Are you Virally challenged? No i just have the flu

October 16, 2007 by madhurisinha

Some years back when Bill Clinton was making headlines about ‘non governmental’ activities in his office,

I mentioned to a colleague, how i really admired Mr. Clinton as a President and how a momentary lapse in

judgment can erase the respect and honor of a life time.

“Well he is just Ethically Challenged” She replied.

I had heard that word for the first time and was taken aback at how being politically correct could be used to generalize a condition.

Is it right to group a man who had an extra marital affair with another who deliberately announced fraudulent financial reports of his company to gain stock exchange mileage?

So cant we just say such and such had an affair and such and such is a financial fraud?

I am visually challenged because i am impaired without my glasses and so is a person who cannot see at all, even with glasses (then there are those who fail to see even with a 20/20 vision). Yes we all fall in the same category.

Just because someone’s motor activities are limited, You can’t call them mentally challenged. They can still think you know.

How far will we drag ourselves into being politically correct?

I will have to stop now. All this is leaving me verbally challenged.

Posted in Entertainment | 17 Comments

17 Responses to “Are you Virally challenged? No i just have the flu”

on October 16, 2007 at 1:151 Shefaly

Hah! I am going to start a ‘I hate PC_ness’ group on Facebook soon. You can join in
on October 16, 2007 at 1:152 madhuri

Of course I will join. Or should i just say YES.
on October 16, 2007 at 1:153 Nita

This pc’ness thing doesn’t exist in India, except amongst a tiny section of the westernized elite. but as I said a tiny section.
In India we are at the other extreme!

about your question as to whether to group a man who is unfaithful with a man who has perpetuated a fraud..
it’s very clear to me.
one is a personal aspect, a question of an individual’s morality in his personal life and the other at his job.
I think in america (not here, btw) a politician has to answer to the public about his personal life too so that is why the clubbing of the two.
in india many politicians lead abysmal personal lives…faithfulness and virtues like that would be a joke with them. And the public doesn’t care. We only care if they are corrupt…but even that the public forgets soon enough. many politicians who were tainted have bounced back.
why even if you are charge-sheeted for a murder you can contest an election.
on October 16, 2007 at 1:154 Nita

talking of not liking pcness is it only Indian americans who are against it?
here as I said people are rude to your face…even civility is not the name of the game…
on October 16, 2007 at 1:155 prax
on October 16, 2007 at 1:156 mahendrap

I do not think “Ethically Challenged” is being politically correct, and even if that were true, being ‘politically correct’ is nothing but Unspeak.

The term PC has been taken from Marxist-Leninist vocabulary, and has been cleverly twisted in US culture by politicians. Observe politicians in India justifying their ideologies using terms like aam aadmi and common good.

The phenomenon of Unspeak is universal across the world. I’m happy to see you thinking about it!
on October 16, 2007 at 1:157 madhurisinha

Dear Nita,
Yes the PC_ness confused me when i had first come to the US (does confuse me even now). It seems there is a ‘right way’ to say everything here and over the years it has been the topic of a good laugh in the get togethers i have had with friends.

Yes Politicians here in the US, have to answer to the public and their errors do surface.
Indian politicians are a breed of their own. I hope things change because a couple of my friends want to join Indian politics and they are really good and educated. But a man or two alone cant change the present Indian political scenario.
Thanks

Dear Mahendra,
Thanks for furthering my knowledge. Yes the politicians here do not mind borrowing terms from communism and ‘liberalizing’ them (like other commi things). Yes I think such a phenomenon exists universally, but am thankful that in India, as Nita suggested, it has not spread into every household of the ‘aam admi’ like mine but is more prevalent in that of ‘khaas admi’.
on October 16, 2007 at 1:158 madhurisinha

Thanks Prax for visiting. I just recovered your smiley from the dreaded spam.
on October 16, 2007 at 1:159 krishashok

I agree. PCness can be taken to ridiculous extremes. For instance, “Woman” is considered to be PUC because it has “man” inside it. So the recommended spelling is “Womyn”. Girls then become “Pre-Womyn”. Housewives become “Domestic Engineers”. And here’s more.

Fireman Fire Fighter
Stewardess Flight Attendant
Meter Maid Parking Enforcement Officer
Postman Postperson
Mailman Personperson (Oh yeah)
Elderly Gerontologically Advanced
Bisexual Sexually Nonpreferential
Drunk/Wasted Spatially Perplexed
Drug addict Chemically Challenged

But my favourite one is
Fat/obese Differently weighted people of mass
on October 16, 2007 at 1:1510 madhurisinha

Krishashok, thanks for visiting my blog.

Yeah I am so confused most of the time, last time I had to call the postman, I said could i speak to Mr. Postman of this zip code and you know what…..a lady answered.
So I guess post person at least preserves the mystery.

I love the drunk PC version though
wasted spatially perplexed.
Imagine if i have to dial 911 (police) one day and say
” Officer, there is a wasted spatially perplexed individual outside my door”
I would definitely need a drink after that…..okay maybe just H2O but still
on October 16, 2007 at 1:1511 Shefaly

“Fat/obese - Differently weighted people of mass”

This had me laughing so loud, that my eyes started watering!

To think that I shall have to sit and do a ‘find’-'replace’ of the word obese in my thesis on obesity… unbearable.

They are fat, period.

The term obese signifies a BMI over 30.
on October 17, 2007 at 1:1512 amreekandesi

Talking of the gender neutral expressions, i read this article recently how people are already wondering about the potential changes to standard white house terminology if Hillary Clinton were to become president.

Will she be Mr President? Will Bill be the first Husband?

Even in India, what do they call madam Patil? Is she the rashtrapati or rashtrapatni? Shreemati Rashtrapati?
on October 17, 2007 at 1:1513 Shefaly

Bill will be the First Laddie!
on October 17, 2007 at 1:1514 Shefaly

BTW Hillary will be Madam President (like Madeleine Albright was Madam Secretary).
on October 17, 2007 at 1:1515 madhurisinha

@Shefaly
You are right about the first Laddie.

@AD,
Good question. Yeah i never realized about Ms. Patil.

Any ideas anyone?
on October 18, 2007 at 1:1516 Arunk

I do agree PC’ness is overdone (as it was in this case - i.e. ethically challenged).

I think perhaps the first usages were race related: Negro vs African-American and Red-Indian/Indian vs. Native-American. In the first case the original term was the basis of a slur too and was generally offsensive to all the African Americans. In the second one, the original term is completely bogus and born out of ignorance. It was also offensive to the Native-Americans who werent Indians, nor did they feel that they must be identified as “red something”.

Of course the purpose was to not hurt the sentiments of people when referring to them in a “neutral way”. (”neutral” - i mean if I think someone is a jerk, and want to convey that without caring what he thinks, then PCness does not apply I am not being neutral - PCness is irrelevant there).

I still think PC should apply only when you don’t mean harm but you use a term which happens to be offensive to the other person(s). If you care about not offending, you use it, else you don’t.

Btw, people who dont like PC and dont get PC are simply PC challenged
on October 19, 2007 at 1:1517 madhurisinha

Arun,
ha ha ha yes I am PC challenged and it is because most of the time I do not understand it and have to rely on the closest or next person to whisper the un PC version in my audio range.