Slog - Comments on I Am Dumb http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb I was just on NPR's Talk of the Nation discussing Isaiah Washington's use of the word faggot--I was there to make the "reclaiming hate words" argument--and we segued into a discussion of disabled people reclaiming the word cripple, nuts using the word crazy, etc. I pointed out that there's an organization that advocates for the rights of adults that were adopted as children. It's Bastard Nation. Then I said that those bastards are trying to "reclaim the stigma" of illegitimacy. I meant, of course, "subvert the stigma" of illegitimacy. I am dumb. We weren't allowed to use the word "faggot"... Copyright 2008 Thu, 01 Feb 2007 11:43:31 -0800 Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:13:39 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Enigma I remember having a debate with my high school costume teacher about the stigma of being born illegitamate. I didn't think it existed anymore, she claimed it did in small towns. My parents were never married, though they live together for 18 years. I never experienced the stigma of being a bastard, and used the term often, even though it offended my teacher.
I am a lesbian and use the term queer often among my gay friends. But my gay best friend is offended when faggot is used even in jest among our gay friends.
It's interesting what offends people and what rolls off our backs.

]]> Enigma http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606079 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606079 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:01:16 -0800 Comment by konstantconsumer i remember having this debate when i changed my college gay group from the every so wussy "Friends of Lesbians and Gays" to the Queer Student Alliance. We even sent a request for some stuff from HRC, and instead got chastised over our name choice. i hate that fucking organization.

]]> konstantconsumer http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606082 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606082 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:05:27 -0800 Comment by Fnarf Aren't something over 50% of all children born outside of wedlock now? "Illegitimate" sounds a lot more pejorative than "bastard" to me. Kids born out of wedlock are perfectly legitimate kids, aren't they?

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606084 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606084 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:07:44 -0800 Comment by DOUG. As a white guy, I'm just glad Joe Biden is reclaiming the words "articulate" and "clean" for us.

]]> DOUG. http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606087 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606087 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:10:05 -0800 Comment by Levislade I just need to clear something up: Is Isaiah Washington actually receiving flak for using the "f-word" in his denial that he ever used the "f-word"? (i.e., "I never called him a faggot.") Really? Seriously? I mean, that's just kinda nuts, isn't it? I mean, he shouldn't have said it in the first place, assuming he did, but it seems perfectly appropriate to use the word people said you used when denying that you used it. If that makes sense.

]]> Levislade http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606092 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606092 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:15:52 -0800 Comment by Mike in MO I love all those terms. Especially "sissy." But it is not up to me to decide what offends someone else. If someone doesn't like me using a particular term, I give them respect and refrain. Unless they piss me off, in which case I call them FAGGOTBASTARDNIGGER.

:)

]]> Mike in MO http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606102 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606102 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:25:24 -0800 Comment by mpls Dan, its easy to overanalyze yourself when you hear your voice on the radio, or see yourself on TV. But no one but you noticed that little mistake. Relax, dude.

]]> mpls http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606105 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606105 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:29:05 -0800 Comment by David Schmader MPLS at 7: Apparently, you've never incurred the wrath of the marginalized. If it's anything like the LGBT community, the Bastard community will soon be sending Dan a tersely worded letter correcting his mistake and asking for a retraction...

]]> David Schmader http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606109 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606109 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:35:02 -0800 Comment by SEAN NELSON, EMERITUS have you guys heard that new emo band, bastard community?

]]> SEAN NELSON, EMERITUS http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606176 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606176 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 13:24:49 -0800 Comment by Teeven Hmith I hate being call da dummie.

]]> Teeven Hmith http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606184 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606184 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 13:41:29 -0800 Comment by jamier Ohhh might as well give a link to hear it: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7117625

Go to the 9:00 minute mark to avoid the offensive chitter chatter.

]]> jamier http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606218 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606218 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 14:21:30 -0800 Comment by Margaret L. Hey Dan, you go on live national media to defend reason and sanity. Anyone who gets weird on you for a single malapropism needs to see their chiropractor for a priority adjustment.

]]> Margaret L. http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606231 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606231 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 14:37:01 -0800 Comment by BD Isaiah Washington and the "f"-word.

What a fucking mountain made out of a molehill. Did he personally apologize to Dan Savage ala Michael Richards?

]]> BD http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606307 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606307 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 16:04:47 -0800 Comment by Papayas When my mom was growing up there were two public school systems--one for the legitimate children and one for the illegitimate kids. The school for the kids with married parents was nice. The school for the kids with unmarried parents was shitty and the teachers (nuns) would beat the kids. No, she did not grow up in US.

]]> Papayas http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606312 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606312 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 16:07:11 -0800 Comment by nipper shit...godamn! YOU OUTED MY USE OF THE WORD "FAG" TO MY MOM on the RADIO....dammit, thats really fucking gay, Savage, thanks. gah! did you tell her how I just L-O-V-E to use "turd burgler" as well? sheesh!

]]> nipper http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606340 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c606340 Media Thu, 01 Feb 2007 16:18:09 -0800 Comment by ellen It was interesting that you couldn't use the word faggot, because it was used, once, earlier today on 'Day to Day' during a discussion of a NYC ban of the n-word.

]]> ellen http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c607931 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c607931 Media Fri, 02 Feb 2007 11:34:07 -0800 Comment by qxbg iyab qdhjubw nwjyc yjae bkvihox terzwxsk caeiqlb cpzsotmhv

]]> qxbg iyab http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c640589 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c640589 Media Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:13:36 -0800 Comment by qxbg iyab qdhjubw nwjyc yjae bkvihox terzwxsk caeiqlb cpzsotmhv

]]> qxbg iyab http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c640590 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/i_am_dumb#c640590 Media Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:13:39 -0800