredictable triggers, or the notion that it is oppressive to make a minority feel like a minority (i.e, by asking EVERYONE to identify their preferred gender pronoun just in case someone in the room is gender ambiguous or non-conforming). I also think attempts to police language -and often find reason to be offended by perfectly benign words and phrases - are a real danger in stifling discourse. </p>
<p>In this case, though, I just think performing a mock version of what is primarily another group’s source of heartbreak, especially at a time in which those issues are at the forefront of national discourse, is tone-deaf. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I totally agree. I was being sarcastic.</p>
<p>“Is that really such a big deal?”</p>
<p>It is not for me, however, there is a point at which some things are ridiculous. It should be a personal choice for how one chooses to behave. Monitoring everyone’s behavior for any possible slight, allowing belittling language against group A because they have been “privileged”, but making a huge deal about any possibility of offense against any other group is just silly…</p>
<p>
I love sarcasm, it is my native tongue, but on forums like this it is sometimes hard to tell exactly which idea is being mocked.</p>
<p>
There is a point where anything gets ridiculous. That doesn’t meant that everything is a bad idea.</p>
<p>It IS a personal choice, just like the personal choice to be nice, or gracious, or mean, or silly, or anything else. If someone is belittling you because of what you are doing… well, perhaps you should consider not doing that thing anymore. If someone is belittling you because of what people similar to you have done… then they are jerks, and feel free to point that out to them.</p>
<p>You aren’t getting arrested. You have all the choice in the world. That doesn’t make you immune from the results of your choices. Personally, I wouldn’t make lighthearted jokes about prisons and police right now, because I see a lot of people personally affected (and angry) by prisons and police and I see no advantage in making things worse. But that’s me. Do your own thing, see what happens.</p>
<p>I generally think of political correctness as trying to put myself in someone else’s shoes. A golden rule kind of thing. I am okay with being deliberately offensive at times, but prefer not to be unintentionally offensive. The fact someone needs to point out where I mess up doesn’t feel to me like a personal insult or challenge to my rights. Maybe that is because I’m getting so old. I mess up all the time. I just accept that and try to move forward and do a little bit better next go round.</p>
<p>Maybe it’s just because I mess up so much, it isn’t ever a surprise.</p>
<p>Just getting back here and catching up. as for
I am actually working with a college applicant who proposed (would prefer not to disclose any further info) a hypothetical experience of students living in a mock concentration camp or ghetto- type environment to truly understand what that was like. Was a very thought provoking idea. And as for the JAP themed party? I am all for it. I happen to love satire (love Mel Brooks, Monty Python, etc) and think people could have great fun with that. Some people are wound too tight. What is life if you can’t laugh a bit. </p>
<p>The timing I think is not so good for the jail and bail thing, but generally I do think all of this PC stuff is completely out of control. And, it’s not really possible to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and try not to offend them since you can’t know what would offend them in the first place and usually they could care less whoever they are anyway. Also, far too often people are assumed to be incapable of anything, such as finding 3-dollars. It’s truly getting ridiculous. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>IMO our society has gotten hypercritical. Not only are people so easily offended, it seems more and more that they want to take it to the next level: censorship. I don’t like what you are doing or saying, so you must not do it or say it.</p>
<p>
My memory must be rusty. I remember Eddy Haskell being annoying, but don’t recall someone being humiliated for others’ entertainment on Leave it to Beaver, unless you hare having fun with the turns of phrases on calling him Beaver :-bd or “the Beave”.</p>
<p>DH can’t stand embarrassment humor. So movies like Wedding Crashers or where people are portrayed as stupid he passes on. I pass on slapstick or things like America’s Funniest home video. I don’t find people getting hurt to be in the least bit funny. </p>
<p>
I love satire too, yes especially Mel Brooks and Monty Python and even less funny versions like much of Paul Verhoeven’s movies… but satire is hard. Pulling it off requires talent and skill and preparation, and most people are not up for that. Satire exists in the face of people who genuinely do believe in the awful things you are satirizing. And when you screw up satire, it looks like you endorse that horrible thing you are trying to joke about.</p>