[moonspots]

[Layback]

Paradoxical Offensiveness: The state of being offensive as a result of being overly politically correct. PS. f### you all.

[Tom]

[Bernardo]

This debate has gotten more interesting now that the original offending report has been edited and most of us have no idea what the facts are. As a punishment, perhaps TAH should have to write a report from the perspective of "The Polite Hiker." Anyone with a moniker like The Angry Hiker should be understood to be writing satire. The whole point is to mock the ridiculous. This doesn't mean there aren't boundaries, but we need to also keep this in mind when reading. Anyway, the second charge below is exagerated and this type of hyperbole is what gets a good argument going. It is a harsh, ad hominem attack because only a rotten, no good person would start a thread to mock someone's ancestry. TAH may have crossed a line of good taste in his latest satire, but we can't know his true motives and we don't need to go there. Pointing out the infraction is enough.

[Blue Dome]

[Tom]

Per wikipedia: "Racism is usually defined as views, practices and actions reflecting the belief that humanity is divided into distinct biological groups called races and that members of a certain race share certain attributes which make that group as a whole less desirable, more desirable, inferior or superior." You could argue either way whether a joke fits the criteria. I'd think a good litmus test might be whether it would play out out well if told in the cafeteria at work. Then again, that might disqualify blonde jokes too.

[Bedivere]

Timely discussion given the VW commercial that will air during the superbowl today, and the fact that there are people calling it "racist." Funny, I didn't know "Jamaican" was a race.

[The Angry Hiker]

[Daryl]

The M&M ad was racist. Putting an M&M in an oven? Seriously? How insensitive! And the budwiser commercials for their new less crappy beers. Why so dark? RACIST! Coke, applauding graffiti? Clearly racist. Ram trucks? I don't think i seen a lot diversity in those farmers. RACIST! Best Buy, sure, the the salesman of non specific origin is the one with all the answers. more racism. Sexism too! Broke girls on stripper poles and a half naked halftime show during a male dominated sporting event? Seriously? is this some sort of men's only event now? Sad.

[summithound]

Africans are from Africa. Chinese are from China. Mexicans are from Mexico. Americans are from the US. If a Vietnamese man is hiking up Mount Si there is no doubt about it, he is a Vietnamese man hiking up Mount Si. If I'm hiking up Mount Si, then yes, I am hiking up Mount Si. I dated a Taiwanese girl once. Her parents liked to pick mushrooms along the Mount Si trail. I am 25% Danish and identify myself as white and I didn't pick mushrooms but I did sneeze, drink water, blink and observe other hikers.

[Toonces]

Someone ought to take poor Daryl aside and explain The First Rule of Holes.

[forest gnome]

well what about the group jokes about the mounties??? are we stils allowed at least that?... oh and CAN WE GIT SOME ABBA UP IN HERE!!!???

[touron]

Sure, ABBA in Japan, no joke!

[m2mountaineer]

Without being able to see the original post I'm having difficulties ascertaining whether or not my personal opinion would lean towards it being offensive or not. Seeing other people's opinions doesn't help. Can the original post be found somewhere?

[Foist]

Or we could just do our best to survive without your opinion about a 3-year-old deleted post.