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  1. #1
    I am Murloc! GreatOak's Avatar
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    Political Correctness Gone too Far

    Boys will be girls, as they say in Sweden, especially if you're Toys R Us. The firm's Swedish franchise has been through its Christmas catalogue and made it gender-neutral. Boys now pucker up to the camera clutching baby dolls. Girls wave guns at the reader to reassure us that females can be violent too.

    It is difficult to be surprised. Sweden's anti-discrimination laws are as bizarre as they are magical. Hairdressers are not allowed to vary their prices based on gender, putting up the price of a short-back-and-sides towards the £50 mark. Taxis which used to offer special rates to single women going home late at night have been told to stop. Women can swim topless in public pools unless there is a law to require men cover their nipples. Stockholm District Court recently ruled that pregnancy was an illness. Activists are pushing to end gender specific pronouns in the language. More men than women now complain to the discrimination ombudsman.

    How effective is this? Well, men still earn 35pc more than women at 20, which narrows to 24pc at 60 years old. This is despite women being better educated and a culture which strongly discourages stay-at-home mothers. Women face the highest rate of rape in Europe and a high rate of domestic violence (although lower than the British rate).
    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance...of-lost-women/


    Man, this is insane. Does anyone think this Cultural Marxism? Why aren't these men and women allowed to express themselves as they wish without being called a bigot or privileged? Sure, nobody should be discriminated against and it shouldn't be encouraged, but stuff like this seems....inhuman. It doesn't matter which country these sorts of things take place in, as the principles behind these policies ought to be attacked. Free expression is being silenced under the guise of egalitarianism.
    In the fell clutch of circumstance
    I have not winced nor cried aloud.
    Under the bludgeonings of chance
    My head is bloody, but unbowed.

  2. #2
    I personally think we went over the line long ago, however this definitely picks it up and moves it further.

  3. #3
    It looks like the only thing left now is increasing a woman's salary and getting men raped more often...
    Why am I back here, I don't even play these games anymore

    The problem with the internet is parallel to its greatest achievement: it has given the little man an outlet where he can be heard. Most of the time however, the little man is a little man because he is not worth hearing.

  4. #4
    Deleted
    Free expression is being silenced under the guise of egalitarianism.
    How exactly is free expression being silenced?

    They're not being told that girls are no longer allowed to be shown using dolls, or that boys can't be shown using guns.

    The bollocks about changing gender specific pronouns is a bit daft, but the rest is general about money equalization, don't exactly see how that equates to 'Silencing free expression'

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by vizzle View Post
    It looks like the only thing left now is increasing a woman's salary
    At least in the USA, we debunked the theory that women make 75% of what men do in another recent thread. However, I cannot speak for the country in the article.

  6. #6
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    Oh no, social engineering has gone too far again! When will it end...

  7. #7
    The Insane Daelak's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GreatOak View Post
    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance...of-lost-women/


    Man, this is insane. Does anyone think this Cultural Marxism? Why aren't these men and women allowed to express themselves as they wish without being called a bigot or privileged? Sure, nobody should be discriminated against and it shouldn't be encouraged, but stuff like this seems....inhuman. It doesn't matter which country these sorts of things take place in, as the principles behind these policies ought to be attacked. Free expression is being silenced under the guise of egalitarianism.
    The toys r us thing is something that is actively challenging your pre-conceived gender roles.

    My question to you is, how do these affect anyone's free expression?
    Quote Originally Posted by zenkai View Post
    There is a problem, but I know just banning guns will fix the problem.

  8. #8
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Rukentuts View Post
    At least in the USA, we debunked the theory that women make 75% of what men do in another recent thread. However, I cannot speak for the country in the article.
    I know for a fact that in the UK Women on average are paid less in part-time jobs (Retail etc) than men are. I don't know if that extends further up the job market however.

  9. #9
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Rukentuts View Post
    At least in the USA, we debunked the theory that women make 75% of what men do in another recent thread. However, I cannot speak for the country in the article.
    They should allow the women to work longer hours, that way they can earn as much as the men.

