Over-sensitivity

[Delphi]

At work we have a Slack channel called DadJokes. I posted the following joke

There's this junkie and he's bought some smack, but he can't remember where he's put it. He ransacks his flat, turns it upside down, but no joy. Finally, going through cupboards in the kitchen, he finds his prized little baggie of brown. He ties a scarf around his arm to try and find a vein, cooks it up and injects his hit.
Sadly, it wasn't heroin, it was curry powder. And now he's in a korma.

Got pulled up on it for using the term "junkie" as it might offend some people. W.T.A.F.?

[Broccers]

I'm OFFENDED

[Swervin_Mervin]

This thread needs a trigger-warning

[nuttinnew]

Some people are so highly strung* you've got to be careful; their tikka** might not take it.

*and some should be.
**To check, listen to its beat. Instead of the normal pih-dummm....pih-dummm....pih-dummm.... pih-dummm it'll be going poppadom-poppadom-poppadom-poppadom-poppadom.

[nuttinnew]

Still from Dirty Dhansak, 1987.

[Gavster]

I can understand why, because it's a pejorative term for someone who has an illness/mental health issues in the form of addiction. There are lots of words that we used commonly in the past which are now considered offensive, especially when it comes to mental health and disability. It's not over-sensitivity, it's the evolution of language and society.

[ZedLeg]

I know I'm probably setting myself up for a slagging here but this is why most companies could do with getting a DEI consultant on board.

A lot of managers will use their own judgement on stuff like this and miss the mark completely, over reacting wildly to things that may not even be an issue while not dealing with other things that would be considered actionable.

[V8Granite]

I can understand why, because it's a pejorative term for someone who has an illness/mental health issues in the form of addiction. There are lots of words that we used commonly in the past which are now considered offensive, especially when it comes to mental health and disability. It's not over-sensitivity, it's the evolution of language and society.

Not in everyone’s language.

These soft fuckers need to realise they are creating a world of woe is me fuckwits who will produce nothing in life apart from tiny tiny tears.

I was in the pub last night telling my mate the joke about,
"What would you do if an epileptic was having a fit in the
bath.throw the washing in."
However, the bloke on the next table said,
"My brother who is epileptic had a fit in the
bath and died."
Fuck me. If the ground could have swallowed me up I'd of been happy. I said, "Sorry to hear that, mate. Did he
drown?"
He said, "No; he choked on a sock."

Dave!

[Swervin_Mervin]

I can understand why, because it's a pejorative term for someone who has an illness/mental health issues in the form of addiction. There are lots of words that we used commonly in the past which are now considered offensive, especially when it comes to mental health and disability. It's not over-sensitivity, it's the evolution of language and society.

See. You start thinking like this and you end up finding yourself at a Coldplay gig...

[mik]

Delphi is Jerry Sadowitz AICMFP

[ZedLeg]

I can understand why, because it's a pejorative term for someone who has an illness/mental health issues in the form of addiction. There are lots of words that we used commonly in the past which are now considered offensive, especially when it comes to mental health and disability. It's not over-sensitivity, it's the evolution of language and society.

See. You start thinking like this and you end up finding yourself at a Coldplay gig...

[Rich B]

At work we have a Slack channel called DadJokes. I posted the following joke

There's this junkie and he's bought some smack, but he can't remember where he's put it. He ransacks his flat, turns it upside down, but no joy. Finally, going through cupboards in the kitchen, he finds his prized little baggie of brown. He ties a scarf around his arm to try and find a vein, cooks it up and injects his hit.
Sadly, it wasn't heroin, it was curry powder. And now he's in a korma.

Got pulled up on it for using the term "junkie" as it might offend some people. W.T.A.F.?

yep, for diversity, equality and inclusion I presume your company has employed some habitual drug users, who may well be offended. You monster.

[Gavster]

I can understand why, because it's a pejorative term for someone who has an illness/mental health issues in the form of addiction. There are lots of words that we used commonly in the past which are now considered offensive, especially when it comes to mental health and disability. It's not over-sensitivity, it's the evolution of language and society.

