My boss tries really hard to be PC. Over the top hard. He corrects
people when they aren’t even being offensive. I said our copier was
almost out of black ink, and he insisted I should say
African-American. I told him I was talking about the actual color and
he simply said, “We don’t say black anymore.” I asked him if we were
supposed to say Asian ink instead of yellow and he just looked at me.
A few weeks ago the office was all going out to lunch together to
celebrate someone’s last day. In trying to decide where to go, someone
suggested Mexican. Boss got all red in the face and said through
gritted teeth, “Hispanic. Quit trying to offend people!” Another time
someone left some food in the refrigerator for too long and the break
room started to smell. An older lady that works in the office said it
smelled queer and he told her that was inappropriate and she should
say homosexual. I had a piece of sheet music out on my desk because at
lunch I often go to the park to play my guitar, and he looked at it
and got all offended because it said “Retard” where the music slows.
He actually took a pen, crossed it out and wrote “mentally challenged
or handicapped”.
Either your boss has a fantastic sense of humor, or this story is fake.
It’d be funny, though.
*sigh*
If this story is true, the boss has lost his mind. Senility is a horrible thing.
I would have a ball f—ing with this guy.
(If this story is real) That sounds like a great place to work , your boss has a wicked sense of comedy. I wonder how long he’ll keep up the act?
You should try working with it, and see what he does. Mention how something is crippled. Make sure you have a tube of Ben Gay around somewhere. Discuss how the US is going to set up a base in Niger. Don’t forget to make sure you used the word ‘niggardly’ in everyday speech.
Lots of things you can do to feed him material.
Lol I love your boss he sounds.like a blast.
I hope this is real. It sounds rather comical. Please, send more stories of this boss.
I am with SirJP on this – so many opportunities to screw with this guy. If you smoke, mention in front of him that you are going to go smoke a fag. (Fag is slang for cigarette in England I believe?)
Make it a point to correct him as well. Should you hear him use the term ‘short’ remind him that it’s ‘vertically challenged’ and something isn’t ‘fat’, it’s ‘horizontally challenged’. I mean if he wants to play, play right back, you know? Just make sure you don’t go too far and get in actual trouble.
I am laughing! I AM LAUGHING OUT LOUD! Liberals are such utter morons.
this is hilarious. you could really mess with the boss if you wanted to.
I’m pretty sure this is false and was written by one of the regular commentors. Excellent work, whoever wrote it–very entertaining.
Just lost my new job after only working there weeks they were just like we want to hire someone else.
Damn, Kate. That sucks. What kind of job was it, if you don’t mind me asking. You seemed to have liked it, too.
*Ritard
That sucks, Kate.
Big sign this story is fake? The last example given. That word is never used in musical notation. And it’s archaic enough that there’s nearly zero chance of it being used casually. Written music will give the Italian terms for tempo where they apply, like “adagio,” or just say “slower.” Or possibly, though it’s uncommon, bpm (beats per minute). OP stretched too thin when trying to think of another example.
Oh, and incidentally: Walt, I’ll give you that some Liberals go way too far in trying to avoid potentially-offensive words. I neither go out of my way to offend, or go out of my way to avoid offense. ANY word can be offensive to somebody, somewhere. But I don’t use “r*tard” because it’s archaic, not to mention too broad and inspecific.
Zephyr, while I have no clue as I’m not a musician, but doesn’t ritardanno (or abbreviated as ritard. as pixie pointed out by noting the correct spelling) mean to gradually slow down?
How certain are you about what you say?
Zephyr, stick to subjects you know. I have played music for years, and several of the pieces say ret., or retardo.
Zephyr, stick to subjects you know. I have played music for years, and several of the pieces say ret., or retar-do.
apparently you can’t say retar-d in the comments.
“Ritardando” is a musical term, abbreviated “riiard,” yeah. But that’s not “RE tard” (apparently that word, without the space, is censored – as it should be) and I highly doubt the boss would take it as such.
I say very firmly that that one was a stretch too far. We had a story a while back where a boss was cracking jokes based on bad puns, and the OP gave several examples that were very far (and very poor) stretches. I think this is more of the same. I highly doubt anyone who’s extremely PC is THIS hardcore about it.
…oh, yeah, and… “black” isn’t considered offensive by any black people I know.
While I agree that the spelling is different, it says ritard! We made many jokes about this in JR High because we were a bunch of inner city dweebs that played band instruments.
You really can’t see the joke? Go get your head checked.
Years back I was in England and I saw one of those containers to Drop coins in to assist various charities. You dropped the coin and it went through various contraptions and it said “have fun helping imbesciles:
The word ‘re tard’ is a completely acceptable word to use for various things, brakes re tard things, it’s possible to re tard growth of things, it’s stupid that people with tiny brains make it impossible for people to use words the way they were intended to be used.
Just learned I’m going to Aruba in may. For FREE. I’m so damn excited.
FU, UP, I’m jealous. =)
For what, pray tell, Urbanpossum? A butt-wiping convention? I AM LAUGHING!
I see I have missed out this morning…I remember in junior high a friend of mine with a downs brother getting upset over the word “re-tard” (or ritard, I don’t remember the spelling) in music.
Rock on, UP. Do I detect some jealousy, Walt? I know you wanted to go to a butt-wiping convention pretty badly. Better luck next time.
I got the joke, t-rex, but I think it WAS a joke. I don’t think this story was fake trying to look real, I think it was fake trying to be funny. And it IS funny. OP did a fair job of lampooning people who take PC to extremes. I’m just saying, the examples were stretched too thin to be completely realistic. Doesn’t hamper its laugh factor.