  10. #10
    Yeah, the toys thing is actually pretty positive. The hairdresser thing seems silly, they should be charging based on the skill required to create the haircut/difficulty or time required.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by RICH1471 View Post
    They should allow the women to work longer hours, that way they can earn as much as the men.
    Who is they?

    Women can work just as much as men do. It's the choices made that affect career paths that determine who makes more or less.

    @GreatOak: Link that video again.

  12. #12
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Rukentuts View Post
    Who is they?

    Women can work just as much as men do. It's the choices made that affect career paths that determine who makes more or less.

    @GreatOak: Link that video again.
    That joke went way over your head.

  13. #13
    I am Murloc! GreatOak's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Istaril View Post
    How exactly is free expression being silenced?

    They're not being told that girls are no longer allowed to be shown using dolls, or that boys can't be shown using guns.

    The bollocks about changing gender specific pronouns is a bit daft, but the rest is general about money equalization, don't exactly see how that equates to 'Silencing free expression'
    Well, it's not being silenced, but is rather being discouraged.
    In the fell clutch of circumstance
    I have not winced nor cried aloud.
    Under the bludgeonings of chance
    My head is bloody, but unbowed.

  14. #14
    How about just taking pictures of the toys?

  15. #15
    I am Murloc! GreatOak's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rukentuts View Post
    Who is they?

    Women can work just as much as men do. It's the choices made that affect career paths that determine who makes more or less.

    @GreatOak: Link that video again.
    Not that it has anything to do with this particular topic, but..

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwogDPh-Sow
    In the fell clutch of circumstance
    I have not winced nor cried aloud.
    Under the bludgeonings of chance
    My head is bloody, but unbowed.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by RICH1471 View Post
    That joke went way over your head.
    Jokes and sarcasm tend to do that. I have trouble detecting them. My mistake.

  17. #17
    I am Murloc! GreatOak's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shadowmelded View Post
    Yeah, the toys thing is actually pretty positive. The hairdresser thing seems silly, they should be charging based on the skill required to create the haircut/difficulty or time required.
    The toy thing is the only part I agree with, but it shouldn't be required.
    In the fell clutch of circumstance
    I have not winced nor cried aloud.
    Under the bludgeonings of chance
    My head is bloody, but unbowed.

  18. #18
    Some of those do seem a bit silly, but I can understand why they're doing it. The intentions are noble, even if some of the outcomes are a bit odd.

    For example, I have absolutely no problems with boys being pictured with dolls, or girls with toy guns. Boys and girls should be allowed to play with whatever toys they want to, regardless of silly gender restrictions imposed by society.

    Examples of the silly ones though would be the hairdressing one (since from what I understand, the price divide is more about how long it takes to style the hair, rather than the gender of the person having their hair styled; women generally ask for more complicated stuff, while men generally ask for something simple, quick, and easy), and the stopping of the special rate for single women in taxis. Since I'd understand that's about keeping her safe while late at night. Though arguably, men could also use the same treatment, since there are plenty of cases of men getting into drunken fights (or being beaten up by drunken thugs) when walking home at night.

    Eh, it's a difficult situation. I understand the reasons for why they're doing this, and dismissing this as 'political correctness gone too far' seems wrong to me. Even though yeah, some of the examples are a bit OTT.

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by -Dalliah- View Post
    Why do they even bother having kids posing with the toys? Just don't have anyone posing with them at all and everyone will be happy.
    There's probably some psychological BS that dictates if a kid is seen having fun with a toy it will sell better.

  20. #20
    Also, about the removal of gender pronouns: not quite as crazy as you'd think.

    In my job in the income protection insurance business, I see a lot of policy documents. Official documents, very important. You will not find a single use of female pronouns in the entire thing. It is all 'he and his', all male. Even when referring to potentially female claimants.

    There's a clause that states that the male pronoun usage is intended to refer to any claimant, but what message does it send? Males are important enough to mention, females not? Is it really so difficult to replace every male pronoun to the more gender neutral 'their' and 'them'?

    I don't know. I can understand why it seems so OTT and crazy, but all these little subconscious clues build up without you even realising.

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