It’s been all over social media recently about Ricky Gervais using the word mong in his tweets. It actually really infuriates me. It’s a word; and yes, it has been used as a negative term, but i’m pretty sure it wasn’t his intent in this instance, although not his wisest move.  It was a stupid tweet,definately not one of his funniest, and that’s it.  But, the columnists that jump on the bandwagon and expose their own ignorance by blasting him I think played into his hands a bit.  During the twitter row his followers increased, they didnt shut off their accounts in droves they actually flocked to him.  Are all these people supporting hate filled words? I don’t think so.

A few weeks before that  Qantas got itself in a little strife (nothing compared to the pickle it’s in now!) by encouraging winners of tickets to the Bledisloe cup to black up and dress  like their favourite rugby player.  I’m really not sure what else they could have done to look like Radike Samo apart from darken their skin and pop on an afro. Radike wasn’t offended in the slightest and the guys who dressed up, they don’t hate him, they adore him.

There are moments when I’m embarrassed at the furore the media cause in such an ignorant way.  We don’t need to look too far back to see how far we have actually come.  We should be free to express ourselves as long as we do it with happiness, love and laughter, not through demeaning social groups or tweets with hate. 

Even as recent as the 1950’s there were adverts that are pretty unsettling or shocking by today’s standards, and  would cause more of an upset now than one of Ricky Gervais tweets.  What was ok then is not ok now,  and the next generation will say the same about us, thats how language, culture and comedy evolves.  

1950's ad for Gingervating Ginger Beer

 

I guess you starved if you didnt have a wife in the 1950's
 
Its uncomfortable to look at, but really proves the point. What was ok then, certainly isn't now.
 
I think maybe we  place too much emphasis on the words themselves.  Social commentators on morning tv programs come out and say certain words can’t be used anymore rather than address the intent behind them.  It’s the tone, what’s implied or the possible spite along with  the way we treat others when using these words we should be worrying about a hell of a lot more.