Snowflakes And Shibboleths
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I am led to believe that the movie ‘Fight Club’ is primarily responsible for the term ‘snowflake.’ I have no idea whether this is true but, certainly, a snowflake is now a word that doesn’t necessarily mean pretty little floating things descending from above.
The same thing happened to ‘gay’ of course. Up until the 1970s – well, by all means, correct me if I am wrong but I didn’t notice the new meaning until the late 70’s I think – ‘gay’ meant ‘happy’. It still does of course but, generally speaking, it means homosexual to a lot of people when they hear the word.
It is a much friendlier word than homosexual, not to mention being easier to pronounce after several beers. Personally, I think that whoever came up with the idea of using the word ‘gay’ should get a fantastic award for the best bit of PR in the history of PR.
It was much-needed PR too. As one of our school chums was openly ‘gay’ in the early ’70s – not a good time to be gay – and we looked after him, making sure he never got beaten up and so forth, our ‘group’ never had an issue with anyone being gay.
Most people did though, including young people of our age. Had we not had our ‘gay’ chum, quite conceivably, we would have had the same mindset back then as so many others did. A lot of people seemed to think that being ‘gay’ was the same as being a pedophile.
It is startling and, indeed, shocking to remember how so many thought back then.
Still, sometimes, just by giving a nice word another meaning, things can improve.
Now, snowflake. That’s a word that has been given another meaning more recently. Along with the pretty little floating things descending from above, it now is a word used to describe some people.
In some ways, it could, possibly, be described as a shibboleth. (Now there’s a word not used very much outside of Masonic ritual eh?)
A ‘shibboleth’ is a word, phrase, custom, etc., only known to a particular group of people, that you can use to prove to them that you are a real member of that group.
The Wikipedia definition of ‘snowflake’ in its alternative meaning is :
‘Snowflake as a slang term involves the derogatory usage of the word snowflake to refer to a person. Its meaning may include a person perceived by others to have an inflated sense of uniqueness or an unwarranted sense of entitlement or to be over-emotional, easily offended, and unable to deal with opposing opinions. Common usages include the terms special snowflake, Generation Snowflake, and snowflake as a politicized insult‘.
The italics and the ‘bold’ type are mine.
Listening to young people – which could apply to anyone under 50 at my age but I mean under 30 or maybe 35 – I get the sense that offending them is extraordinarily easy. All you have to do is say something. Even the most mundane of things can have them weeping bucket fulls.
Now I know they have a backbone. If they didn’t they would go all floppy and fall over but, if you use the word ‘backbone’ to mean ‘having a bit of mental strength’ or ‘having some balls’ – Oh! That’s another word with another meaning in this context! – then, it seems to me that an increasing number of young people haven’t any.
“You can’t say this it is offensive”, “You can’t say that it is offensive”, “I am offended by you saying that”.
All you might well have said is “That person over there is way too fat” or “I call women in full-face veils peek-a-boos” or “I think there are too many immigrants allowed in for the country to sustain” and they’re off.
“It’s offensive!”
I was even taken to task for saying “I’m getting too fat. I think I’d better eat less”
“You can’t say ‘fat’ anymore, it’s body shaming” – “But I said it about my own body!” – “Yes, but if someone larger heard you they would be offended and upset”
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get a bloody life all you little snowflakes. This place you inhabit is called ‘The Earth’. It is the planet on which we, humanity, live. In so many ways we are completely and totally fucking the entire place up and you are offended by the words ‘fat’ or ‘peek-a-boo’ or criticisms of immigration policies?
Did you know that, in Englands Premier League, a small minority of fans are still throwing banana skins onto the pitch at the feet of black players? Now that is cause for offence.
In 2018, fans of teams with a high number of black players they idolize are throwing banana skins at the feet of black players on opposing teams. Not only is it offensive it’s bloody insane. Being racist is one thing but they can’t even be consistent!
Anyway. Snowflakes of the world: get a bit of backbone before you do go all floppy and fall over. There are far more pressing things to be offended about than words coming out of people’s mouths.
Sticks and stones to start with. They hurt a damn sight more than words.
