Nicknames - a rant

[twency]

But hey, if it makes you feel good, keep using it. It lets the rest of us know who you are and what you stand for.

Feel free to meander through my post history. For the “rekert,” I don’t believe I’ve ever used any of the terms sited above to describe a politician.

I mean this in the nicest possible way:

I wasn't talking to you.

Your post just happened to precede mine. I was referring to any person who habitually uses any particular nickname. As I said (and meant, believe it or not), if you (generically, not you Trip20) want to use a particular name, go ahead. It's your right, and it can offer a clue to where you are coming from. I just happen to think that a lot of the nicknames get old.

__________
-twency

 

[chickenfried]

Guys, with all these similar posts lately, maybe we should have a whining forum?

 

[R.H. Lee]

I agree, White Horseradish. Referring to these people in pejorative terms does nothing but make the poster look foolish and weak IMO. There are other, more intelligent ways to express disapproval and condemnation. Like pointing out the absurdity and hypocrisy of their actions.

 

[EghtySx]

If it happens that often, even on TV, how do the three people who disagree with it/hate it think they are right whent he majority seems to disagree with them? Who is being pompous now?

The names are harmless and do serve a point. It's like anything else, if you don't like it, dont participate in it.

So parental.

What I don't like is people acting like they are so above everyone else just because they have an opinion. We all have opinions, stop disrespecting everyone else's.

 

[grnzbra]

I find the tone of this thread quite offensive. If someone wants to talk about Amerika or Billery, Hildabeast, DiFi or Chucky, that is their choice. If that, in you mind, brands them as immature, childish, neanderthal or Archie Bunker, fine. That is your choice. However, who in the heck do you people think you are to look down your noses at the Archie Bunkers of the world?

That type of attitude is typical of the liberals. If you really feel that way, I suggest you turn in your guns and move to New York City, where you too can kiss the ground trod by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the smartest woman in America, and worship the the famous New Yorker cartoon that shows that nothing exists in America west of the Hudson River, except for little pimples where Chicago and San Francisco should be.

 

[R.H. Lee]

So parental.

What I don't like is people acting like they are so above everyone else just because they have an opinion. We all have opinions, stop disrespecting everyone else's.

You have no idea how contradictory, thus funny, that is, do you?

I find the tone of this thread quite offensive. If someone wants to talk about Amerika or Billery, Hildabeast, DiFi or Chucky, that is their choice. If that, in you mind, brands them as immature, childish, neanderthal or Archie Bunker, fine. That is your choice. However, who in the heck do you people think you are to look down your noses at the Archie Bunkers of the world?

That type of attitude is typical of the liberals.

Again, contradictory and funny. Liberals resort to pejorative terms and name-calling because they're devoid of ideas.

 

[White Horseradish]

Dang. It seems there's a lot of people that totally missed the point...

Far be it from me to forbid anyone anything. You wanna talk like a Teletubby - be my guest. Just don't be surprised that you're not taken as seriously as you'd like.

I am not against humor. I am against stale and stupid humor. Just because someone does not find your particular joke funny doesn't automatically mean they are completely humorless. More often than not it means your joke sucks.

Aw, heck. Look at Preacherman. Learn from him. Be creative.

Janitor, I think "Your Exalted Poopyheadedness" should be a step or two above palin old "poopyhead". Do you disagree?

Kramer, there is quite a bit of difference between "non-PC" and "annoying".



This post has been brought to you by Your Friendly Neighborhood Spelink Nutsee and the letter P (but don't do it on the floor)

 

[Aguila Blanca]

Possibly a rhetorical question, but ...

What does this thread have to do with "Legal & Political"?

 

[Carlos]

As a side note, I find "Swinestein" to be particularly annoying since to me "Feinstein" is a typically Jewish name and remaking it into something derisive using a synonym for pork is not, well, kosher.

Pun intended, I'm sure.

