Language police bar 'old,' 'blind'!

TommyVercetti

Diamond Member
Jan 4, 2003
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Came across this article. Very interesting read.

Here are some gems from the article.


She says a lot of people are having fun finding new titles for Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" which presents problems with every word except "and" and "the." Ravitch said old is ageist, man is sexist and sea can't be used in case a student lives inland and doesn't grasp the concept of a large body of water.
Wal-Mart, the nation's largest retailer, recently banned racy men's magazines from its shelves although it continues to sell sexy underwear.

But then again you can't find anyone riding on a yacht or playing polo in the pages of an American textbook either. The texts also can't say someone has a boyish figure, or is a busboy, or is blind, or suffers a birth defect, or is a biddy, or the best man for the job, a babe, a bookworm, or even a barbarian.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
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only a matter of time before they figure out how raunchy shakespeare is and ban the bard too
 

calvinbiss

Golden Member
Apr 5, 2001
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That is just ridiculous. Now kids won't even learn real history. Do these people think that their readers don't watch tv? What is the world coming to!!!!!!!!
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
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These people really need to be forced to get real jobs. :|
 

Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
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The public school system is hopelessly flawed & borderline useless as anything more than free daycare.

Who cares what the textbooks say, my kids will never see it.

Viper GTS
 

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
21,941
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LOL damn, that's hilarious. Polo and 'yacht' are too elitist? LOL 'sea' isn't acceptable because a student might live inland and not properly grasp the concept of a large body of water? LOL!
 

dolph

Diamond Member
Jan 18, 2001
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Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
big suprise that its out in california

big surprise you didn't read anything but the dateline but chose to comment anyway.

"American textbook" "U.S. textbooks"
this is national, not state centered. if you think the schools in your state are so high and mighty, guess again.
 

BatmanNate

Lifer
Jul 12, 2000
12,444
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Originally posted by: dolph
Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
big suprise that its out in california

big surprise you didn't read anything but the dateline but chose to comment anyway.

"American textbook" "U.S. textbooks"
this is national, not state centered. if you think the schools in your state are so high and mighty, guess again.

He was refering to where the story originated.
 

AvesPKS

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2000
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This is a joke, right? Please tell me The Onion bought out CNN and now writes for them...
 

dolph

Diamond Member
Jan 18, 2001
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Originally posted by: BatmanNate
Originally posted by: dolph
Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
big suprise that its out in california

big surprise you didn't read anything but the dateline but chose to comment anyway.

"American textbook" "U.S. textbooks"
this is national, not state centered. if you think the schools in your state are so high and mighty, guess again.

He was refering to where the story originated.

are you sure? it doesn't sound like it
 

BatmanNate

Lifer
Jul 12, 2000
12,444
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He said it was "out of California" so that was the way I took it. I'm sure my state would jump on the bandwagon too, Gary Locke is a monkeyfuck.
 

Mill

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
28,558
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I finished reading the author's book a few weeks ago. It is actually WORSE than you think!
 

kranky

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
21,014
137
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Ran across an update with more examples that people have contributed to the author of "Language Police".

My favorite: a publisher wouldn't use any available photos of the 1889 Johnstown flood. To be acceptable, all the people in a lifeboat must be wearing lifevests (to demonstrate safety procedures.)
 

blackdogdeek

Lifer
Mar 14, 2003
14,454
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this isn't widespread is it? i find it worrisome if it is. i guess i can understand "geezer" being obsolete, but did people who used geezer some time back feel the way i do about this trend?

Instead of Arnold's exclamation, "Ah, love, let us be true to one another!" it stated, "Ah, friend, let us be true to one another!"

what's wrong with this?