REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

:banghead:

POSTED BY: RUE
UPDATED: Thursday, January 28, 2010 04:17
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 6:16 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!



The dictionary: Too hot for fourth grade!
A California school bans Merriam-Webster's 10th edition for including "oral sex"



Toronto's Romeo and Juliet too racy for Nashville
By Richard Ouzounian Tue Jan 26 2010
Self-appointed Tennessee censors thought Toronto Classical Theatre Project's Romeo and Juliet too racy for students. They almost forced the production to a halt.


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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 7:49 AM

FREMDFIRMA



*perplexed*

WTF is WRONG with these people ?
Well, my first thought would be.. a lot.

Seriously, crap like this is why I am so firmly behind the Sudbury School model.

-F

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 9:08 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


:facepalm: doesn't begin to cover it. :double-facepalm: would be closer, but still not quite there.

And yes, if you leave kids unattended with a dictionary, they WILL look up dirty words. I know this from experience (heck, how did YOU learn what they meant?).

But the thing is, while looking for the "dirty" words, they also tend to find lots of other cool words, too. And they learn how to use a damn dictionary.

As for Romeo and Juliet... Remember, this is TENNESSEE we're talking about. PN's stomping ground. Maybe they should change the story a bit, and have the characters be named Bobby Ray and Dixie Sue. And they're brother and sister. Tennesseeans would probably find it more acceptable that way.

But I probably shouldn't be so harsh on Tennessee. After all, I'm in Texas, where we're having a huge fight over the Social Studies (government and civics) textbooks, because a majority want to include huge sections dealing with the founding of America as a "christian nation".

We are such a fucked country...

Mike

Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 9:15 AM

BYTEMITE


Okay. I'm struggling to understand why they would ban Romeo and Juliet. Is it the hard to understand in modern English not-even-really sex scene? Or is it the overtures of suicide and the misinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet as a romance as opposed to a tragedy which has since influenced such "I'd die without you" abusive relationship garbage like Twilight?

Dumb to ban, though. They'll just read it outside school, if they care enough.




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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 9:17 AM

BYTEMITE


Hey. Anyone wanna drive with me to Tennessee and hand this out on the campuses that banned Shakespeare?

http://www.runleiarun.com/lebowski/

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 9:27 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Quote:

WTF is WRONG with these people ?
Well, my first thought would be.. a lot.

Doesn't surprise me. Ignorant people exist everywhere, and want to keep others ignorant. There's always been stuff like this.



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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 9:32 AM

JONGSSTRAW


Ban words from the dictionary? Awesome idea! I never liked a bunch of 'em anyhow.

And Shakespeare?...everyone knows that old guy who wore a ruffled tutu, who used funny-sounding words that end in "eth" was half a homo anyway. Ban him for sure!

In fact, I think they should ban all words. We should go back to non-verbal communication...things like hand gestures, drum beats, reflected light from mirrors, and smoke signals. Words? We dun't need no stinkin' words!



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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 10:14 AM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT


Quote:

Originally posted by Bytemite:
Okay. I'm struggling to understand why they would ban Romeo and Juliet. Is it the hard to understand in modern English not-even-really sex scene? Or is it the overtures of suicide and the misinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet as a romance as opposed to a tragedy which has since influenced such "I'd die without you" abusive relationship garbage like Twilight?
Dumb to ban, though. They'll just read it outside school, if they care enough.



If you can stand such a thing, go look up the original movie version of The Music Man. Set in 1906 Iowa, the teen lovers in the library are reading R & J.

But seriously, done well, the play is crotch deep in teenage hormones, not to mention violence and suicide, and is as sexual as you can get away with onstage..

Not really something at all to encourage impressionable teens to be thinking about.

And remember the right wing, anti rock and roll flap several years ago? Was it Tipper (Mrs. Al) Gore? One of the songs they didn't like was " Just Like Romeo and Juliet." and I can see why. Just might make suicide attractive to already confused adolescents.

Not seriously agreeing with their action, but I can see their point, see the dangers. 'Course there's a lot of other stuff that's dangerous to teens, much of it more so. Maybe we oughtta deal with some of that instead...

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 10:39 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


Yeah, I think so too. That's why they want to ban all the news reports about murders, suicides, rapes and such. Not to mention all those violent games. And violent TV shows too. Plus all the sexy ones. Though, of all that, Romeo and Juliet is by FAR the worst. I truly understand their point !


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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 10:51 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...


