What do you think of when you hear, "that's so gay"?
The Times Online U.K. writes that "the word 'gay' now means 'rubbish' in modern playground-speak and need not be offensive to homosexuals, the BBC Board of Governors has ruled."
That's pretty huge. The American equivalent would be for NBC to say that journalists can use "gay" when they mean "stupid" or "crap." And it's because that's what kids say on the playground? Bollocks.
That seems like a really asinine reason if you ask me, not to mention offensive as hell. It's one thing for kids to use the word that way, it's quite another for the BBC Board of Governors to say that it's acceptable use in a professional media environment because it's "keeping up with developments in English usage."
I'm actually very interested in the use of the word "gay" and the phrase "that's so gay." One of the reasons is that it seems that the meaning can vary widely by people who say it or hear it. When you say it, it might mean one thing, and when I say it, it could be something completely different.
When used on playgrounds, or by some idiot adults, yes, it's pejorative. They equate it with "lame" (a term I hate) or, as with "rubbish" above, "stupid" or otherwise undeserving of respect.
I was CC'd on an e-mail this week where someone I know and like wrote "check out [blah blah blah] ... it's incredibly gay. Not in a derogatory sense, but the [blah, blah, blah] does have a huge host of gay metaphors!"
The fact that he said it that way was both cool and kind of insulting. He was down with the fact that it was gay, but by needing to clarify that he wasn't saying that in a derogatory way reinforced a negative use of the word.
When I say "that's so gay," it's a celebration. To me, gay is good. On this blog and in other things that I've written, I'll call something "gay" -- and then proceed to hear FROM GAY PEOPLE that I'm defaming them. I'm not. If I say something is gay, it means fabulous, beautiful, brilliant. It's embracing. But it's interesting that even gay people can hear "that's gay" as a negative.
I don't say "gay" or even "that's so gay" like it's a bad thing. But a growing number of people do.
Meanings of words do change. The Times Online U.K. has a timeline of "gay" which I share below. I wonder what the future of "gay" is?
I have two questions:
1) Do you think "gay" will ever mean "good" again?
2) Do we need a new name for "gay"? Because I have been called "trash," but I'm not "stupid."
HOW BRIGHT BECAME DULL
· Believed to derive from Old French “gai”, the Latin “gaius” ora Germanic source. Originally meant “carefree”, “happy” or “bright and showy”
· From late 17th century acquired sexual connotation of “uninhibited by moral constraints”
· Gertrude Stein’s Miss Furr & Miss Skeene (1922) cited as first published reference to ambiguous sexuality
· Noel Coward pens tribute to dandies of the “gay Nineties” wearing green carnations in 1929 musical Bitter Sweet
· Used to describe foppish dress code, unattached men or bachelors until adopted by homosexuals themselves in 1960s
· Originally used as an adjective (“he is gay”), the word is adopted as singular noun (“I am the only gay in the village”)
· Children and students use gay as shorthand for “rubbish” during 1990s
· Bloggers substitute “gay” for “boring” or “dull”, reversing original meaning
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9 comments:
I think that's crazy very offensive and the BBC should know better. Then they try and defend it with the most idiototic reason for using it.
Why is it that we can take a word that has meant nothing but good things (Happy, Carefree, etc.) and re-define it to mean something else meaning exactly the opposite. But, we can't touch the word marriage and re-define that to be inclusive of every loving couple regardless of sex.
in gay im 56 fought the battles that so gay is a slam. THIS A NIGGER THING SO IF IM GAY I CAN SAY THATA SO NIGGER GET GOT IT GOOD
I Don't Care that you are Gay or Lesbian, but it pisses me off that you advertise it as being OK on TV and in public. Our children are growing up thinking it's OK when you really knoww it isn't. You need to take a step back and take a good look.
David.
Why in the world should you be allowed to use the "N" word? First of all, the "N" word in all contexts is a negative term. It originated as a negative word...and still is. People have modified it and tried to make it a postive or acceptable thing, but it STILL connotates a negative, faceless, and mediocre aura. Therefore, no, you cannot use the "N' word...why would you even take it there? why would you even get racial? Has the whole black community attacked you?
Now, what BBC is doing is ridiculous. It's unprofessional and inappropriate. I'd be highly disgusted and disappointed if any news channel (or newspaper or news radio show) decided to pick up every day youth slang that's particularly offensive and started using it like it was ok. I don't even think I've heard a DJ on urban, pop, or rock radio stations use the word "gay" or "that's so gay" unless referring to a homosexual.
BBC should be slammed right back for this...for trying to make "that's so gay" an acceptable phrase. They should uphold politically-correct, non-offensive standards. However, do not bring others down simply for the fact that you feel the fire of discrimination.
I can't stand that announcement "That's so gay". It gets on my nerves to no end. Its "gay" to say "THat's so gay"..
PS Mean people suck!
That is so gay!
Everyone that i know, of my age group and including myself, uses the phrase " that's so gay" not in any derrogatory meaning at all. Miami is my hometown, and needless to say not a hometown where sexual preference or even unique personality is discriminated upon. In fact, we are a town that embraces culture freely. "That's so gay" means " thats so corny" as in flamboyant, which is associated with the word happy- the actually definition of the word gay. It should not offend anyone, it is not a term that is directly reffering to society at all specifically.
Very well written.
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