All my love from Blighty. Twatwaffle xx
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There is an idealic picture that many have of a truly civil society where every one is happy and content with their lot in life and therefore have no reason to judge others much less use snaky descriptions of them. I think it is called Utopia, but as we all know that can only exist in a well written movie or play. I can well imagine that among the first beings to reach the humanoid status that there was among them a snowflake and a twatwaffle. There was also probably and orange headed baboon who thought he was the king of the humanoids because his knuckles drug the closest to the ground who believed that being a snowflake was superior to just being human. Little did know that he was far out of step with all of the other primates that existed.
Oh sod it….Jess is right….more fun!!!!😀😀😀😀
Holte….hear endeth the lesson. Even a silly old Twatwaffle can still learn….
We all want to be better people, don’t we? The first step in becoming a better person is to think of something mean or potentially offensive to, or about another person, and don’t say it.
Um no, not really 😉 I am good with how I am and if mean comes out, I meant to say it after thinking about it. Like, there is someone here who I am always mean to when I see them and I mean to be mean.
“Moniker? I never had sex with her…” LOL! Thx for the morning smile.
Ah! Then thank you Jess 😘
Moniker? I never had sex with her, but I agree about the delicacy of younger people. I’ve been reading about the new congresswoman from Queens, New York. She and her fans have been irate that she’s being attacked for her youth and inexperience and even for her IQ (when has that ever been a prerequisite?) and although I hate her detractors, I have to ask what the hell these snowflakes though would happen?
She didn’t get elected to Barbie’s Dream Congress. It’s a vicious place with no rules of decorum – sort of like the House of Commons and nastiness is common. I’m sure she can take it or will soon learn to fight back. That is a prerequisite. A lot of delicate flowers need to learn an elementary lesson – there is no kindly teacher to put your adversaries into the Time Out corner and there sure as hell is no safe space in this world.
I think what has her and many others upset about it Glenn is the double standard of it all. Paul Ryan, Joe Biden etc were elected at roughly the same age and the whole oh he’s not experienced, what is he wearing, he’s not smart never entered into the picture. I will give you three guesses what the differences might be and why some of us might be just a little bit upset for someone we don’t even know. Seems to me she’s fighting back just fine if you look at her social media feeds, same thing with the Muslim congresswoman that told some god botherer that he is just going to have to deal with her wearing a head covering in the house of reps.
As I recall, the double standard was invented somewhere near Olduvai Gorge about 4 million years ago. I’m used to it even though I was born sometime later. Actually I have every expectation that these new Congressionals will become tough and effective in time. I think one learns a great deal growing up in Queens – about street fighting and street smarts. Sorta like Trump did only he went to the dark side.
All I’m going to say is that if we want a voice we have to vote – but as important is that we have to accept compromise and if we have to compromise we have to exit the safe space where the words are mean and the snowflake ventureth not.
I’m becoming quite fond of my new moniker. Thank you Bobbie 😜😀
What did I miss?
As far as I know, I’m the one that started using twatwaffle here because it made Mike laugh, so if you’re thanking anyone it’e me old bean. Far as the rest of it, maybe us young people are just more tolerant and are not going to put up with people being all mean. Wait someone gave you shit because you said YOU were getting hefty, that’s funny.
What gets me is the amazement in finding out millions of years into our social progress that this is somehow a cruel, cruel world and full of mean and stupid people.
Not putting up with it is the first step rather than a goal and it may well involve unkind words which don’t seem all that tolerant to others. Rather the opposite if you ask me. I really do hate to categorize, because it’s impossible to separate prejudice when talking about “typical” but ego fragility is more easily visible, I think, and held up to be a virtue rather than weakness. There’s nothing wrong about being perceptive and aware as long as it doesn’t turn too puritanical and it doesn’t make on retreat into some safe space to hide.
Fact is that the people who insult you or your dreams truly love to see the frustrated and impotent tears of the melting ice crystal. Don’t like fascists and right wingers and bigots? When barely 30% vote on a good day, I sometimes have unkind words too. Snowflakes of the world unite. Melting water is a powerful thing.
LOL! He’s a hefty twatwaffle 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂
That is so wrong, but I laughed anyway 🙂