What is the most politically correct thing you've ever heard of? (PC gone mad!)

I'm doing a survey for my sociology project about political correctness and whether it is imagined and stoked by the tabloids or actually true. Has Pc gone mad or have we? Do you think PC and the Elf 'n Safety brigade have ruined our British humour? Does it offend you?

Scandalous stuff like the Winter Festival would be great! :biggrin:

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Reply 1

chloeee!

I watched a video on radical feminists who insisted on saying 'herstory' instead of 'history'. Don't know if that really counts as a PC story but it's hilarious anyway.

Reply 2

DiZZeeKiD

Blackboards in school being renamed "Chalkboards" to avoid offending black people. Although "Whiteboard", remains untouched.

Manhole covers being renamed "Personnel Access Units" to avoid offending women.

A job application being rejected because the person described themself as "reliable" and "hard-working", the job centre said it could be offensive to unreliable people.

Reply 3

amsie/

Some parts are OTT, like blackboard, where on earth did that come from?
& having to take this sign out wherever there's any spillages:

Even if it's the size of a pea ffs :facepalm:

Edit: sheesh guys, OP did mention health & safety, PC doesn't really get on my nerves tbh.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 4

chloeee!

Also, yeah I think my generation is more politically correct, or at least aware that we should be. My dad always says "coloured people" - that's a man who has lived in London his whole life. Every time he says it me and my sister are like, "Dad! You can't say coloured, you say black!" He also says half cast instead of mixed race...

But at the same time there are a lot of politically incorrect jokes 'cracked' all the time at school etc usually based on race and I don't think anyone ever takes offence. For example, there are two girls in my History class, one of whom is a Muslim and the other black - who call each other "bomber" and "slave" - but they both know it's just a joke, obviously.

Reply 5

Mujeriego

Snow White and the Seven Persons of Restricted Growth.

Reply 6

bognor-regis

I got suspended from school for saying that I was late because I had to go to the paki shop for phone credit. lol, 2 years ago.

Reply 7

chloeee!

Something else to add! My nephew is two and so cbeebies (?) is on in my house permenantly. Half the presenters have some sort of disability, and I'm not even exaggerating. Nearly all the children in programmes like Balamory are disabled. Is there really any need? I'm not even being rude but it looks very... Labour gone mad.

Also in exam papers, "Ahmed and Shanice and Jane have 50p each..." etc haha.

Reply 8

Holly Hiskey

Just go and read any Richard Littlejohn article!

Reply 9

fallen_acorns

watch:

http://video.uk.msn.com/watch/video/political-correctness/12ggzvrfq

its a stuart lee show on political correct-ness... covers all you need to know

Reply 10

moody_bum

Gingerbread people as opposed to gingerbread men.
Because it apparently offends women :/

Reply 11

Great Lord Xenu

Original post by amsie/

& having to take this sign out wherever there's any spillages:

Even if it's the size of a pea ffs :facepalm:

Why do so many people confuse political correctness and health and safety? :facepalm:

And no, political correctness hasn't gone mad. It's far better than racism and prejudice.

Reply 12

Redkicker

i was told i was racist last week because i was describing this person to someone in my course. the guy i was describing was black, so i said he was black. yep, called racist for that.

Reply 13

Focus08

Original post by chloeee!

This, lol.

Reply 14

sokissme18

baa baa... rainbow sheep? or something :s-smilie:

Reply 15

07734

Hehe, I wear tinted glasses and this little boy once asked me why I was wearing sunglasses in doors and told me I looked silly because of this. His mother immediately began apologising over and over for her rude son. XD I told her it was perfectly okay and that he was only curious but I thought it funny that she felt that her son couldn't ask me a question about my glasses. :P It's like, "oh no! Don't point out someone's got a disability and educate the child! Let's ignore it and hope the child shuts up and won't say anything!!!" XD

Reply 16

callum9999

Original post by amsie/

Some parts are OTT, like blackboard, where on earth did that come from?
& having to take this sign out wherever there's any spillages:

Even if it's the size of a pea ffs :facepalm:

That isn't "political correctness" - it's health and safety to prevent someone falling over, nothing to do with "being correct".

A lot of the stories on here aren't political correctness, and I'd be shocked if most of them aren't just made up. I've never heard of blackboard, baa baa black sheep, ginger bread men, manhole covers etc. being banned. And a search for those terms merely finds stories about them - not actually descriptions on where they have been banned.

this guy

Political correctness has not "gone mad" - much of it is urban legend. I.e. The story about the person told to take their st Georges cross flag down for the world cup because it offended muslims NEVER ACTUALLY HAPPENED. Its a myth. Blackboards are called chalkboards to differentiate them from whiteboards - no school uses blackboards these days the dust is harmful to kids, its got nothing to do with black kids.

Its all a myth. The only people who get upset are racists and bigots. Its good that we are taking steps against exclusive language and the uk is a much nicer place to live now that its unacceptable to call people pakis and ******* in the street or make jokes about the disabled.
(Interesting tsr censors the n word but not "paki"!)

Frankly I'm shocked its a sociology student doing such a stupid survey. You should know better.