Political incorrectness has compensations

(The Guardian, November 19, 2001)

Sometimes political incorrectness produces its own heroes and heroines. Boxing matches and beauty contests are not among our top-10 most favoured spectator sports. But during the week­end there were some compensations after Lennox Lewis (Great Britain) regained his world heavyweight crown in Las Vegas and Agbani Darego (Miss Nigeria) became the first black African to win the controversial Miss World contest. Lennox's win was enhanced by the fact that he gave a (symbolic) black eye to Don King, the maverick US promoter who had lured Hasim Rahman away from his manager with a $500,000 cash payment. King is no longer king.

Agbani Darego's win, if not more legitimate than previous Miss World contests, was at least more democratic as 50 % of the votes for the 10 finalists came from the TV audience. Loud applause greeted the victory of this computer science student. She beat more than 90 contestants in the South African resort of Sun City. The Miss World contest has become so politically in­correct in recent years that it may well have passed without com­ment but for the result. Most bets had been on a win for Miss America in the current political climate, but the judges made their choices on merit. Which may be another reason, just this once, for celebrating a bit of political incorrectness.

Tasks and questions to the text:

1. Comment on the political climate at the time.
2. Explain the similarity of the two cases described in the arti­cle. What choices should the judges have made to remain politically correct?
3. What is paradoxical about PC? What is the relationship be­tween it and fairness of judgment? How are matches and con­tests judged according to the article?
4. Should political incorrectness be always denounced? What compensations does it have? Give examples of compensa­tions from the text.

Sexism is the belief that one sex is not as good, clever etc., as the other, especially when this results in unfair treat­ment of women by men.

SEXIST LANGUAGE

Strategy of Analysis

1. Divide into pairs or groups to analyze the issue of "Sexist Language".

2.  Introduce the subject. Among other things mention the fact that in recent years many people have taken objection to what is called sexist language: "he" is often used to mean "every­one", "man" to mean "mankind" (i. e. men and women) — even "men and women" puts men first; why not "women and men"? Look back through the unit or try to remember from your own experience what similarly sexist attitudes you can find or think of.

3. Delve into the subject. Don't fail to mention that objection has been taken to words like "spokesman" and "chairman". Analyzing the phenomenon discuss with your partner the questions that follow. Do you prefer "spokesperson" and "chairperson"? What about "personipulate" instead of "manipulate", "herstory" instead of "history", "Personchester" instead of "Manchester"? Are they only good for a modern laugh, or is there some­thing serious behind them? Why do you think these questions have arisen in recent years? What should we do about them — adopt new forms such as Ms instead of Mrs or Miss, or keep to the old ways? Is there any alternative to he/she which is less cumbersome?

4. Now proceed to areas of usage. Are there areas which have predominantly masculine or fem­inine language? Talk about one of the following and try to analyze how "masculine" or "feminine" the language you use is: football, child care, war, cooking, cars, love, diplo­macy, newspapers. Do you agree that "the English language does indeed assume everybody to be male unless they are proved otherwise"? (Angela Carter, "The Language of Sisterhood").

5. Discuss sexist words as manifestations of negative attitudes, since sometimes they are used in an insulting way. Women have been considered "the weaker sex" (William Alexander) and effeminacy has been considered a fault in men, just as mannishness has been thought of as a fault in women. Write paragraphs or comment on the following quotations describing these attitudes. Then compare the amount of sex­ist language you have used with the rest of the class. "What vain unnecessary things are men. How well we do without "em". (John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, "Draft of a Satire on Man") Women get more unhappy the more they try to liberate them­selves. (Brigitte Bardot)

6. Work out a conclusion. What is the relationship between sexist language and political correctness?

Consider the following well-known story taken from Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner. Choose all instances of politically-correct vocabulary and para­phrase them into plain English.

                                         LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

There once was a young person named Red Riding Hood who lived with her mother on the edge of a large wood. One day her mother asked her to take a basket of fresh fruit and mineral water to her grandmother's house — not because this was woman's work, mind you, but because the deed was generous and helped engender a feeling of community. Furthermore, her grand­mother was NOT sick, but rather was in full physical and mental health and was fully capable of taking care of herself as a mature adult.

Red Riding Hood set off with her basket through the woods. Many people believed that the forest was a foreboding and dan­gerous place and never set foot in it. Red Riding Hood, however, was confident enough in her own budding sexuality that such obvious Freudian imagery did not intimidate her.

On the way to Grandmother's house, Red Riding Hood was accosted by a wolf, who asked her what was in the basket. She replied, "Some healthful snacks for my grandmother, who is cer­tainly capable of taking care of herself as a mature adult".

The wolf said, "You know, my dear, it isn't safe for a little girl to walk through these woods alone".

Red Riding Hood said, "I find your sexist remark offensive in the extreme, I will ignore it because of your traditional status as an outcast from society, the stress of which has caused you to develop your own, entirely valid, worldview. Now, if you'll ex­cuse me, I must be on my way".

Red Riding Hood walked on along the main path. But, be­cause his status outside society had freed him from slavish ad­herence to linear, Western-style thought, the wolf knew a quick­er route to Grandma's house. He burst into the house and ate Grandma, an entirely valid course of action for a carnivore such as himself. Then unhampered by traditionalist notions of what was masculine or feminine, he put on Grandma's nightclothes and crawled into bed.

Red Riding Hood entered the cottage and said, "Grandma, I have brought you some fat-free, sodium-free snacks to salute you in your role of a wise and nurturing matriarch".

From the bed, the wolf said softly, "Come closer, child, so that I might see you".

Red Riding Hood said, "Oh, I forgot you are as optically challenged as a bat. Grandma, what big eyes you have!"

"They have seen much, and forgiven much, my dear". "Grandma, what a big nose you have — only relatively, of course, and certainly attractive in its own way".

"It has smelled much, and forgiven much, my dear". "Grandma, what big teeth you have!" The wolf said, "I am happy with WHO I am and WHAT I am," and leapt out of bed. He grabbed Red Riding Hood in his claws, intent on devouring her. Red Riding Hood screamed, not out of alarm at the wolf's apparent tendency toward cross-dress- ing, but because of his willful invasion of her personal space.

Her screams were heard by a passing woodchopper person (or log-fuel technician, as he preferred to be called). When he burst into the cottage, he saw the melee and tried to intervene. But as he raised his ax, Red Riding Hood and the wolf both stopped.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" asked Red Riding Hood.

The woodchopper person blinked and tried to answer, but no words came to him.

"Bursting in here like a Neanderthal, trusting your weapon to do your thinking for you!" she exclaimed. "Sexist! Speciesist! How dare you assume that women and wolves can't solve their own problems without a man's help!"

When she heard Red Riding Hood's impassioned speech, Grandma jumped out of the wolf’s mouth, seized the woodchop­per person's ax, and cut his head off. After this ordeal, Red Riding Hood, Grandma, and the wolf felt a certain commonality of pur­pose. They decided to set up an alternative household based on mutual respect and cooperation, and they lived together in the woods happily ever after.

⇐ Предыдущая3456789101112Следующая ⇒

Поделиться: