I want to Queer CoH

Forbin_Project · 09-09-2011 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tenzhi

The Queer Questor - it's not inherently any more offensive than Fairy Queen (Faerie Queen would be a safer bet). One could use Strange Questor or Odd Questor but they lack the alliterative flair.

It wouldn't bother me but it would still get petitioned and banned. To this day I'm still wondering how someone was offended by an old character I had named Phart the Dispersing who was a dark/dark scrapper.

Quote:

I'm not sure it would get generic'd at all. I have a hunch that they'll let you get away with essentially labeling your character an idiot (as long as you stop shy of "retard" and the like I'd say), whereas they won't even let you attempt to label your character as "queer" (which, even in its slang use isn't universally considered negative).

What will happen is that someone will take offense on behalf of the mentally different and they'll petition it.

Memphis_Bill · 09-09-2011 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Spad_EU

Probably. Most countries have their own colourful array of offensive slurs available in racist, homophobic and generic flavours.

And sometimes in strawberry banana, too.

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Thirty-Seven · 09-09-2011 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forbin_Project

sexual preference

I believe the more PC term is "sexual orientation," which is also the term I prefer to use, since to me, saying "preference" implies a level of choice in the matter.

seebs · 09-09-2011 01:07 PM

My grandfather once sent a nasty note to a vegetable vendor referring to some asparagus, including an example of the (overly tough) vegetable, which he referred to as a "f-----". It's a shame that the word is now censory, because that was a brilliant bit of writing.

seebs · 09-09-2011 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forbin_Project

What will happen is that someone will take offense on behalf of the mentally different and they'll petition it.

I still wonder whether I'd get genericed if I made Captain Autism, the superhero who fights crime CORRECTLY.

(For extra fun: I'd do it by just playing in ways that make me comfortable and let me scratch the "well-ordered" itch instead of trying to be "efficient".)

seebs · 09-09-2011 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow

Wait, what other meaning does the word "queer" have? Maybe it's my "English as a foreign language" speaking here, but I was unaware it ever meant anything other than a sexual slur.

Example usage, G. K. Chesteron's "The Club of Queer Trades", which was a collection of short stories about people who had invented interesting business ideas that were certainly unique and not previously heard of. (It's spoilery to give examples, because part of the fun is that they're effectively presented as mysteries of the form "why on earth would THAT happen?")

Forbin_Project · 09-09-2011 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thirty-Seven

I believe the more PC term is "sexual orientation," which is also the term I prefer to use, since to me, saying "preference" implies a level of choice in the matter.

Preference is as PC as I get. Given a choice I prefer girls to guys. If I don't have a choice I'm being sexually assaulted.

seebs · 09-09-2011 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forbin_Project

Preference is as PC as I get. Given a choice I prefer girls to guys. If I don't have a choice I'm being sexually assaulted.

Preference is what you have between things which are at all alternatives. You can prefer one girl to another, but if you're a straight guy or a not-straight woman, it's not that you prefer girls to guys, it's that only girls are getting any response at all from that hunk of your brain, and guys just don't even register.

I "prefer" delicious chicken sammich to overcooked spinach. I don't "prefer" sammiches to guitar picks; the latter simply aren't food to begin with, and aren't eligible for the comparison.

Tyger · 09-09-2011 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkGob

Hey look, a locked thread.

Word is banned because children abuse it. It's a shame but what are you gonna do.

Children,

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Dispari

I don't know why Dink thinks she's not as sexy as Jay was. In 5 posts she's already upstaged his entire career.

Rainbow Avenger · 09-09-2011 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forbin_Project

Offensive

Raging Queen
Flaming Fairy
Nancy Boy

So out of curiosity what unoffensive names can you come up with using queer? Cuz honestly I'm drawing a blank.

A few unrelated thoughts:

1. Ironically I've seen versions of those three names several times in chat binds on Pride global and/or loitering in Virtue Pocket D.

2. I can see "queer" being used in the older sense for a steampunk-themed character but that's about it.

3. Banning "queer" but not "gay" smacks of a double standard. Getting the latter word off of the naughty list took years of nudging and nagging of the devs before Ex Libris finally removed it. It's not like the game devolved into barbarism as a result.

4. In the UK, the word that rhymes with hag is a cigarette. The word that rhymes with baguette is a bundle of sticks (with one G) and a variety of pork meatball if spelled with two. Add "ing" to the latter and it's a embroidery technique. For all those reasons, the banning of these two words has always struck me as both culturally imperialist and anti-intellectual.

5. Remember when "fist" was briefly a banned word? Made it dirtier didn't it?

6. I am no kid, but I had no idea - not a whisper of a notion - that "cracker" was a naughty word anywhere in the world until I played CoH. Were it not a banned word, prompting me to ask someone "what the heck?" I might still not know. I know the pejorative now because it was banned.

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Grouchybeast · 09-09-2011 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainbow Avenger

4. In the UK, the word that rhymes with hag is a cigarette. The word that rhymes with baguette is a bundle of sticks (with one G) and a variety of pork meatball if spelled with two.