Well, WhiteHorseradish I disagree and the gunners from the boards all over the place probably disagree as well. Please do, get over it!!!

Hitlery will always be Hitlery. Swinestein couldn't be more descriptive of the descructive, hateful 3#@$ she truly is.

I'm sorry your little feelings were hurt by all this. You'll get no sympathy from me, and I don't particularly care about your feelings.

LMAO. Trying to PC the gunboards. ROFLMAO.

 

[R.H. Lee]

Possibly a rhetorical question, but ...

What does this thread have to do with "Legal & Political"?

If you want to make a salient and persuasive point, you've got to elevate your argument above the rhetoric of name calling. Whenever I see 'Shrub' or 'chimp', for example, I picture the author as a bitter little gollum creature at the keyboard, angry and impotent, unable to otherwise express himself.

 

[grnzbra]

Again, contradictory and funny. Liberals resort to pejorative terms and name-calling because they're devoid of ideas.

No, liberals resort to perjorative terms because they feel superior to nonliberals. Some of the anti-nickname usage comments here are taking the same tone.

I picture the author as a bitter little gollum creature at the keyboard, angry and impotent, unable to otherwise express himself.

And, because you can express yourself eloquently, your ideas are sooooo superior to his?

 

[Old Dog]

Those who begin flinging the label of "thin-skinnedness" are missing the point.

Satire has long been a uniquely American tradition, beginning with the master, Benjamin Franklin, continuing with people such as Francis Hopkinson, Thomas Nast, H.L. Mencken, Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce ... through today with minds such as Dave Barry, P.J. O'Rourke, etc ... heck, even David Letterman.

What do all these people have in common? They were actually funny, and knew when to stop using tired, hackneyed old buzzwords and phrases.

Clearly, there are many here who believe that (in their minds) cute nicknames, clever puns and tired rhetoric pass for actual thinking and worthwhile ideas ...

 

[sfhogman]

Oh great. Now I'm gonna have a picture of Chuck Schumer and Hillary in my head all day.....

 

[Biker]

Personally, the only nick that I can recall using is Jorge when referring to Bush. Why? Jorge Bustamante is the nickname that Fox gave to Bush shortly after he was first elected. I figure that if Bush smilingly accepts it from a Mexican citizen, then an American citizen should be able to use it with the same approval.
As an aside, it accurately represents Bush as the Greatest President that Mexico has ever known.
Biker

 

[Werewolf]

Quite often perjorative nicknames are used as a means of achieving brevity.

Calling Hillary Clinton, for example, Hitlery expresses more about what a poster thinks about her politics in one simple word than having to explain it in a paragraph or two ever could.

In verbal communications studies have indicated that more info is passed between people via non-verbal visual means than the actual words said. Internet forums are a word intensive medium where non-verbal visual cues simply do not exist (smilies are a poor substitute at best and highly misleading at worst). Thus about 80% of our ability to successfully communicate with others is taken away. Using nicknames can act in many cases as a substitute for the non-verbal visual cues missing from written communications.

On the other hand:
If using nicknames offends some then tough. THR has an IGNORE function. Use it - I do.

 

[thereisnospoon]

nana...

booboo

 

[Carl N. Brown]

To people who don't know the issues, the name calling makes the
name caller look offensive.

Too much of the "pet name" crowd come across like junior high school
cliques repeating names for outcasts just to appear to be cool and in.

 

[R.H. Lee]

Words mean things; they convey ideas to the reader/listener. The key is in their judicious and thrifty use. If pejoratives are just parroted over and over again, they lose their usefulness.

Jorge- Overused, but still valid. Conveys disdain for GWB's open borders policy and his acquiescence to illegal immigration.

Hitlery- Way overused, but still has some validity as it points out the similarity between liberals and Nazis. Read "Modern Fascism" by Gene Edward Veith for a further explanation.

Chucky- Conveys no particular meaning that I can discern. I prefer 'Upchuck' Schumer or 'ambulance chaser' as more descriptive of his smarmy persona.

