Words, Words, Words

Over the last couple weeks I've been thinking about the power of words in our society. The first amendment to our Constitution includes the protection of freedom of speech, but each person is all over the board on this. Most people in this country, whether they like to admit it or not, would like there to be some sort of limit on free speech.
One of the major things people want to limit is the use of slurs. I agree that the "n-word" should be wiped from our current vocabulary. It was a word created centuries ago solely to demean an entire race of people in this country, who were already being enslaved and/or killed. However, that does not mean that we should take it out of books written during this time period. The reason Tom Sawyer used this word in his writing was not to demean African-American slaves, but rather to demonstrate the horrible times in which he was living.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, however, is the word "retard." The word was originally used to mean "to hold back." Then, in the late 19th century it was used as an umbrella term for anyone who suffers from one of any developmental disabilities. Now, there are a number of people trying to get rid of the "r-word" as they say, comparing to the "n-word." That's where I believe they are blowing things out of proportion. "Retard" was not created as a word to put down any person. However, if people really want to get rid of it, then let's do it. And then, start using the words that were originally used: idiot, moron, and imbecile. Those are words that were created to demean a large group of people, but are no longer used because "retarded" is not as politically incorrect. And even if we do stop using "retarded," where do we go from there? Mentally handicapped? Isn't there a group trying to get rid of the word "handicapped" as well?
Then somewhere in the middle, we have the LGBT community. I will preface this by saying I completely support equal rights for everybody, and right now the main group that is not given these equal rights are the LGBT community. And I agree that the "f-word" should not be used as it is, because it has been used in so many hate crimes. However, I was recently scolded for defining genetic sex as a binary term. I agree that gender is a social construct and should be treated as a continuum, but sex is mainly binary. However, it is a very loose binary system. Sure it is possible for any variety of intersex individuals, but there is also a possibility for polydactyly in humans as well. Yet, we still classify the number of fingers and toes per limb as 5. So until we change our classification for this number, I stand strong in my binary definition of sex.
Then there is the straw that broke the camel's back. Apparently overnight, a girl supposedly attending UCLA posted a video blog on Youtube about the "Asians in the Library" who are always talking on their phone, saying "ching chong ling long ting tong." While I agree that this is reprehensible, I'm really not that surprised. I saw a video response in which a guy summed up my thoughts exactly. We sweep our discrimination under the rug for all but 2 groups: LGBT community and Muslims. However, there are public figures that still buy into discrimination. Unfortunately for many rational conservatives, a large majority of them happen to be conservatives. One major event on the scale of this event was Rush Limbaugh speaking about Hu Jintao's speech in America in January, and trying to replicate his speech in gibberish that he said was Chinese. Even before that, though, there was a huge outrage when it was thought that then presidential candidate Obama was Muslim. So what if he is? Even if he is Muslim, that does not make him a terrorist just because there are Muslim extremists in the world. These extremists are not much different than the Westboro Baptist Church. We don't associate all Christian faiths with the WBC, so why do we associate all Muslims with the extremists that launch terror attacks? So why are so many people surprised that this girl thought it was okay to say what she did?
Stop it, America!

Showbiz

Charlie Sheen. I think that is enough by now. We all know that he is a punchline and we can just move on with our lives and not waste our breaths on this idiot.
Speaking of stupidity in Hollywood, Kobe Bryant last week was immortalized at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. I totally support their decision to do this based on Kobe's great film career... wait that's not right. As Jimmy Kimmel said, "The closest Kobe's come to acting is pretending he's going to pass the ball to Luke Walton." In other news, famous film director Kevin Smith will be inducted into the basketball hall of fame this summer. Sure that might be sarcastic, but if Kobe is given undeserving honors, why not spread the wealth. Grauman's is supposed to be a place to celebrate the history of film. Not a place to thank rapists who were coerced to stay in the city of Los Angeles (allegedly).
Last night, the roster for the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars was announced. I'm usually not interested in this show unless somebody I like is on it (like Chuck Liddell or Steve-O in the past). The one problem people have had in the past with the show is that there is always a "nobody" that they say doesn't fit in or deserve to be on the show. This year the one person that is considered to be the "nobody" is Michael "Psycho Mike" Catherwood. However, I hate to burst their bubbles, but he is just as famous as most people that have been on the show before. Just a sampling on the "professions" of previous and current contestants: wife of Elvis Presley, Broadway actress, charity campaigner/ex-wife of a Beatle, voice actor, reality TV star, etc. So classifying a man who is the host of a nationally syndicated radio show, assistant producer of a nationally recognized radio show, and occasional TV host as a star is not so far-fetched. Let's take a look at the rest of the cast: Kendra Wilkinson, who is famous for being the girlfriend of Hugh Hefner and wife of a journeyman NFL player; Kirstie Alley, who was famous for being in Cheers in the late 80s; Chris Jericho, a professional "wrestler"; Chelsea Kane, an actress on the Disney Channel; Sugar Ray Leonard, one of the greatest boxers in history, whose last match was in '97; Ralph Macchio, who played the original Karate Kid in '84; Petra Nemcova, a model whose claim to fame is her husband's tragic death; Romeo, who got his career because of his dad; Hines Ward, an NFL player; and Wendy Williams, a BET talk show host. I guess they are right, he doesn't fit in with these HUGE stars.
And once again, I will finish with Americans ignoring great things from another country. I recently started watching the reboot of Doctor Who. For those who don't know, Doctor Who is a British sci-fi show that was started in 1963 and was rebooted in 2005. It is considered to be one of the greatest shows in British history. However, in America, it is deemed "nerdy" to watch it. Why? Just a few years ago, Lost was one of the biggest shows on TV, even though it was a confusing sci-fi show. On the other hand, even though Doctor Who is sci-fi show, it is still fairly easy to understand on multiple levels. Sure there are the huge Doctor Geeks who know the entire timeline, but it can also be enjoyed by the layperson. So much so that in 2008 9 out of 10 British children could correctly identify a Dalek (an alien species in the Whoniverse). While in America our children can recognize Ronald McDonald. Even the Queen is a huge fan of the show. So if watching Doctor Who is a "nerdy" thing, then the entire United Kingdom must be nerdy.
Stop it America!