MetaChat - I have decided

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25 August 2009

I have decided that I am annoyed by sexual metaphors in language→[More:]
especially when it's about dominance. Like I don't even get it. When we say the journalist got on their knees for the politician what are we really saying? That someone who goes down on someone is lowering themselves? Giving up something essential to their sense of worth? It's BS.

And let's not even get into taking it up the ass, fuck it in the ear, etc. So yeah.

The only one allowed exceptions are (1) "sucks", as in 'is bad', coz damn I've been saying that since preschool! (2) "screw that", as in 'to hell with that', because as with "sucks" it's a totally dead cliche.

The rest? Annoying!

Stuff that's not dominance related like "goes down like a drunk prom queen" is borderline but still more in the annoying category.

post by: Firas at: 22:53 | 20 comments

"sucks", as in 'is bad', coz damn I've been saying that since preschool!

I was absolutely not allowed to say this word growing up. It meant only one thing. It still kind of startles me that it's a meaningless slang word that even little kids use now.

posted by Miko 25 August | 23:20

Tell me about it! I hate it when I hear little kids saying stuff like,

"Who's my bad little boy? Say it! SAY IT! sayitsayitsayitsayit okay safeword time out."

posted by Lipstick Thespian 25 August | 23:32

I have no patience for innuendo. I usually combat innuendo by saying exactly what the person was hinting at. Typically, these conversations end with me saying, "OH! Because of your penis."

posted by gc 26 August | 00:42

I'm not sure "fuck it in the ear" is so much a sexual metaphor as an absurdist metaphor, fwiw. But I may just be too vanilla to know about the auriculophile scene.

posted by cortex 26 August | 00:52

Well, you're a man of the world, squire...

Wots it like then?

posted by arse_hat 26 August | 01:17

I have no patience for innuendo. I usually combat innuendo by saying exactly what the person was hinting at. Typically, these conversations end with me saying, "OH! Because of your penis."

The hammer...is my penis.

posted by unsurprising 26 August | 02:12

Cortex - you know, it's like they say:

Once you've gone deaf, you never go back.

posted by Lipstick Thespian 26 August | 07:18

Can I still listen to rock and roll?

posted by Wolfdog 26 August | 07:37

Heh. That's a good one, Wolfdog.

posted by JanetLand 26 August | 07:59

I don't have problems with innuendo. This is about something else! About regular interactions being classed in sexual terms that are derogatory to particular participants in types of acts.

posted by Firas 26 August | 08:04

this is = my deal is. You of course are free to bring up your personal annoyances.

posted by Firas 26 August | 08:06

Can I still use "brown-nosing"? Because that's, you know, so true.

Yeah, it's pretty clear that some of these are the equivalent of "that's so gay" -- they really are intended to be demeaning in a way that reinforces a stereotype rather than simply resorting to a neutral sexual metaphor ("they're in bed together").

On the other hand it's probably impossible to completely sort out metaphor, especially powerful ones based in sex. It's such a basic drive.

Anyway, I'm glad you're making a distinction that works for you. I think that's important.

posted by dhartung 26 August | 09:28

My boyfriend would look at me completely blankly everytime I tried to make dirty hints when we first started dating. "Huh? What do you mean? I don't get it."

It turns out he really just wanted to see me go red and yell "I AM GOING TO TAKE YOU HOME AND HAVE SEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITH YOU! OK?!?!?"

posted by Juliet Banana 26 August | 09:39

For a while, I tried to avoid violent metaphors. It was hard, and I don't know that it really took.

posted by box 26 August | 10:07

I had a similar experience trying to avoid any use of 'bitch' as a pejorative.

posted by Wolfdog 26 August | 10:12

Once you've gone deaf, you never go back.

Huh. I hadn't heard that.

posted by stet 26 August | 18:16

See what I did there?

posted by stet 26 August | 18:17

Yeah, I'm not blind.

posted by Brandon Blatcher 26 August | 20:34

When I was in elementary school, my dad heard me say so-and-so sucked.

"Hugh, do you know what 'sucks' means?"

I knew I was in big trouble, so I decided to be forthright. "Uh, yeah, dad, it means 'sucks shit.'"

"Oh, okay, fine. Carry on, then."

posted by Hugh Janus 26 August | 22:37

There was an ad in today's AMNewYork for a new church in our neighborhood - "Church shouldn't suck". I instantly thought of this thread :D

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 27 August | 22:28

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