Devil's Advocate time... snide remarks and suggestive comments are of course welcomed.

Quote:

Originally posted by rue:
The dictionary: Too hot for fourth grade!
A California school bans Merriam-Webster's 10th edition for including "oral sex"



"Hey John, do you know what 'oral sex' means?"
"Ora - what? who?"
"Nevermind, I'll look it up... in a dictionary."
"A what?"

Seriously, do we really need "oral sex" in a dictionary?

It's just possible we're being pawns in a pretty smart piece of viral advertising.

The Toronto director said that one of their goals was to make Shakespeare more exciting, that a lot of people (everywhere, not just Tennessee) think of S. as boring. Hello racie sex scene.

How many copies of the 10th edition will they sell with this free advertising?

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 11:14 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Quote:

Originally posted by rue:
Yeah, I think so too. That's why they want to ban all the news reports about murders, suicides, rapes and such. Not to mention all those violent games. And violent TV shows too. Plus all the sexy ones. Though, of all that, Romeo and Juliet is by FAR the worst. I truly understand their point !


***************************************************************

Silence is consent.




Ooh - let's ban the bible! It's chock full of sex, rape, incest, murder, and all sorts of mean and nasty things.

Mike

Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 11:26 AM

STORYMARK


Quote:

Originally posted by pizmobeach:

Seriously, do we really need "oral sex" in a dictionary?



Because that's what a dictionary is for, defining words and phrases - even if some folk think they're "bad" words.

Quote:

It's just possible we're being pawns in a pretty smart piece of viral advertising.



I'm struggling to see how that makes any damned sense.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 11:40 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Quote:

Ooh - let's ban the bible! It's chock full of sex, rape, incest, murder, and all sorts of mean and nasty things.
Hoo, boy, you got THAT right--and it's usually those people who want to ban everything else!



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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 1:37 PM

FREMDFIRMA


Quote:

Originally posted by Kwicko:
:facepalm: doesn't begin to cover it. :double-facepalm: would be closer, but still not quite there.

And yes, if you leave kids unattended with a dictionary, they WILL look up dirty words. I know this from experience (heck, how did YOU learn what they meant?).

But the thing is, while looking for the "dirty" words, they also tend to find lots of other cool words, too. And they learn how to use a damn dictionary.


Actually it's *headdesk* as most appropriate response.

And absolutely guilty as charged, my favorite 2nd-3rd grade insult was "Microcephalous Cretin!", and you know DAMNED well where I got that one from, yes ?
(miriam webster, of course )

And yep, learned a lot of other interesting stuff along the way, since a childs curiosity doesn't have an On/Off switch and pretending it does is just idiotic.

Of course, one could always dig up those mostly banned Merry Melodies cartoons if they wanted to give kids a bit of appreciation for culture, folklore, and art - you go back and look now, you'll see just HOW MUCH of that stuff was crammed in there between the bits people like Tipper liked to bitch about...

I didn't even know what "Forty-Niners" WERE (apparently my history class skipped it) till I caught references to it in those and looked it up, still snicker and wait for the two off notes whenever I hear Blue Danube, and as for Theatre and Opera, dude, you have not SEEN the Barber of Seville till you've seen Bugs Bunny rock the house with it, and he don't do half bad on Wagner either.

I think what they really fear is children developing an appreciation for something beyond the rampant consumerism they're being conditioned to, and they live in mortal dread of them ever developing critical thinking skills.

To wit, the question they fear most is.
"Why?"

-F

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 2:45 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Quote:

Originally posted by Storymark:
Quote:

Originally posted by pizmobeach:

Seriously, do we really need "oral sex" in a dictionary?



Because that's what a dictionary is for, defining words and phrases - even if some folk think they're "bad" words.

Quote:

It's just possible we're being pawns in a pretty smart piece of viral advertising.



I'm struggling to see how that makes any damned sense.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."




Well, if it sends you running to the dictionary, only to find that yours is out of date and needs to be replaced, then it worked, right? :)

Did y'all know that SOME dictionaries even have words like "fuck" and "shit" in them?

I'm still giggling at the idea that you can stop kids learning about oral sex by keeping the dictionary away from them.

Or that you can stop them thinking about sex or suicide by keeping Romeo and Juliet away from them.

Fates forbid parents should ever actually sit children down and TALK TO THEM honestly and openly about any of these things. Oh, the HORROR!

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 2:46 PM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...