Shrub- No meaning that I can discern, except to convey disdain for the fact that his father was President also. The overriding message, however, is angst and bitterness about the 2000 election. Get over it already.

chimp, chimpy- This one is totally worthless, completely overused, and boring beyond belief. John Kerry looks a lot more like a long faced, depressive, sad sack horseface than GWB looks like a chimpanzee. Sorta like Mr. Ed, but not as entertaining.

 

[White Horseradish]

On the subject of thin skins - in all the years on all the boards I have been I have never used the ignore list. Ever. Don't think I'll start now.

EghtySx, if you wish to follow the herd, that's your right. I prefer to think for myself. And yes, I do think that having my own opinion is superior to parroting some TV host. Incidentally, there is no way for me to know what is used on TV or not as I don't watch it. I believe this thing on my shoulders is a bit more than a fancy hat rack with a food receptacle.

grnzbra, please point out where I have said that people should not be allowed to say what they wish. And what the hell do liberals have to do with anything? If you assume me to be one, I'd like to know what you base this on. Or can't you have a discussion without somehow mentioning the evil liberals? It almost seems like you're trying to start your own argument rather than take part in this one.

Carlos, are you telling me I have no right to my opinion and I should not express it? Also, when you say you don't care, I don't believe you. You cared enough to post.


It's funny how many people just told me to shut up because my point of view is not that of the majority...


This post has been brought to you by Your Friendly Neighborhood Spellenk Nuzzy and the letter U (not me, not him, you)

 

[Art Eatman]

"Shrub" is an old thing, probably from Molly Ivins or Ann Richards, I forget which. In Texas, "Dubya" was the common nickname from way back.

The name-calling stuff tends to detract from the substance of a post, when there is actually a discussion. When it's just an interjected slam in a thread, it's the same sort of annoyance as a mosquito inside the tent...

And there are just so darned many entertaining ways to phrase one's distaste for some politico without merely calling names.

Art

 

[Janitor]

Janitor, I think "Your Exalted Poopyheadedness" should be a step or two above palin old "poopyhead". Do you disagree?

Can't disagree at all. I've actually used that form before.

Unfortuantely, one is often dealiing with sombody that simply doesn't deserve the extra respect.


-

 

[JJpdxpinkpistols]

"And there are just so darned many entertaining ways to phrase one's distaste for some politico without merely calling names.

+1

I had to teach my 8 and 4 year old to not call people names, and instead call the "beast by it's true name".

Maybe its just me, but there is nothing quite as menacing as addressing the person by their proper name or title, and then insulting them as politely as you might order tea from a kindly waiter or waitress. "All kindsa un-nervin'" says Jayne. I prefer my daughters to be that menacing and "dangerous".

I am afraid that once I see those terms in a post, it just "sounds" like its coming out the mouth of a 4 year old, no matter how valid the point (and they are often *valid* points). However, YMMV. If you wanna sound like a 4 year old, go to it. Free country, over 18, blah blah blah.

 

[Tequila_Sauer]

The term "tax cuts for the rich" annoys me a lot more than Dubya, Rummy, or whatever else.

I think it's time to relax a bit. I couldn't care less what people call politicians. If the person is using it as some kind of a debate tool, it only discredits them. If used merely in jest or casual conversation, I really don't care.

 

[Molon Labe]

I am not against humor. I am against stale and stupid humor. Just because someone does not find your particular joke funny doesn't automatically mean they are completely humorless. More often than not it means your joke sucks.

White Horseradish:

Lots of things bother me. But I don't get bent out of shape every time I encounter something that bothers me. I simply ignore it and move on.

 

[Trip20]

Oh, the drama. :banghead:

It's funny how many people just told me to shut up because my point of view is not that of the majority...

No one has told you to shut up - disagree with you, yes - but "shut up," no. I don't mean to interfere with your victim status.