Good Morning, whore you today?

[omega minimo]

There has been rampant abuse of "whore"-- with all sorts of creative new variations of "whore" in thread titles and post titles. DU Rules allow "media whore." That's it. (see below)

"Despite our best efforts, some of our members often stray from this ideal and cheapen the quality of discourse for everyone else."

Admod: please continue with your "best efforts" to moderate

DUers and frurkers: Don't try to get away with "cheapening the quality of discourse for everyone else."

Thank you

A COUPLE RECENT EXAMPLES

GD THREAD TITLE
"Is Howard Fineman having second thoughts about whoring for the WH?"  

GD POST TITLE
 "they are trying to distract from their own whoredom related to lying
about Iraq. It's that simple. They are still Bush's whores."


Discussion Forum Rules

“...members should avoid using racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted terminology. This includes gender-specific terms such as "bitch," "cunt," "whore," "slut," or "pussy," and terms with homophobic derivation, such as "cocksucker," which are often inflammatory and inappropriate. One common exception is the use of the phrase "media whore," which is permitted.”

Every member of this community has a responsibility to participate in a respectful manner, and to help foster an atmosphere of thoughtful discussion. In this regard, we strongly advise that our members exercise a little common decency, rather than trying to parse the message board rules to figure out what type of antisocial behavior is not forbidden.

[DemonFighterLives]

1. I don't quite see how this is a big deal

The media whores are being called on their whoring.
:shrug:

[cynatnite]

5. It's the gender specific and offensive names the OP is referring to

'media whores' is okay. 'Whores' are not.

It's in the rules of DU and it would be nice if they were followed as well as enforced.

[skids]

7. Oh, come on.

Noone applies gender-specificity to the word "whore" anymore.

That said, personally I would like to see the level of dialogue elevated. I mean, curse when you mean it, when emphasis is desired, rather than feeling the need to weave these words into normal tone.

[cynatnite]

11. plenty of people apply it

here and in the rest of the world. I banned those words from this house because of how they demean and hurt women.

I hid a thread yesterday and it was supposed to be a joke. Sorry, but my humor does not extend to even joke about it. It's the same thing if it was a joke about people of color, religion, sex or whatever the case may be.

I find it offensive and no laughing matter.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[skids]

24. What?

I wasn't complaining about the rules. The rules are fine with me, and I wasn't asking for them to be changed.

[Name removed]

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[DemonFighterLives]

12. Well I try to be very PC

But when you come to a large community like DU, you have to close your eyes every once in a while. Not trying to get into an argument here, but I fail to see where Whore is gender specific.
Jeffy Gannon was a whore 2 ways, media and in real life. Now that is a Whore with a Capital W.

[cynatnite]

15. This is why I hid the thread

It offended me...I can't speak for anyone else, plus I know chances are that no action would be taken. I try not to get worked up over this stuff because it doesn't do any good and I would be accused of being overly sensitive or something.

There is a certain amount of hypocrisy that goes along with it. People would be up in arms if race was being handled in a joking manner.

Hiding the threads seems to be the best course of action for those that I find personally offensive or tasteless.

[Eloriel]

30. Hide them AFTER you alert on them. This is important.

For one thing, there IS a slightly better approach by DU Admin these days than in the past. Second, the Mods can't read every post, and aren't even always on duty. If you send an Alert, they'll certainly see it. Finally, if we don't COMPLAIN about the sexist shit we encounter, nothing will ever change. I think you owe it to all of us to at least alert. EVEN IF NOTHING GETS DONE, your alert matters because if enough of us speak up, then we'll get noticed.

[omega minimo]

16. Right, but having to "close your eyes" almost continuously

makes it hard to read.



The gender thing we don't buy. It's the Rules. No argument.

This has been discussed many times and many reasons have been given. The dirty secret is it makes people look ignorant. DU Rules calls it "cheapening" the experience.

[Bouncy Ball]

36. "almost continuously" is an exaggeration.

[MadHound]

37. Actually, it isn't a gender specific term friend

Whores can be, and are, of both sexes, and the term is used interchangeably with both sexes. Here, go check out the American Heritage Dictionary entry for whore<http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry?id=w0143400> Notice that all of the entries specifically state "person", not woman.

Sorry, but there are many terms such as media whore, corporate whore etc. that have their meaning diluted, diminished, or dissolved altogether if one tries to be PC about the matter.

Sorry friend, but this is really a non-issue that I feel you should leave up to the mods and administrators to take care of.

