Is 'mong' an offensive word?

[Gandalf]

Ricky Gervais in Twitter 'mong' row - Yahoo! TV UK

I actually applaud Gervais for standing his ground on this because I think politically correct cunts in the media are all too ready to pull anyone down for any lexical peculiarity that one might indulge themselves in. 'Mong' to me is not upsetting. Neither should Chinese people be upset by 'chinky'. Nor me by being old 'big nose'.

Any lexical term can be offensive to another person, so why do we need to adhere to all these silly media created word limitations when in reality we should be able to be as free as we like. My only beef is when you call someone a racist when they have never uttered words like 'nigger', but even then, maybe those terms should be acceptable when people of colour even use such terms amongst themselves. Words are just words. 'Piggy' at school is abused by being called piggy, but nobody is fighting in his corner.

It's just media created politically correct double standards IMO.

Views?

[Gandalf]

The race thing is something that interests me because I was accused of being racist on the main board last week and I have never used racist terminology on that board (and I don't regard Jews as a race). However, now that I think about it, even if you do, it shouldn't be a bother. You aren't hurting anyone. How is calling someone a white big eared git different to being an Asian small dick? These are both insults, but why do we draw the line at race? Both are negative and insulting, but we seem to place greater significance into one over the other in the here and now and that just seems silly.

[Gandalf]

I guess I am advocating that banter be more acceptable in printed form. Banter involves people being called all kinds of things, but the printing press just doesn't allow for that truth to be accepted.

People get called all kinds of things and words will never die. Let people say what they will and label them in return, but never limit words and whatever meanings that they might have.

If it is so bad, then sure do something about it. But otherwise, a word like mong is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

[AdamGB]

Everybody used to say 'Mong' in school... I didn't think it had anything to do with down's syndrome... I thought it was to do with a dog - a Mongrel.

[Gandalf]

Everybody used to say 'Mong' in school... I didn't think it had anything to do with down's syndrome... I thought it was to do with a dog - a Mongrel.

For me it was just one of those words you used. No big deal. But still even with any negative connotations the word exists and should be used freely and it will be. It's just that this stupid paper has taken issue.

I shall only take revenge by increasing my usage of the word by infinity as I had never thought about it before. Now countless people before me will be mongs and that is my revenge against the shallow idiocy that is the printing press.

[Fenster]

Gervais, and his like, clearly get away with humor the seventies mob get castigated for in these "advanced" politically correct days. (Gervais mob know it's offensive and are taking the piss out of the people that don't get it )

Mong has always meant a spastic to me. Gervais knows it means spastic too. Look at all the "mong" faces he's posting on twitter.

The question is - who is SERIOUSLY offended by this? Fucks sake

[Gandalf]

No, I'm not. And I want more of it.

[Fenster]

Me too.

You either find something funny or you don't. If you're offended by someone making a joke out of something you don't agree with. Tough. You're a miserable cunt.

[ono]

You can only moan about this if you've never ever laughed at a joke at somebody else's expense. So that rules everyone out then.

[Kev]

The race thing is something that interests me because I was accused of being racist on the main board last week and I have never used racist terminology on that board (and I don't regard Jews as a race). However, now that I think about it, even if you do, it shouldn't be a bother. You aren't hurting anyone. How is calling someone a white big eared git different to being an Asian small dick? These are both insults, but why do we draw the line at race? Both are negative and insulting, but we seem to place greater significance into one over the other in the here and now and that just seems silly.

How are Jews less of a race than any other race? Please explain this as this sounds like racism of the worst kind to me.

[Andre]

Urban Dictionary: mongaloid


It is in the first sense. The others are classic.

[J_C]

Im a big Gervais fan (also Merchant and Pilkington) and its just a case of people being 'offended' like that means something. So what if youre offended, people have different opinions about all sorts of shit, its subjective. Lots of shitty pop music 'offends' me but I just dont listen to it, job done. Peoples sporting trendy shitty haircuts 'offends' my eyes when I see them but I just think to myself you look like a wanker and forget about it. Be offended, nothing happens. If you grew genital warts from being offended I could understand but nothing happens.

Of course if Gervais were going up to downs syndrome kids on the street and calling em mongs it would be different, but hes clearly not doing anything of the sort. Words garner new meanings through time. For example a lot of lads call their mates cunts (alright you cunts!).

[Gandalf]

The race thing is something that interests me because I was accused of being racist on the main board last week and I have never used racist terminology on that board (and I don't regard Jews as a race). However, now that I think about it, even if you do, it shouldn't be a bother. You aren't hurting anyone. How is calling someone a white big eared git different to being an Asian small dick? These are both insults, but why do we draw the line at race? Both are negative and insulting, but we seem to place greater significance into one over the other in the here and now and that just seems silly.

How are Jews less of a race than any other race? Please explain this as this sounds like racism of the worst kind to me.

I don't really see Jews as a race of their own. Lou Reed for instance is of Jewish heritage, but I just see him as a white guy with curly hair. Jewishness is secondary to being fundamentally caucasian.

I view Jewishness largely on religious grounds. I look a little bit 'Jewish', but it would be incorrect to label me as a Jew. Jews can really look any way. Zab Judah was certainly not your stereotypical 'Jew'. However, Zab is quite clearly a dark skinned man. That is race to me, religious affiliation is not an automatic barometer of race.

[J_C]

Btw those who are offended must hate this skit Gervais did donkeys years ago, called 'Derek'

[Gandalf]

Btw those who are offended must hate this skit Gervais did donkeys years ago, called 'Derek'

Nothing offensive in that at all.

I think with comedy ANYTHING goes. It's just wrong to get upset by anyone saying a word like 'retard', 'mong', spastic' etc. Sure they are words with horrible connotations, but they are words that exist nonetheless. I find it ridiculous that we can watch people having sex quite freely and yet we are supposed to censor lexical items. If anything an actual fanny should be more censored than an expression like 'arse bandit'.

I just don't like the way uptight people try to restrict so called naughty or out of bounds words. Just let people say what they like without putting restrictions upon them. Sure if someone says something racist then you can call them a racist, but allow people to use those words if they so desire. Don't force people to tow the PC line.

What is the term for someone who insults the handicapped anyway? We have homophobe and we have racist, but what is someone who is mean about people in wheelchairs? I have no idea.