Gay rights group outraged by CBC's use of 'pansification'

This group seems to have taken a page out of the Gary Bettman book. And given what happened to Sean Avery, I don't see how they can really be wrong.

about 3 years ago Karina 21 comments 0 recs |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Hmmmm

I have to agree Jeff Keay. I am not sure that ‘pansy’ is really anything other than the equivalent of ‘pussy’ or a word indicating softness rather than someone being a homosexual.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jan 28, 2009 10:40 PM EST reply actions

Not sure I agree

Merriam and Webster gives both meaning as definitions. Personally, if I were to hear something like this out of context, I would assume the speaker was being disparaging about homosexuals.

I’m quite sure the HNIC guys didn’t mean it in such a way, but using language that’s open to interpretation will open you up to that sort of criticism.

"It's not literally a Cradle of Filth - that would be horrible..."

by Mattblack on Jan 29, 2009 8:02 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah but if I wanted to say something along the lines of what they are intimating Milbury meant I’d use a lot different words and I think it would be the same for most people.

At the same time, I think it’s a little too easy to take a look at that and automatically get outraged and make that public. They could have contacted him or CBC privately and let them know their concern.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jan 29, 2009 9:12 AM EST up reply actions

Oh yeah, absolutely agree on that.

It’s just a poor choice of words.

"It's not literally a Cradle of Filth - that would be horrible..."

by Mattblack on Jan 29, 2009 9:37 AM EST up reply actions

Interesting

Comments are closed

I think the G&M could see which way the comments on this article would go…

Crazy town in 3 comments or less.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jan 28, 2009 10:42 PM EST reply actions

Usually

I would be against closing comments on such a national forum as the G & M, but I’m in full support of this one, since we know very few productive discussions will come about with content involving gay rights, Bettman, and the CBC all in one article.

Although I’ll miss the customary, “the Leafs are a joke! No Stanley Cup (insert derogatory gay term)!!!111” posts that is found in every hockey article.

Supporter of the Sergei Berezin "Give and Go" - You give me puck, then you go to hell

by bkblades on Jan 28, 2009 10:51 PM EST up reply actions

Honestly

This is one group who probably aren’t even a little pissed off and saw what amounts to national coverage. Riding the coat tails of two of the most “controversial” speakers on tv. I will agree that 80% of the stiff out of Milbury’s maw is vitriolic at best. He’s on the show to piss off Strachan. This will blow over in mere minutes and the world can go back to just hating Cherry

Rebuilding, not tanking

by Haeyena on Jan 29, 2009 10:09 AM EST reply actions

Special Interest Groups

The reason most of theses special interest groups exist is to complain about something. If there is nothing to complain about, then they have nothing to do. The less we pay attention to them, the sooner they will go away. They really must have nothing to do these days if this is all they have to complain about.

by lb71 on Jan 29, 2009 10:37 AM EST reply actions

Without these special interest groups, we would still be living in a far more sexist, racist and homophobic (amongst many other unpleasant things) world and I for one am very glad that is not the case.

Whilst I agree that it’s an over-reaction in this case, it’s dead wrong to suggest such people should just be ignored.

"It's not literally a Cradle of Filth - that would be horrible..."

by Mattblack on Jan 29, 2009 10:45 AM EST up reply actions

I agree.

This is still a stupid argument put forth that “pansification” is a homophobic slur.

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Jan 29, 2009 11:16 AM EST up reply actions

I agree up to a point. It seems that the pendulum has swung too far the other way. You have to be careful of what you say these days otherwise you will be branded sexist, racist or homophobic.

The problem is that too many groups are complaing too often, and you end up losing interest. They do more to harm their cause than help it. It’s not this group in particular, but combine them all together, and you feel llke it’s a constant whine fest. In the end, you just end up ignoring them, which unfortunately hurts their cause.

When they end up complaing about someting like this, you have to ask yourself “What purpose do you serve now and are you still relevant?”

by lb71 on Jan 29, 2009 11:54 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah

It’s a fine balance. Like feminist groups protesting Augusta, a private member’s golf club, because they don’t allow female members while there is no fair pay act.

Of course, Obama just took care of the latter :)

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jan 29, 2009 12:01 PM EST up reply actions

but… Golf stands for “Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden”

by Karina on Jan 29, 2009 12:25 PM EST up reply actions

Spread the gospel

And I won’t be stuck playing 6 hour long rounds of golf.

Also, they need to re-name it GOLFNOPE: Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden, No Old People Either"

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jan 29, 2009 1:45 PM EST up reply actions

I have no interest in golf. But i’m pretty sure that if anyone official ever admitted that it’s name did stem from that phrase, it would cause quite the ruckus…

by Karina on Jan 29, 2009 1:47 PM EST up reply actions

I agree

It’s a matter of picking your battles and spending your energy where it will have the greatest impact and effect the most positive change. They might have jumped on this just because of the high profile, and figured it would be worth spending time on because so many people heard the comments.

"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams

by Baroque on Jan 29, 2009 12:55 PM EST up reply actions

I never thought of it as a homophobic slur, either, but I can see that it does have similar connotations – like calling men “ladies” as a means of being derogatory, or asking if they need a purse. It doesn’t specifically imply homosexuality but is from the same insult family.

I’m not a gay rights group, and I object to it because it’s so damn stupidly childish. The last time I heard “pansy” was in about second grade – these are supposedly grown men, and SHOULD be capable of making reasoned arguments without resorting to “Am not!” “Are too!” “I know you are, but what am I?”

Good freaking lord, use your brains for something more productive than keeping your empty skulls from collapsing! (Okay, maybe for Milbury that is expecting a little much.)

"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams

by Baroque on Jan 29, 2009 12:52 PM EST reply actions

damn pansies gettin their panties in a bunch

by LeafFanInVan on Jan 29, 2009 12:52 PM EST reply actions

But to be fair, atomic wedgies are painful.

"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams

by Baroque on Jan 29, 2009 12:56 PM EST up reply actions

What about the gay dudes who aren’t all fem, btw? Who speaks for the butch leather daddies? Or the lesbians for that matter! There’s nothing pansy-ish about wearing flannel, a mullet and driving a subaru forester..

by LeafFanInVan on Jan 29, 2009 1:12 PM EST up reply actions