Gay is the New Jew
June 21st, 2007 by JJ
Gay is the new Jew. Not 1940’s Germany. More like 1980’s suburbia.
I was thinking that gay might be the new black, but I’m pretty sure black is the new black.
Anyway, it’s completely culturally acceptable to make fun of homosexuals - like doing a faux-effeminate voice for comedic effect or calling a dude gay if he refuses to drink a shot of whiskey. Not so with religion or race. I don’t think you’d get away with calling a guy “jewy” when he leaves a small tip at a restaurant. And you definitely can’t use racial slurs in common conversation. But “gay” - no one seems to complain when that word gets thrown around.
Then again, I guess it’s still okay to accuse a guy of “throwing like a girl” or being a sissy.
I don’t really have a point here. Just an observation.
RSS
I’m not touching that with a 40′ Pole.
Yeah, it is kind of odd. I find myself thinking how weird it is that the word I use to describe who I am is also used to describe something that is stupid, odd, girly, etc. But then when I think even more about it, I realize that on some level using the word gay has become so acceptable in that context that I’m not even offended by it.
Should I be? Who knows…just my observation on JJ’s observation.
I hadn’t watched South Park in forever but last night I stumbled upon an episode where they were going to kill the Queer Eye guys for making all the men into metrosexuals. Mr. Garrison said he couldn’t tell who was gay anymore. The women didn’t like their men to be so sassy. I don’t know where I’m going with this but it was like reverse homophobia where the gays didn’t want the straights to be like them.
I can still use racial slurs cuz I’m a minority & kinda bitchy!
“That’s so gay” pisses me off. Of course it also pisses me off that effeminate traits are considered gay (the homosexual gay).
We’re also the new “Jew” in that the Christian fanatics think we have an all powerful mafia and unlimited wealth that we covertly use to wage a war against Jesus. … I don’t know who spilled the beans…
I also think in some people’s minds gay and jew will be linked together simply because of Billy Crystal (who isn’t gay).
Uh oh… I don’t know if I’ve really eliminated either of these terms from my vocabulary. There was a time when I would have been offended by hearing either, but I’ve been so jaded about the over-use of “political correctness” in the past decade that I don’t care much any more.
But I’m probably more educated about the “gay” and “jewish” populations than your average American, so I’m not using those words out of fear or hate.
Does that make me a bad person? A hypocrite? Maybe.
Oh oh! I know what I meant to add to the end of that comment!
If an individual or group is the first to make fun of itself, the hate/fear-filled part of a term loses its effectiveness.
Case in point: Jon Stewart poking fun at himself and Jewish stereotypes on national television, “Jewy McJewington”. If says it first, the hate-mongers have no power when they say the same thing.
Just an observation though.
MacBros:
Understandable. This one has been in my list of things to write about for a long time. I was hesitant to bring it up.
Ron:
Sometimes I think people are too sensitive - too easily offended. But then again, I wouldn’t know what it’s like. I’m a straight middle class white guy.
randi:
Seems like that happens in various subcultures. Like race for example - white guys who are into hip-hop might catch shit for seeming fake. I guess it works the other way around in that case too.
shirley:
I suppose pretty much anyone can do or say whatever they want. It’s just depends on the situation and the potential consequences. In certain areas of Philly, spouting off racial slurs could get you killed. Literally.
Robguy:
“Christian fanatics think we have an all powerful mafia and unlimited wealth”
Yeah! I’m so glad you brought this up. I wanted to add something about that. Like the classic rants claiming that the liberals run the media, or jews run Hollywood.
This may be off topic, but check it out. America is fucked up.
mojotek:
But remember the Seinfeld episode where the dentist Tim Watley converted to Judaism for the jokes? Even though he converted, the humor felt forced and made Jerry uncomfortable. Then again, Jerry’s a rabid anti-dentite.
I am actually a little more uncomfortable of the way I toss the word “retarded” around than I am of my use of gay, which while it is not above criticism, is probably less at critically offensive mass.
trouble:
Yes! I didn’t even think of that one when I wrote this. I use that word a lot and I often wonder “Wait, does this person have any mentally challenged relatives?”
actually, and this might just be because i’m one of the gays, but i find quite a lot of people take offense to the derogatory use of gay, etc. even just calling a dude gay for not drinking whiskey is cause for offense to some people.
i don’t personally care. but some people definitely do.
To be honest, I’ve never used the term in that way.
If somebody doesn’t take a swig of whiskey, I call them a pussy, and enjoy my drunken stupor by myself.
Now there you go, I’ve gone and insulted the pussies out there! JJ why do you rope me into these things all the time??
Hey, as the proud owner of a damn fine pussy, I am insulted by your use of the term, MacBros. A pussy is NOT synonymous with a pansy.
I should have stuck with my 40′ pole.
And a pansy is a flower. Does it just get boring to call stupid - stupid? Sometimes a spade is a shovel, and sometimes it’s a suit in a card deck.
I’ve noticed in Australia people are a bit more laid back and the intent is an important part of insult rather than just a word. Your best mate is a real bastard, your girlfriend is a cunt, your roommate is a poofter, and the British are pommies. None of those are insults.
And “I am not your little Isiah Washington!”
Your all gay.
Sorry about that.
sarah:
Even if people take offense, I’ve heard complaints. I wonder if I use the term less when I’m around my gay friends… Hmmm… I don’t think so. I act pretty much the same around all of my friends.
Maybe it has something to do with the person using the term. Like if it’s obviously a joke or meant to be a little abrasive for humor’s sake. As opposed to when someone who may very well be homophobic uses the term.
MacBros:
All this talk about pussies and 40 foot poles is getting out of control.
trouble:
The same is true for people who call a mean person a “dick”.
Robguy:
“Your best mate is a real bastard, your girlfriend is a cunt, your roommate is a poofter, and the British are pommies.”
Genius. Sounds like my kind of conversation.
kc:
And you’re lacking proper grammar.
Gay is the new something, JJ. I was at a club and this gay guy started talking to me and mid-sentence did this very fabulous finger snap move. He said, “I’m a white man on the outside but *SNAP!* I’m a black woman on the inside!”
I still don’t know what that means and I’m a black woman. He was buying kamikaze shots, so what the fuck? So yeah, gay is the new something. But what?
I always say I’ve got the Luck O’ the Jewish, sense as a group Jewish people seem to have been consistently screwed for the last 3000 some odd years.
Also I tell really offensive jokes to my girlfriend because she is technically jewish, to piss her off, but really at this point that’s gotten old so I don’t do it too much.