CNN just ran the following caption: "RAGGING ON REPUBLICANS?"

[Orrex]

Does that strike anyone else as creepily misogynistic? What next? Ejaculating on Educators, perhaps?


Mea Culpa! I have been made aware that my understanding of the etymology was incorrect. Please disregard!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5628010&mesg_id=5628122

[itsrobert]

1. They are trying to say Wanda was "on the rag"

Very SEXIST, if you ask me.

[Orrex]

2. I'm irked that the phrase was put on the screen without comment

As if it's part of today's accepted journalistic lexicon.

If they'd said "Mitch McConnell doesn't have the balls to filibuster Obama's judicial nominee," do you suppose it would have been passed over as smoothly?

[KittyWampus]

5. Oh please, this is absurd. The term "ragging on" has been applied to both sexes and I guarantee

only a minuscule number of human beings would EVER leap to such a thought.

[dem629]

10. But they put "SEXIST" in all caps, so they must have a really good point.

:P

[itsrobert]

11. You really don't know how the corporate media plays these games

Oh well.

[JonLP24]

3. Fuck CNN!

They had the caption hanging out with Pols, celebrities. UGH Every white house press dinner has comedians. Even with Bush.

[KittyWampus]

4. to suggest that "ragging on" someone infers only a woman is so stupid, it numbs the mind.

[Catch22Dem]

26. I figured I'd scan the replies before I wrote my own...

Just in case someone else said exactly what I was thinking. Yours wins. :D

This is easily the dumbest post of the day.

ON EDIT: Yours isn't the dumbest post of the day...the OP's is. Sorry about that. ;)

[Orrex]

27. Way to join the party after it's over

If you'd actually scanned the replies or even the OP, you'd see that I've recognized my error and recanted several times over.


Thanks for your contribution, though.

[Catch22Dem]

32. You're welcome

;)

[Mika]

6. So, exposing repug corruption is "ragging" while Dems get (pseudo)serious investigations..

.. over a BJ and other fake shenanigans (like the haircuts, clothes, exposed arms, etc).

:mad:

[Supersedeas]

17. according to CNN....Republicans are so vulnerable and misunderstood

[realisticphish]

7. how is that misogynistic?

it means teasing, tormenting, or picking on. How is it sexual? :shrug:

[Orrex]

12. My understanding is that it derives from "on the rag"

And that phrase, when applied to someone else, is invariably used to ridicule or diminish.

[realisticphish]

18. no, it doesn't

according to merriam websters, its etymology is unknown, but the first reference is in 1739. Another etymology site has this entry:

rag (v.)
"scold," 1739, of unknown origin; perhaps related to Dan. dialectal rag "grudge."

And yeah, it's used to ridicule. But there is no known gender reference to it at all.

refs:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=r&p=1
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ragging

[dem629]

21. Yep. And it's origin is British ("R.A.G. weeks" - Raising And Giving)

"ragging on" came from the pranks and hazing done on students as they went about their charitable fundraising.

[dem629]

8. It does if you're looking for something to complain about.

[Orrex]

13. Self-delete

Of a post that was pointlessly argumentative.

Is there a self-admonishing smiley, by any chance?

[dem629]

15. Slow day, huh?

You either are desperately looking for something to be "offended" by, or you are willfully clueless about the term you're talking about.

It is derived from British "rag week." Look it up and learn something. I know that's not as fun as manufacturing outrage, but oh well.

[Orrex]

24. Oops. Pardon me while I back off and slink away to hide my embarrassment

:hide:

[TahitiNut]

9. Don't that just put the rag on the bush?

(Clue: "Ragging on" is a slang idiom unrelated to the idioms of "on the rag" or "rag on the bush.")

Next up: "niggardly"?

[Orrex]

16. Post your source, and I'll recant

[realisticphish]

19. see post #18

[Orrex]

22. Fair enough. See post #20

[realisticphish]

23. cool nt

[TahitiNut]

28. My 'source' is 65 years on the planet, but if you want a link, then here ...

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/ragging+on

[Orrex]

30. Yeah, that's actually the one the I found via teh Google

:blush:

[liberalmuse]

14. My republican ex claims...

that poor Bush was the one who got the shaft (gotta use sexual innuendo when referring to 'pubs, apparently) from the MSM and President Obama and the Democrats are the ones getting a free pass. I just don't even know where to fucking start with that one. If the 'pubs wouldn't give the comedians and sane people so much material, maybe they wouldn't be "ragged" on, and perhaps someone should remind the 'pubs it was a ROAST, for Pete's sake. :eyes:

[Orrex]

20. Whoops!

It appears that I was in error, and the phrase is not, in fact, derived from the menstruation-based insult, though I have previously read arguments to that effect.


My thanks to TahitiNut, dem629, and realisticphish for pointing out my error without being assholes about it. :hi:

[JonLP24]

25. Either way the media has no sense of humor

Even had the caption hanging out with pols, celebrities. Every f'in white house press dinner has a comedian. Stephen Colbert, David Lettermen are an example of 2 during Bush's tenure.

[TahitiNut]

29. Kewl.

:hi:

[Marr]

31. I've never heard the word "ragging" used in a sexist way.

I've always heard the word applied to both sexes.