Quote:

Originally posted by Storymark:
Quote:

Originally posted by pizmobeach:

Seriously, do we really need "oral sex" in a dictionary?



Because that's what a dictionary is for, defining words and phrases - even if some folk think they're "bad" words.

Quote:

It's just possible we're being pawns in a pretty smart piece of viral advertising.



I'm struggling to see how that makes any damned sense.



I just looked up the word dictionary at wikipedia and it said...

Let me see if I can make it make sense.

Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Maps, News Papers... the Internet has made a lot of these pretty superfluous. So how do you get some press/attention? You know about "hot words" in advertising? "Key words" at Google based on searches? Like advertising imagery, a lot of them relate to sex or celebrities.
I wouldn't doubt that "oral sex" is one of the most attention grabbing that also doesn't cross the PG-13 threshold in terms of what can be published in a lot of online venues without fear of it being deleted (no "f*ck" for instance). So it's ready for any public setting, meaning it's perfect for a viral campaign. "I heard that Webster's Dictionary...oral sex... blah blah..." it's the perfect kind of sort of dirty web bite for people to pass around, probably all over Facebook.
Then there's also the pretend media that grab so called news feeds from whatever is getting a lot of attention. Digg is like that. Parses traffic/ hits as a gauge of interest to determine the "value" of a story. A blogger running a story that hits just the right notes ricochettes around the web building viewers exponentially. Money.
How many businesses are on Facebook now? Twitter? They are all taking advantage of social, viral marketing. We're part of that strategy when we pass along these kinds of info bits. Nothing wrong with it just a good idea to consider the source. "The answer to every question is money."

And...

You think Webster is somehow a lesser dictionary if they don't include "oral sex?" Does that make or break their industry rep? Consider what their motives could be for including it.

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 2:57 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


And what does it say about them - and us, as a society - if they take out the oral and leave in the anal?

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 2:59 PM

CHRISISALL


Quote:

Originally posted by Kwicko:

Did y'all know that SOME dictionaries even have words like "fuck" and "shit" in them?


You LIE, you stinkin' Librul Commie-bastid!!!
Words are DANGEROUS if spelled a certain way!!

Frak you!


The laughing Chrisisall

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 3:31 PM

SAVEWASH

Now I am learning about scary.


Nyah, nyah, nyah! (Hmmm, not sure why the emoticon didn't work.)

Oh, wait, I'm supposed to be civilized. Okay, then I'll just put in a good word for Banned Books Week, which will be September 25-October 2 this year. (Yep, I'm planning ahead.) I find it sad that there even has to be a Banned Books Week. Check it out at the ALA site, if you're interested. (I didn't see any dirty words on the site but you never know....)


"We need to keep our heads so we can ... keep our heads."

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 3:36 PM

CHRISISALL


Quote:

Originally posted by SAVEWASH:
I find it sad that there even has to be a Banned Books Week.

Words. Bad words. That's where ideas begin.
Maybe YOU should disregard them.


The Anti-David Chrisisall

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 3:42 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Quote:

Originally posted by SAVEWASH:
Nyah, nyah, nyah! (Hmmm, not sure why the emoticon didn't work.)

Oh, wait, I'm supposed to be civilized. Okay, then I'll just put in a good word for Banned Books Week, which will be September 25-October 2 this year. (Yep, I'm planning ahead.) I find it sad that there even has to be a Banned Books Week. Check it out at the ALA site, if you're interested. (I didn't see any dirty words on the site but you never know....)


"We need to keep our heads so we can ... keep our heads."




I find it unimaginably sad that we'd have to add the dictionary to the list of banned books.

Dirty words don't offend me. I worry more about the well-intentioned "clean" words often used to write laws...

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 4:07 PM

PIRATENEWS

John Lee, conspiracy therapist at Hollywood award-winner History Channel-mocked SNL-spoofed PirateNew.org wooHOO!!!!!!


Quote:

Originally posted by Kwicko:

And yes, if you leave kids unattended with a dictionary, they WILL look up dirty words. I know this from experience (heck, how did YOU learn what they meant?).

But the thing is, while looking for the "dirty" words, they also tend to find lots of other cool words, too. And they learn how to use a damn dictionary.



Like porn built the internets.

But kids can learn a lot of smart intel besides watching oral sex.

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 4:08 PM

PIRATENEWS

John Lee, conspiracy therapist at Hollywood award-winner History Channel-mocked SNL-spoofed PirateNew.org wooHOO!!!!!!