Music won’t say bpm, BUT it will have the note value with a metronome marking. Like quarter note = 80, or something like that. It will picture the quarter note (or other note value), however, because we musicians don’t like reading too many words.
who cares if it is real or not. It is good for a giggle.
Some older music has the Italian terms, but it adds to difficulty in reading. After seeing an organist perform a transcription of “Colonial Song” by Percy Fletcher, and not knowing Fletcher’s work, I found a piano copy that had the sheet music pictured. WOW there were a lot of notations!
And yeah, it was worth a giggle. Once again, screw off, Walt. I’m a liberal, mostly, and I think the politically-correct stuff is mostly crap. There are terms that’re genuinely offensive, and then there’s going miles out of your way to use new terms.
I don’t know what your definition of ‘older music’ is. Written music goes back millenia. I’ve seen music as young as the 20th century contain those terms.
I try to be as politically correct as possible…I don’t let my kids use the “r” word without reprimanding them to use a word that a large segment of society finds offensive. I don’t use the word “gay” to describe something stupid. But, I laughed way too long about Urban Possum having fun helping imbeciles. I seriously can’t stop laughing. Thanks, Possum.
oops…*use a word that a large segment of society DOESN’T find offensive. My brain is falling behind my fingers today.
Barbara, I’m of your line in regards to what words I use and don’t use. I poked fun at Walt because he still thinks “negro” is acceptable. As short as twenty years ago, “re tard” was still an acceptable term in some medical circles, and “imbecile” wasn’t phased out too long before that. “Disabled” or, if you must be PC, “differently-abled,” are okay blanket terms – not great, but okay. Terms like “re tarded” were hold-overs from a time in which peoples’ disorders weren’t deciphered and then treated accordingly; they just lumped everyone together as dumb and stuck them in the same ‘out of the way’ place and forgot about ‘em. Out of sight, out of mind.
“Modern” music… yeah, some 20th century stuff uses those terms, but some very recent stuff (and some older stuff, too) uses simpler ones as noted above. Depends on age, type of work, and composer.
It was a case manager for medicaid people. I was in training there hours away and they tell me to come back they are letting me
Awaiting moderation… Reposting.
Barbara, I’m of your line in regards to what words I use and don’t use. I poked fun at Walt because he still thinks “ne gro” is acceptable (if you’re reading this, dude, that term hasn’t been the least bit acceptable for over thirty years. Just say “black.”) As short as twenty years ago, “re tard” was still an acceptable term in some medical circles, and “imbesile” (poor spelling is to get past possible filters) wasn’t phased out too long before that. “Disabled” or, if you must be PC, “differently-abled,” are okay blanket terms – not great, but okay. Terms like “re tarded” were hold-overs from a time in which peoples’ disorders weren’t deciphered and then treated accordingly; they just lumped everyone together as dumb and stuck them in the same ‘out of the way’ place and forgot about ‘em. Out of sight, out of mind.
“Modern” music… yeah, some 20th century stuff uses those terms, but some very recent stuff (and some older stuff, too) uses simpler ones as noted above. Depends on age, type of work, and composer.
Sorry to hear that, Kate.
I’m probably going to try and see if I can go back to Staples.
Kate, how do you feel about working from home? If you have a land phone line, high speed internet, and a quiet room where you can work uninterrupted, it’s nice to have the ability to work in your jammies. I worked for Alpine Access twice, doing online customer service. I mentioned it because you said you worked at Staples, and I worked for another large office supply retailer through Alpine. If you’re interested, they’re usually hiring. They don’t pay the highest, but they offer full health coverage. Also, you save money on gas and eating out everyday. The website is http://www.alpineaccess.com. Good luck.
HaHa, I have never heard anyone say that something smelled queer. I might start using that term! Speaking of spoiled food, does anyone else like the texture of spoiled milk? God, it’s delicious. Those lumps! The sour smell. Mmmm-mmm-mmm. Put that in a bowl of oats. Delicicious. Hey, has anyone ever realized that arm pit odor kind of smells like stale cheese? God it’s so hot when a woman smells like that. Instant boner!
Zephyr Skunk, ne gro is quite an outdated term. Coloreds is much more acceptable. My Oriental boss, Amy, agrees with me on this.
walter why would possum go to aruba for a butt wiping convention? he could teach people to use there tongues without having to go there. lol! lol!
Ah, Walt. Well played. referring to your boss as “oriental” which many asians find offensive.
Yeah and women dont like being called bitches, sluts, whores, or whatever.
By the way, I dont think that asians dislike being called ‘oriental’. I think that people decided that asian ought not to be called oriental. Cite something otherwise because I truly don’t know.
Walt, “colored” went out in the 1960s. I doubt your boss knows what you’re talking about when you say “coloreds.”
Well, you can’t please everybody. We’ve gone from “Colored” to “Negro” to “black” to “African-American” just in the last thirty years. I have a friend who is from Barbaros, and she says she doesn’t like being called AA because she’s not. My husband is half Cherokee and really resents the term “Native American”. Anybody born in this country is, obviously, a native. “Another attempt by the Great White Father to get the red man to disappear.” Almost all of the tribes call themselves Indians, so we might as well go along with them. (I really like the Canadian term – First Nations.)
Zephyr, why do you say that? Because she’s Asian? Racist.
Can’t site anything, macho man, save for a couple of my asian friends making references to Oriental Avenue in Indy, and a couple other “orients” and saying “Really, in this day and age?”
so, ancedotal at best. Can you cite otherwise?
Of course not, man. That’s why I said I truly don’t know. Derp.
FAKE