See. You start thinking like this and you end up finding yourself at a Coldplay gig...

Did I tell you I've seen Keane live too?

It's also very context dependent. Your working environment is a completely different situation to a stand up comedy night or the pub with your friends. You go to see a comedian specifically because you're happy to have your ideas challenged, whereas work is a different kettle of fish and rightly so.

Further to that, there's also a point about the philosophy of comedy, whether a joke is genuinely victimizing someone or simply placing a them in a situation that's funny, which are quite different things.

[duncs500]

My opinions on this are ever evolving. Certainly people going overboard with this stuff is a problem and they should get called out, but at the same time these are the kind of people who will also call out genuinely racist or misogynistic comments that others might just brush over or ignore. So I kind of think that it's a necessary evil to take the rough with the smooth once in a while as long as it doesn't do any damage.

Are we going to end up with it going too far? Possibly, but we're not where we need to be on more serious stuff yet so we may need to take it a bit far and then rein it in later with some common sense IMO.

[ZedLeg]

Yeah, having a jokes thread on a works communication channel is risky in the first place. Like you can't account for everyone's sensibilities, it just seems like it'll end up being a ballache when someone crosses a line.

[Broccers]

The way I see it, from the outside of not working with teams. You are best not having banter, a laugh, flirting, moaning about anything and generally have no connection with anyone there apart from your bosses who you need to impress.

I was thinking why the news and other places were getting so ridiculously over sensitive and then it hit me - I'm old and the new blood are a different generation who have had it all given to them and haven't ever lived.

[ZedLeg]

The way I see it, from the outside of not working with teams. You are best not having banter, a laugh, flirting, moaning about anything and generally have no connection with anyone there apart from your bosses who you need to impress.

That's not the case at all, where I work is fairly relaxed and we have a laugh. It's really easy, just remember you're not in the pub with your pals and don't be a dick. I understand that last one might give you trouble.

[Broccers]

The way I see it, from the outside of not working with teams. You are best not having banter, a laugh, flirting, moaning about anything and generally have no connection with anyone there apart from your bosses who you need to impress.

That's not the case at all, where I work is fairly relaxed and we have a laugh. It's really easy, just remember you're not in the pub with your pals and don't be a dick. I understand that last one might give you trouble.

Its absolutely been the case through friends / family for many many years.

[Swervin_Mervin]

My opinions on this are ever evolving. Certainly people going overboard with this stuff is a problem and they should get called out, but at the same time these are the kind of people who will also call out genuinely racist or misogynistic comments that others might just brush over or ignore. So I kind of think that it's a necessary evil to take the rough with the smooth once in a while as long as it doesn't do any damage.

Are we going to end up with it going too far? Possibly, but we're not where we need to be on more serious stuff yet so we may need to take it a bit far and then rein it in later with some common sense IMO.

Ask yourself this though - would the joke be any less likely to cause offence if you used the term "drug-addict"? I would suggest that, to those who might be sensitive to a joke such as this, the use of junkie or any other term for the individual, is not the bit that is really likley to cause offence.

[duncs500]

My opinions on this are ever evolving. Certainly people going overboard with this stuff is a problem and they should get called out, but at the same time these are the kind of people who will also call out genuinely racist or misogynistic comments that others might just brush over or ignore. So I kind of think that it's a necessary evil to take the rough with the smooth once in a while as long as it doesn't do any damage.

Are we going to end up with it going too far? Possibly, but we're not where we need to be on more serious stuff yet so we may need to take it a bit far and then rein it in later with some common sense IMO.

Ask yourself this though - would the joke be any less likely to cause offence if you used the term "drug-addict"? I would suggest that, to those who might be sensitive to a joke such as this, the use of junkie or any other term for the individual, is not the bit that is really likley to cause offence.

I dunno, I'm just making a general comment, you may well be right.