The Student Room Group

Plan B: 'Chav is a derogatory phrase'

"Plan B has spoken out against the use of the word 'chav', calling the term a "derogatory phrase no different to the ones concerning race or sex" in an official statement on his website."

http://www.gigwise.com/news/71457/Plan-B-Chav-is-a-derogatory-phrase

Discuss :wink:

Is 'chav' a "derogatory phrase no different to the ones concerning race or sex"?
(edited 2 years ago)

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Reply 1
I agree.

Spoiler



This is what springs to mind of a lot of people when the word chav is said, yet he is just like anybody else on the street you walk past. (And if anybody wanted to know this is a statue by Mark Quinn called "a moment of clarity").
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 2
A chav's outlook on life is derogatory, so I don't see what there is to complain about.
I was incredibly confused about this until I realised that Plan B was a 'musician' not a contraceptive.

To be honest, A chav, in my eyes, is no different than saying someone's lower class or upper class etc.. It just implies a group of people who share a similar culture. It's just that they've got pretty crappy things associated with the group that people actually care. What's the difference in saying something like 'oh, that upper class toff'? There isn't one.
I would not consider it as tantamount to racial or sexual slurs, given that is principally applied to individuals who behave in a certain manner and not to an immutable trait. He is correct in his contention that there is a self-fulfilling prophecy that is induced when people consider wearers of certain clothing types, residential statuses, socioeconomic classes, etc. as 'chavs'. Without the antisocial behaviour element, there is no need to denigrate people who are in particular circumstances or choose to wear certain types of clothing. Lazily grouping them with people who are antisocial (the term 'chav' has inextricable connotations of antisocialism) aggrandises collectivism and an us vs. them mentality, which he addressed in his song and video about the topic.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 5
Original post by PoGo HoPz
A chav's outlook on life is derogatory, so I don't see what there is to complain about.


This.

I'm against racism because the majority of people of other races are perfectly decent.

Chavs, however, are never decent people.

EDIT: To clarify - They're called chavs because they behave like scum. It's not a label on their upbringing or their background, it's a label on their behaviour. Are we going to stop referring to those who assault other people as 'thugs'?
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 6
The difference is: you can't change your race or sex, nor should anyone make fun of race/sex given that neither are inferior.
Chavs are clearly inferior,and it's not even about where you were born. - eg. if someone had an education or dressed well or behaved well, even if they were dirt poor they could never, ever be referred to as a chav.
I mean, of course the word's derogatory, but there are good reasons for that.
Reply 7
Original post by hothedgehog

To be honest, A chav, in my eyes, is no different than saying someone's lower class or upper class etc.. It just implies a group of people who share a similar culture. It's just that they've got pretty crappy things associated with the group that people actually care. What's the difference in saying something like 'oh, that upper class toff'? There isn't one.


Because not everyone in the working class shares the 'similiar culture' as that you think about when you hear the word 'Chav'?

Some people on this forum are ****ing beyond me.
you kind of choose to be a gobby raicst (and generally bigoted) ignorant annoying dickhead... it's not something you're born with... and they're generally seen as bad qualities.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 9
Original post by wibletg
This.

I'm against racism because the majority of people of other races are perfectly decent.

Chavs, however, are never decent people.


I couldn't agree more.

Sadly we live in a overly apologetic PC society, where stating the truth will probably become a Public Order offence when the MPs are bored filling out fraudulent expenses claims.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 10
*waits for liberal brigade protesting social injustices* :yawn:
Calling someone a "n*****" is unacceptable because you are mocking them for something they have no control over - ie. their skin colour. The same goes for calling someone a "faggot", you are making fun of them because of their sexuality which they have no control over.

"Chav" on the other hand is a term applied to people who chose to behave in a specific manner, and an unpleasant one at that, it is not something they cannot or should not change. "Chav" does not refer to lower class people, or people from a certain place, or people of a certain ethnicity. It refers to people who are violent and abusive and generally useless to society. I think you have to be a pretty horrible person to be labelled a chav by multiple people, I'm sure they can deal with being called a name considering the stuff they no doubt come out with.
You could be dirt poor but that doesn't make you a chav. It's when you start causing trouble, disturbing the peace etc. that I'd call you a chav. So no, I wouldn't agree, sorry Plan B. You can't compare it to racism or sexism because being a chav is not ingrained into people, it's just people behaving like *****.
Reply 13
Original post by PoGo HoPz
A chav's outlook on life is derogatory, so I don't see what there is to complain about.


What is a chav?
Reply 14
Original post by Piko_Piko
The difference is: you can't change your race or sex, nor should anyone make fun of race/sex given that neither are inferior.
Chavs are clearly inferior,and it's not even about where you were born. - eg. if someone had an education or dressed well or behaved well, even if they were dirt poor they could never, ever be referred to as a chav.
I mean, of course the word's derogatory, but there are good reasons for that.


Absobloodyexactly.
Reply 15
Original post by Iron Lady
*waits for liberal brigade protesting social injustices* :yawn:


I'm a liberal and chav's annoy the **** out of me. The only reason chav is a derogatory word is because chavs are a bunch of annoying low lifes, and I'm not talking about every working class person here, just the chavs.
Reply 16
Original post by Besakt
What is a chav?


Anti-social behaviour: drinking heavily, graffiti, abusing people, disrupting classes (that's if they're not truanting), no respect for rules or society
Not choosing to speak in an acceptable form - slang, silly words
Wearing tracksuits all of the time (or any other inappropiate clothing)

So in essence, they are a menace to society.


*NOTE* my definition does not just include poor people, anyone can be a chav: look at footballers for example.
Original post by Iron Lady
Anti-social behaviour: drinking heavily, graffiti, abusing people, disrupting classes (that's if they're not truanting), no respect for rules or society
Not choosing to speak in an acceptable form - slang, silly words
Wearing tracksuits all of the time (or any other inappropiate clothing)

So in essence, they are a menace to society.


*NOTE* my definition does not just include poor people, anyone can be a chav: look at footballers for example.
Without the antisocial element, what makes the person a menace to society? I don't understand why the other points are even necessary. People who speak with regional dialects are not speaking in standard English. Who and what determines 'appropriate clothing'? They are in a public space and are wearing something they find appealing and comfortable.
Reply 18
Original post by Iron Lady
Anti-social behaviour: drinking heavily, graffiti, abusing people, disrupting classes (that's if they're not truanting), no respect for rules or society
Not choosing to speak in an acceptable form - slang, silly words
Wearing tracksuits all of the time (or any other inappropiate clothing)

So in essence, they are a menace to society.


*NOTE* my definition does not just include poor people, anyone can be a chav: look at footballers for example.


Why are middle class children never referred to as chavs then? I know many middle class children coming from a private school that fit your description of a chav.
The people I see that are referred to as chavs are people who wear tracksuits and joggers and hang around in groups. I see nothing wrong with this whatsoever yet they are label chavs. Why?
(edited 12 years ago)
I agree - the word 'chav' is not just applied to people who dress/act in a certain manner, it is applied to people who are poor. It has connotations with negative behaviour but isn't confined to those who practice it - if you see people wearing certain clothes they will be labelled as chavs even though they may be nice people. These clothes are associated with working class people, but is not only them who have a dress code. It's just that middle class people don't have a derogatory term associated with their's.
(edited 11 years ago)

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