Using the term "rape"

[GingerFurball]

Just seen this post by Flem in the Viv thread:

Originally Posted by Flem274*

Guys, stop using the word 'rape' to describe a man hitting a six please. That isn't rape, and there are plenty of adjectives that are more tasteful and are much more appropriate.

There has been a bit of talk recently about the use of the word amongst the moderators, so I wouldn't expect everyone to be aware, but for those of you who read this thread, now you are.

Completely agree.

Obviously not being privy to any of your discussions, I don't know what consensus you guys are arriving at, but personally I would be fine with you guys handing out infractions for it. I'm certain that if I'd wandered into the India thread this morning and said "well batted by the ragheads" that I'd have been carded for racism, no matter how jocular I might have been with my comments. Racism rightly isn't acceptable; neither should causually demeaning one of the most vile personal and violent crimes that can be committed against another person.

[Athlai]

What if one were to say he "murdered/killed" the opposition? I think it's pretty clear that when a person uses the word rape in this context they imply the Rape | Define Rape at Dictionary.com 7 and 8 definitions rather than the 6th.

[Adamc]

Inclined to agree with OP. I don't think it needs to be moderated necessarily, but the casual manner in which the word is used does bother me (on here and IRL). It's an indication of the site's demographics - almost exclusively adolescent males - that a violent, usually misogynistic act is widely accepted as an appropriate metaphor for trivial occurrences. Obviously it can be used as a metaphor, but it should be reserved for situations that warrant it.

Murdered/killed is a little different. It doesn't have the same specificity, overtones of misogyny or implication of power imbalance. As such it won't provoke nearly as visceral a reaction in most people. Moreover, it has a much better-established history of use as a metaphor in a variety of contexts including sporting ones. Even if you fundamentally disagree with its use it would be fairly futile to try to prevent it. The ubiquitous use of 'rape' on the other hand is a relatively recent phenomenon.

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by Athlai

What if one were to say he "murdered/killed" the opposition? I think it's pretty clear that when a person uses the word rape in this context they imply the Rape | Define Rape at Dictionary.com 7 and 8 definitions rather than the 6th.

Yeah, the counter-argument is the evolution of language; when I hear "rape" in a metaphorical sporting context I don't conjure up obscene images in my mind. I've been (indirectly) affected by rape so it's not something I take lightly, but I don't think anyone using it metaphorically is trying to make light of it or course offense at all.

In the end it comes down to the old chestnut: the relevance of context and intent in what's deemed offensive - something I've actually debated here in matters completely irrelevant to moderation. We're discussing it in the moderation forum already though as Phlegm mentioned, so I guess this thread will be good to give us an idea of what the members think. "Gay" is also being discussed.

[keeper]

I'd add mong/retard/spastic - although not saying it's a problem on here.

Gay is an example of a difficult one where a different meaning has leached into common usage outside of the for more than absolute rules. internet.

Agree that context and judgement count more than absolute rules.

[four_or_six]

I just find it a bit icky really, as a term, pretty uneccessary. I guess it's not a usage I come across IRL at all... but then I'm not an adolescent male.

Gay is worse really, it's commonly thrown about as an insult and to go back to GingerFurball's comparison to racism we wouldn't let that on the forum.

Oh yeah, and retard, I hate that one.

[sledger]

Ah, so this is what Cribb meant when he told me Tendy was a serial rapist. Incapable of raping Englishmen it would seem though. Gutted.

Edit: These remarks aside, I agree with GF.

[Howe_zat]

I've mentioned it before, it bugs me too.

[Shri]

Originally Posted by four_or_six

Oh yeah, and retard, I hate that one.

Leave keeper alone.

[keeper]

Hehe, very sharp...

[Uppercut]

Scaly to declare that it's POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAD

[benchmark00]

**** me, seriously? You're all pansies.

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by Uppercut

Scaly to declare that it's POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAD

Well I wouldn't necessarily disagree with him but I can definitely tell I'm in the minority on this forum with this issue, judging by the Hey Hey It's Saturday thread I participated in a while back.

[Flem274*]

Originally Posted by Athlai

What if one were to say he "murdered/killed" the opposition? I think it's pretty clear that when a person uses the word rape in this context they imply the Rape | Define Rape at Dictionary.com 7 and 8 definitions rather than the 6th.

If there aren't a large amount of people using the term with Verigoat's famous avatar in mind, I'll eat Richard's computer. His new one at least; he has a fair bit of computer consumption to get through upon returning to the forum.

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

Yeah, the counter-argument is the evolution of language; when I hear "rape" in a metaphorical sporting context I don't conjure up obscene images in my mind. I've been (indirectly) affected by rape so it's not something I take lightly, but I don't think anyone using it metaphorically is trying to make light of it or course offense at all.

In the end it comes down to the old chestnut: the relevance of context and intent in what's deemed offensive - something I've actually debated here in matters completely irrelevant to moderation. We're discussing it in the moderation forum already though as Phlegm mentioned, so I guess this thread will be good to give us an idea of what the members think. "Gay" is also being discussed.

PEWS, out of interest, do you say things like "England raped India" around the rape survivor?

Because I think that is another key thing here folks. This is not a private forum, and you don't know who is reading and what they've seen in their lifetime. I'm quite happy to put my hand up and say until recently I was making the rape/gay jokes as much as the next person, until one day I happened to say one in the hearing of a rape survivor. Needless to say she was not impressed.

Originally Posted by keeper

I'd add mong/retard/spastic - although not saying it's a problem on here.

Gay is an example of a difficult one where a different meaning has leached into common usage outside of the for more than absolute rules. internet.

Agree that context and judgement count more than absolute rules.

Mong?

Gay has even less ground to stand on imo. I don't think it is any coincidence "gay" was chosen to mean "bad" and not "straight", "tomato sauce", "wall" or "Prince EWS"

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

Well I wouldn't necessarily disagree with him but I can definitely tell I'm in the minority on this forum with this issue, judging by the Hey Hey It's Saturday thread I participated in a while back.

Links?

[Spikey]

maybe you all are homosexuals, too