[KansDem]

47. Here's a definition from FreeDictionary...

whore (hôr, hr)
n.
1. A prostitute.
2. A person considered sexually promiscuous.
3. A person considered as having compromised principles for personal gain.
intr.v. whored, whor·ing, whores
1. To associate or have sexual relations with prostitutes or a prostitute.
2. To accept payment in exchange for sexual relations.
3. To compromise one's principles for personal gain.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/whore

When I use "whore" or "Whoreth Estate," I am using it in the context of the third definition.

I certainly hope the moderators reconsider this call...


edited to correct preposition

[MadisonProgressive]

2. Can we say motherfucker?

[Bouncy Ball]

40. I hope so, because bush and all his ilk are total

motherfuckers.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[omega minimo]

6. Too late-- we got your number

Fit the profile

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sui generis]

4. what's wrong with whoring?

Prostitution is a service like massages and haircuts - not everybody gets one or wants one, but we shouldn't be making rules about it for everyone else based on what we think about it ourselves.

We do make rules about unlicensed massage therapists and unlicensed beauticians and stylists, so we should be making the same kinds of licensing rules about prostitutes.

That's the best way to take the sting out of being called a media "whore", is if it has the same weight as being called a media "hairburner" or a media "housekeeper".

[Eloriel]

49. If you want to talk about prostitutes -- of either sex --

then use THAT term, not "whore." Whore has been a word almost (not quite) synomymous with prostitute, usually applied to women who were not living up to society's often impossible, usually Catch-22 and ALWAYS double-standards fre sexuality and promiscuity and also just whenever some woman is behaving in ways that some male disapproves of, whereas the word prostitute doesn't have near that kind of baggage. So be specific in your use of the right term, and you won't run afoul of DU's rules.

[sui generis]

52. intent is EVERYTHING

if we're sitting here shooting at each other over every conceivable insult to be taken from every conceivable turn of phrase we're turning some people off with the circular firing squad and entertaining the rest of the world who thinks this is all we do.

I completely understand your point about being sensitive, but I disagree that use of the term is the same in every context.

There are bigger meanings to using colorful language than the literal interpretation of the phrase, and disagreeing with you does not make me a bigot or a misogynist.

It's all about context - sometimes I use the expression "bug eating man bitch", because it's funny and unexpected. I don't mean to malign bugs by comparing them to objectionable humans. I certainly don't intend to imply that people who eat bugs are less human than people who don't. And I don't intend to offend men or women or territorial whelping female dogs with the latter part of the phrase.

What I mean is the guy is an asshole, but I certainly don't want to offend assholes so what I'm left with is no color when I state that the guy is just a, well, guy! (sorry to guys for implying that there's something wrong with guys).

You can't win unless you're willing to acknowledge that context and the speaker's intent count for 99 percent of any insult to be taken.

Anyway, we've had this discussion before, as I recall, and it ended badly. I titled a thread in the style of The Onion, "Entire Island of Aruba Searches for Blonde White Chick . . ." is it all coming back now?

I'm still ticked off by that hijacking.

[Sparkman]

50. For me it's where to park the car. on the down low.

[6 sack fiber]

8. Thanks for the reminder, I understand and appreciate

your concern.

When I see gutter language and profanity used to buttress a point of view I'm a little put off by it also.

[nini]

9. This is a bit much to me.

If these words aren't directed at another poster - I don't get it. I admit I am not easily offended, but the 'complete' ban of these words is excessive - especially bitch and whore. The other ones I agree with the rules more on.

And I really don't see the use of 'whoring' in the example above being a problem.

[K-W]

10. In both examples, the term obviously refers to media whores.

If Media-whores is allowed, I dont see the problem with these usages.

[omega minimo]

13. What part of "It's DU Rules" don't you understand

If you don't get it, read post #5. If you mean "media whores" then use that--- not "whore" all over the place.

Admod: please continue with your "best efforts" to moderate

DUers and frurkers: Don't try to get away with "cheapening the quality of discourse for everyone else."

Why is this a big deal? It's not. Follow the Rules.

If ya don't--

It "cheapens the quality of discourse for everyone else."

Makes people look ignorant

Degrades DU

Makes people look ignorant

Reflects badly on Democrats

Both DU and Dems lose valuable contributors

:hi:

[progressivebydesign]

27. Umm.. are you the new Post Police?

I find it so odd to see relative newcomers trying to clean up the joint lately. I'm happy to see newcomers to DU, and have for many years, but the latest attempt to PC us to death is grating.

[Eloriel]

51. Okay, so I'm an oldster and agree with O.M. completely -- in fact,

I THANK her for having the heart and courage to do it. Too bad you as a female oldster can't join her efforts instead of berating her for being relatively new and giving a damn about women and sexism and bigotry at DU.

