Confusing abusing
I somehow can’t resist the hopelessly lowbrow temptation to comment on the Big Brother row and its rumbling aftermath.
First, I note that it underlines the fact that so-called reality TV is nothing to do with reality. You get punished if you show what you’re really like and use the language you might use in real life.
Second, what do you expect when you fill a room with people whose egos are exponentially larger than their IQs? Literate cultured discussion? I think not.
Third, the rules of offensive language are incredibly complicated. In certain sub-cultures, black men routinely greet one another with “hey, niggah.” Used by a white woman no doubt trying to achieve some sloppy street cred with ghetto talk, it gets you thrown off TV. One gay man can cheerfully diss another’s tastes by saying “That’s, like, so gay.” But a straight radio presenter can get in trouble for it.
Why is it now so complicated to insult people?