Quote:

Originally posted by Kwicko:

I find it unimaginably sad that we'd have to add the dictionary to the list of banned books.



Didn't that happen in Orwell's 1984?

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 4:11 PM

BYTEMITE


Bad words are double plus ungood!

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 4:43 PM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...


straight from the source, Webster's online says:
============
oral sex
One entry found.

Main Entry: oral sex
Function: noun
Date: 1973
: oral stimulation of the g*nitals : c*nnilingus, fell*tio

Learn more about "oral sex" and related topics at Britannica.com
============

Every line is the work of a punographer. "One entry found."
Even Britannica getting in on the action, we have a reference threesome.
1973?? Really? What was it before then?

Look up the word combinations at Google and you'll see how many times it's been posted and reposted...

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 4:55 PM

CHRISISALL


Quote:

Originally posted by pizmobeach:

oral sex
One entry found.


Bill & Ted-
"69, dude!!"


The laughing Chrisisall

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 5:04 PM

BYTEMITE


A square is a rectangle, man, but a rectangle ain't a square.

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 5:13 PM

CHRISISALL


Quote:

Originally posted by Bytemite:
A square is a rectangle, man, but a rectangle ain't a square.

That's a little deep.


The confusticated Chrisisall

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010 5:16 PM

BYTEMITE


Well, don't hurt yourself.

/dirty joke

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010 10:34 AM

RIVERDANCER


Quote:

Originally posted by Bytemite:
Bad words are double plus ungood!


You are my new hero.

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010 11:00 AM

STORYMARK


Quote:

Originally posted by pizmobeach:

Let me see if I can make it make sense.

Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Maps, News Papers... the Internet has made a lot of these pretty superfluous. So how do you get some press/attention? You know about "hot words" in advertising? "Key words" at Google based on searches? Like advertising imagery, a lot of them relate to sex or celebrities.
I wouldn't doubt that "oral sex" is one of the most attention grabbing that also doesn't cross the PG-13 threshold in terms of what can be published in a lot of online venues without fear of it being deleted (no "f*ck" for instance). So it's ready for any public setting, meaning it's perfect for a viral campaign. "I heard that Webster's Dictionary...oral sex... blah blah..." it's the perfect kind of sort of dirty web bite for people to pass around, probably all over Facebook.
Then there's also the pretend media that grab so called news feeds from whatever is getting a lot of attention. Digg is like that. Parses traffic/ hits as a gauge of interest to determine the "value" of a story. A blogger running a story that hits just the right notes ricochettes around the web building viewers exponentially. Money.
How many businesses are on Facebook now? Twitter? They are all taking advantage of social, viral marketing. We're part of that strategy when we pass along these kinds of info bits. Nothing wrong with it just a good idea to consider the source. "The answer to every question is money."

And...

You think Webster is somehow a lesser dictionary if they don't include "oral sex?" Does that make or break their industry rep? Consider what their motives could be for including it.





Nope, you didn't make sense.

The question about ulterior motives for a dictionary including a definition is patently retarded. It's what they DO.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010 11:14 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...


Quote:

Originally posted by Storymark:
Quote:

Originally posted by pizmobeach:

Let me see if I can make it make sense.

Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Maps, News Papers... the Internet has made a lot of these pretty superfluous. So how do you get some press/attention? You know about "hot words" in advertising? "Key words" at Google based on searches? Like advertising imagery, a lot of them relate to sex or celebrities.
I wouldn't doubt that "oral sex" is one of the most attention grabbing that also doesn't cross the PG-13 threshold in terms of what can be published in a lot of online venues without fear of it being deleted (no "f*ck" for instance). So it's ready for any public setting, meaning it's perfect for a viral campaign. "I heard that Webster's Dictionary...oral sex... blah blah..." it's the perfect kind of sort of dirty web bite for people to pass around, probably all over Facebook.
Then there's also the pretend media that grab so called news feeds from whatever is getting a lot of attention. Digg is like that. Parses traffic/ hits as a gauge of interest to determine the "value" of a story. A blogger running a story that hits just the right notes ricochettes around the web building viewers exponentially. Money.
How many businesses are on Facebook now? Twitter? They are all taking advantage of social, viral marketing. We're part of that strategy when we pass along these kinds of info bits. Nothing wrong with it just a good idea to consider the source. "The answer to every question is money."

And...