[omega minimo]

55. If you think DU Rules "PC you to death"

you could take that up with Admod.

How many people does DU lose because of "cheapened" discourse?

How does that reflect on DU and Dems?

Why is it to much to ask for the Rules to be followed?

[sui generis]

56. I for one am tired of school marms

it does take away from the discussion. I use colorful language. If it's too colorful I'll get deleted. If it's not colorful enough I'll get ignored.

If I have to change the way I think and talk to be a plain vanilla version of what ONE person thinks is appropriate, then I would not be me and we can't have that.

And, if I were me, which I am, I would protest the entire intent of this thread. It's ridiculous. Don't we have anything better to discuss?

[blogslut]

14. Bummer

I guess my nickname must drive you mad.

Nice not chatting. :)

[nini]

20. LOL

:thumbsup:


I guess we all have to put you on ignore.

[omega minimo]

25. Not at all

Titles about "bogsluts" would be something else.

Scanning the Topic page and having WHORE in your face violates DU rules.

[blogslut]

28. hmmm

are bogsluts men or women?

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

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[matcom]

18. see, this is why i love GD so much

:popcorn:

[Blue-Jay]

46. Pass it Matcom!

:popcorn:
:bounce:

[Solly Mack]

21. Has anyone seen my wubbie?

I've lost my wubbie...again.

[Dora]

23. Where's the cheese?

to go along with this whine?

[matcom]

26. "Why don't you go back to Whore Island!"

not you :D

quote from movie Anchorman

[Dora]

31. I still haven't rented that movie

But I love Will Farrel.

[matcom]

34. another classic from the movie:

"You're a dirty pirate whore" :rofl:

[Spider Jerusalem]

32. You know, since you're NOT a moderator...

you really don't have any say in deciding what constitutes appropriate discourse. You don't have to read something if you don't like it, and if you think it's REALLY inappropriate, alert on it and let the moderators decide (because it IS their call to make; that's what they're there for).

Not only that, "whore" is hardly a gender-specific insult, especially in the context of the examples you cited. (Last time I checked, Howard Fineman had a Y chromosome.)

[Bouncy Ball]

33. Why don't you just HIT ALERT on those threads

and leave everyone else alone about it? You know, as in let the mods do their job?

And if you disagree with a posting rule, email Skinner or something. Geez.

[Bouncy Ball]

38. I'll say this here.

There was another thread recently in which the poster was doing something along these same lines--acting as board police.

The whole setup was, I'll say x, DUers will disagree on a certain basis, I'll twist that basis around to say they AGREE with doing x (no one would, btw), and then I can accuse them of __________!

In this case, omega can say "everyone! don't say 'whore' in any context, it cheapens the discourse! It offends people! It makes us look bad!" and if ANYONE has any disagreement, omega can say "oh so you are ok with cheapening the discourse, offending people, and making DU look bad?"

It's the old "So when did you stop beating your wife?" trick.

We have posting rules. The admins and moderators are well aware of them, as are most DUers. If something offends you, if you think it is alertable, HIT ALERT. Then let the moderators do their job. If it is so horrible you can't look at it, hit hide thread. It's really quite simple. But attempting to be the board police is a way of saying "I don't trust the moderators to do their job" and frankly, I think that's pretty insulting.

[Bouncy Ball]

39. BTW, you used "whore" three times in your title and opening

sentence.

And it WASN'T in the context of "media whores."

[Beacho]

41. Oh boy, another language police thread

the joy is overwhelming

:boring:

[sui generis]

57. scoot over

I'm getting ready to take a brain aneurysm nap on the topic too - and it's always the same cluster of school marms.

Oh I've insulted "marms" everywhere. dang it.

[SmokingJacket]

42. I'm happy to follow the rules, and I think I usually do, but...

it's important to recognize that we all have different standards when it comes to gutter language. I think of the word "whore" as someone who sells their soul for money. Strangely, for me the word doesn't even apply to prostitutes any more; I have more respect for someone who sells sex for money than for someone who sells their soul.

So I'd be pissed if someone accused me of not respecting women because I use the word whore around the house.

Nevertheless I try to respect others' sensitivities, so I will avoid the word in the future.

Can we come up with a good replacement, though? Because honestly, it fits so many of the bushgang SO well.

[Spider Jerusalem]

48. If you need a word that conveys the same thing...

start calling 'em "Faustian".

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[lukasahero]

54. The biggest insult you can come up with is slang for female genitalia? n/t

[Moderator]

58. Locking

This topic and the language used is inappropriate for DU.

DU Moderator.