Saturday, February 27, 2016

I can't believe you don't shut up!

Following on from the misogynist joke issue I posted about below - It's a conundrum I find interesting/depressing. Calling people out on their casual acceptance of jokes like this is about as popular as correcting their apostrophe mistakes (in my experience!). And I do understand that it's not an attractive habit, being all political and critical at people all the time.

So what to do? I'm trying to learn to just leave it, because, well, basically because I've lived a life so far wherein I've kinda made everybody hate me for one reason or another, and my biggest challenge in life is shutting up. If speaking up is counterproductive (I think it tends to make people blame the speaker-upper and not the material), what's the alternative? I've had people go 'you're right, I didn't think about it' before, but I reckon more people just balk and get pissed off. So... what's the answer?

I'd love to have a picture of Apu (from the Simpsons) going 'Shut up, shut up! I can't believe you don't shut up' here, but google is not furnishing me with one. 

4 comments:

Lisa said...

To the joke that you posted yesterday, in a public forum, I would have only replied, "Shame on your mother for not having taught you better." and left it at that. In private I would consider that leaving the person feeling awkward by giving them a blank stare could go farther than any reprimand would have. People who make jokes at other people's expense do it because if you laugh with them, you don't laugh at them. Just don't laugh with them.

Anonymous said...

If I knew where that store was and it was within driving distance I would go out of my way to go there and let the owner know that I am offended by this sign. I would also make a complaint to the authorities to have the sign removed and the owner charged. Can you imagine if a sign of this nature were displayed with a racial or religious minority targeted instead of a gender? There is nothing funny here.

I must be one of those terrible liberals that I hear are vilified on Fox News. And proud of it.

-invisigal

Jo said...

Hmm. I was a bit surprised at the person who posted it - a 50 year old feminist English teacher...!

- invisigal- indeed! Let's pray enough of you vote to keep Tump out of the White House :)

Mwa said...

This is a case in which I should probably shut up, but...
Like you say, it's generally counterproductive to wade in and point out people's mistakes. I try to model what I think is right and not hang around with small minded people too much (irl or online). I think I'm the happier for it.