I've been under extreme pressure over the last two months, but I have a day off today and so decided to check in.
PC, the lovely narrative that people are growing up with today. If I make a rude comment, I might be revealing my secret ableism, ageism, racism, sexism, and the list goes on. If I make a rude joke, I might traumatise someone because of the PC idea.
Okay, I'm going to reveal all the above biases with this comment and might traumatise a few people, but there's no way around it: I won't say the idea is flawed--it is simply WRONG.
Ableism, ageism, sexism, racism, and the like are prejudices about your superiority or inferiority as an overall PERSON in general based on these few characteristics, not the simple recognition of who you might need help because of these small characteristics. The fact that the man on the bus is offering me his seat because I limp doesn't reveal him as an ableist. It reveals him as a man willing to help because he sees me. The fact that a man offers you help in putting your bag up in the in the luggage bin does not reveal him as a sexist. It reveals him as a man who is trying to be helpful because in all likelihood he is taller and stronger than you are. Each of these actions could be an offence of one of the isms above under PC because the opposite person is enforcing stereotypes, not being courteous and helpful. Seeking out a woman and dating a woman because I want to get married someday and perhaps be a father is enforcing stereotypes. #1, I'm hitting on women so I'm a sexist. #2, I want to get married specifically to a woman because I'm straight (The correct word is heteronormative), so I'm enforcing another sexist stereotype. #3, I want to be a father, not a friend or a mother. So I guess these three things reveals me as a sexist. I'm reinforcing stereotypes. The sad thing is I'n not joking.
That is a MAJOR fault within PC.
Another MAJOR fault: The most minor offence can be traumatising. A friend and I were talking about PC the other day and she claimed that PC does allow for debate until one person's feelings are hurt. We then dropped the subject.
A debate can and almost must hurt feelings easily and frequently. The other person is questioning your worldview. So even if every point the other person makes is valid and their argument is sound, it can hurt the feelings you have for your worldview. If I argue we should go to the pub and you argue that we should watch a movie, one of us will have their feelings hurt because the other would win. When it gets to bigger issues it would be even worse. This ends in no political debate whatsoever.
This closes debate. Naturally, this means we stereotype because we cannot have a debate. This doctrine, therefore creates a taxonomy of different people that everyone follows based on the above characteristics. We dare not question the doctrine lest we be labelled an ist!
Because of this, there is a significant hypocrisy central to the PC doctrine--the doctrine creates a taxonomy that enforces stereotypes. We're all ableists, ageists, racists, and sexists if we follow it because of the taxonomy this creates. It's a different taxonomy from the taxonomy PC claims we as a society have already, but this new taxonomy is still a taxonomy evaluating you on your general outside characteristics and not evaluating you as a the true person you are.
Comedians are beginning to refuse to perform at college campuses. Two major comedians who have opted out have been Chris Rock and Larry the Cable Guy. Why do they do it? Because their role is to make fun of whatever's current. Because of this, their best gig would be to make fun of PC on campus. However, questioning PC reveals one as a Sexist! Racist! Ageist! Ableist! Seinfeld has said that he doesn't think that college students really understand what those words mean. There was a time not long ago when an African American, woman, elder person, or cripple was judged an inferior person because of these characteristics. No better example exists than what happened 76 years ago when we entered World War II.
I find PC both terrifying and hilarious. I'm sure these comedians feel the same. I wonder how many people realise the massive hypocrisy central to the doctrine.