Actually, the OED wants two Gs for all British English usages. Single G is given as the American spelling.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forbin_Project

So out of curiosity what unoffensive names can you come up with using queer? Cuz honestly I'm drawing a blank.

Queer Street!

I'm seeing him as probably a rather tattered, down-and-out-looking guy, most likely steampunk/Victorian themed, fighting back with the new Street Justice set against the rich supervillain who ruined him. (Not that I would, in a million years, actually try to use the name in game, because my passing amusement is not more important than potentially upsetting and offending fellow players.)

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BrandX · 09-09-2011 10:19 PM

Sounds like it's about time people stopped being worried about being PC and started being REAL!

REAL WORLD: City of Heroes!

Personally I say lets not forget to put blame on those who can't get over it, and just ignore it, and thusly get everything banned on a site open across the world.

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TheJazMan · 09-09-2011 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triomphe

1. What if I want to make names with the word

2. Anyone who would be offended by the word should, by now, know that its meaning is rather different from what it was many years ago. Thus any attempted offense would just be foolish.

You're wrong. It can be offensive still. Get over it. Think of another name and move along before someone accuses you of trolling.

Blue Rabbit · 09-10-2011 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow

Wait, what other meaning does the word "queer" have? Maybe it's my "English as a foreign language" speaking here, but I was unaware it ever meant anything other than a sexual slur.

Good lord...

English isn't my first language either but I find it amazing that someone would think that was the original meaning for that word. Maybe it's because of my years, I learned it with its original meaning rather than the stupid derogatory one.

Or maybe I'm more innocent than you.

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Forbin_Project · 09-10-2011 03:52 AM

The new people weren't around for it but a few years ago a friendly group of players sponsored an ingame event and invited everyone to join the party. Much fun was had by all who participated.

About a month later, and this is important, a month after the event was over!!! an article was published that praised the event that was sponsored by Gay players. I forget if they were a single SG or a group of SG's.

That's when the forums erupted in a hate fueled flamewar. Blinding stupidity like if the gays can have events why can't heteros have hetero only events, and ingame christian prayer meetings. The event should have been banned because they were recruiting. Thankfully the mods started stepping in and locked/deleted threads.

So why is Queer banned? Because if idiots like that.

Captain_Photon · 09-10-2011 12:58 PM

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Originally Posted by VoodooGirl

Because of improper usage, as I'm sure you can imagine.

SEE ALSO: "This is why we can't have nice things."

Captain_Photon · 09-10-2011 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grouchybeast

Actually, the OED wants two Gs for all British English usages. Single G is given as the American spelling.

It was also, amusingly, the NATO reporting codename for the MiG-15 jet fighter.

BrandX · 09-10-2011 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon

SEE ALSO: "This is why we can't have nice things."

I thought we couldn't have nice things because people couldn't just ignore the trolls.

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Forbin_Project · 09-10-2011 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrandX

I thought we couldn't have nice things because people couldn't just ignore the trolls.

It would be easier if gruff billy goats weren't in such short supply.

Megajoule · 09-11-2011 11:53 AM

Speaking of improper usage, about you stop using it as a verb? Then we'll talk.

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Captain_Photon · 09-11-2011 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megajoule

Speaking of improper usage, about you stop using it as a verb? Then we'll talk.

Never heard the expression "queer the {deal|pitch}"? To spoil/thwart/jeopardize/greatly reduce the chances of success? Mind you, I don't think it's very sporting of the OP to say he wants to place CoH at a disadvantage merely because he's not allowed to say "queer", but...

Besides, any adjective is a verb if you hold it right.

BrandX · 09-11-2011 03:38 PM

It's like people have never heard of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" or played "Smear the Queer" or raised an eyebrow and looked at something strange and said "Okay, now that's queer."

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Grouchybeast · 09-11-2011 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrandX

It's like people have never heard of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"

I have always wondered what the hell most people though about the title of Queer As Folk when they made the US version. I don't imagine the original saying is very widespread over there.

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SinisterDirge · 09-11-2011 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon

It was also, amusingly, the NATO reporting codename for the MiG-15 jet fighter.

Didnt know that. Strange considering it is the nickname for the C-5 Galaxy's.

Captain_Photon · 09-11-2011 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SinisterDirge

Didnt know that.

They presumably meant it in the "bundle of sticks" sense, or possibly the "shorthand for a cigarette" sense, and not the "fabulous gentleman" sense. Though it's sometimes hard to tell with NATO's naming committee. Other outstanding Soviet-fighter-aircraft NATO codenames included "Frogfoot", "Faceplate", "Flatpack", "Flogger", and - I kid you not - "Fishpot".

Some of them were very cool - Russian pilots liked the codename for the MiG-29, "Fulcrum", so much they used it themselves, and "Foxbat" has a certain something - but many were just... sad. I mean, "Flounder"? "Flagon"? "Frank"?