You think Webster is somehow a lesser dictionary if they don't include "oral sex?" Does that make or break their industry rep? Consider what their motives could be for including it.



Nope, you didn't make sense.

The question about ulterior motives for a dictionary including a definition is patently retarded. It's what they DO.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."



I'll keep trying...

It's not what they did for the first 9 editions, so why now? Do you think they include the definitions of all English words? Why not if it's what they DO?

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010 11:40 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


New words and phrases come into use all the time. Internet. Dweeb. Dude. Whatever.

Dictionary publishers have to distinguish between slang and a genuine new word or phrase that's here to stay. The phrase 'oral sex' (or the act for that matter) isn't going to go away at this point. Hence, it got included. So OK ? We totally good, dude ?

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010 11:48 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Quote:

Originally posted by rue:
New words and phrases come into use all the time. Internet. Dweeb. Dude. Whatever.

Dictionary publishers have to distinguish between slang and a genuine new word or phrase that's here to stay. The phrase 'oral sex' (or the act for that matter) isn't going to go away at this point. Hence, it got included. So OK ? We totally good, dude ?

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.




I don't think it was ever going to "go away". Well, maybe if you married it, it would, but otherwise, not so much...

:)

Mike

Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010 11:50 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Late to the game, as usual.

But thinking about things to ban... how about National Geographic??? They have nekked boobs in 'em!

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010 2:24 PM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...


Quote:

Originally posted by rue:
New words and phrases come into use all the time. Internet. Dweeb. Dude. Whatever.

Dictionary publishers have to distinguish between slang and a genuine new word or phrase that's here to stay. The phrase 'oral sex' (or the act for that matter) isn't going to go away at this point. Hence, it got included. So OK ? We totally good, dude ?



No, we're not good dudette, that's a very superficial look at the process imo, and I understand if you don't want to look deeper, fwiw advertisers are counting on you not wanting to look deeper.
"Oral sex" has been around for a long time, so why include it now? Do you think it's just a coincidence that it's included (and blogged about) right at the time that printed dictionaries are dying?
Imagine you are the boss at MW and you are responsible for x employees and by connection, their families, aren't you gonna try anything like adding a controversial word (or phrase, cripes it's not even a word, that should be a big red flag) to try and stir up some publicity?
I think so many of us use the internet daily but are completely - and without fault - unaware of the manipulations that are going on just under the surface. MUHAHAHAAAHHAA!

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010 2:38 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


I think at this point, I have to ask it "hummer" or "blowjob" are in there as well. Does it say, "See also hummer and blowjob" or anything like that?

But yes, Pizmo has a point. And if it's viral, it worked. Hell, *WE'RE* talking about it on the interwebs; we've even devoted a whole thread to it.

But I still have no problem with "oral sex" being in the dictionary. Hell, oral sex should be in the Olympics. It's more of a sport than curling, and if it's done right, the person should get a medal.

(and yes, I stole that from Lewis Black)

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010 3:01 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


Pizmo

I'm guessing that the dictionary people had the school district in their back pocket, along with a parent, and the good state of Kansas.

After all, it wouldn't have been news - and therefore picked up by the blogs - if a parent hadn't complained and the school district hadn't acted to ban the dictionary b/c of it. And on top of it all, it has echoes of the Kansas school board and other idiocy we have some to know and love. So Kansas must be in on it too, and for many, many years ! WOW. Who would have known dictionary publishers had such a long reach ! And such far-reaching, covert plans !

On second, and I think more rational, thought it was a comedy where everyone played an unwitting and completely unscripted part.

Here is part of the story:

"Fortunately, the folks at Southern California's Menifee Union school district have taken steps to protect their children's innocent eyes from sexually explicit materials. Acting on a complaint from one parent after she noticed that the dictionary in her son's Oak Meadows Elementary School contained the phrase "oral sex," swift-acting school officials pulled the salacious work from fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms throughout the district."

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

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Thursday, January 28, 2010 4:17 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...


Quote:

Originally posted by rue:
On second, and I think more rational, thought it was a comedy where everyone played an unwitting and completely unscripted part.



I think you have found the majority of the truth here. Having said that I think MW is still culpable in this story with their decision to include that phrase when they did. I'm not sure how they gauge and evaluate the words on the "new to include" list, but I find the timing and the nature of the phrase highly suspect.

And of course, if viral marketing is going to work it can't be acknowledged, "we're doing a viral marketing campaign, please post our story..." it has to start organically. So plant the seed and watch it grow.



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