Posted on 10/16/2013 5:34:30 AM PDT by Kaslin
"Think for a moment about the term 'Redskins,'" NBC Sports commentator Bob Costas exhorted viewers in his halftime tirade during Sunday's Cowboys-Redskins game. "Ask yourself what the equivalent would be, if directed [at] African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, or members of any other ethnic group. When considered that way, 'Redskins' can't possibly honor a heritage or a noble character trait, nor can it possibly be considered a neutral term.
"It is an insult, a slur, no matter how benign the present-day intent," Costas continued.
This is ludicrous. I say this not as someone who has particular love for the Redskins or its name. I say this as a lover of words.
Words are magical things, routinely defying the sort of logic-chopping on display in Costas' tirade. Their euphony can be a siren calling us to dangerous shores. Logophillic pundit William Safire, an unreconstructed paronomasiac, could be so seduced by clever puns, he often crashed whole columns into them. My former boss, William F. Buckley, was often in the dock on charges of aggravated sesquipedalianism, to which he always pleaded nolo contendere, informing the court of public opinion: "I am Lapidary But Not Eristic When I Use Big Words."
But neither big words nor big wordplay are the issues in the largely eristic tussle over the Redskins. This debate is about bad words.
Slate magazine recently announced it would no longer refer to the Redskins by name. "Changing how you talk changes how you think," editor David Plotz explained. "... If Slate can do a small part to change the way people talk about the team, that will be enough."
"In public discourse," Plotz adds, "we no longer talk about groups based on their physical traits: No one would ever refer to Asians as yellow-skinned."
I hope Slate will be similarly brave about refusing to use the "C" in NAACP.
After all, the "Colored" in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People refers to skin color, too. And if I described the president of the NAA[initial redacted]P as "colored," I'd be in huge trouble.
Redskins lawyer Lanny Davis insists the team's 80-year-old name should be grandfathered in, even though he concedes that someone might be offended. Time's Sean Gregory sarcastically responds: "So we have to be sensitive to the one offended person, but can't change the name, because it's been around for a long time. Sorry, offended person. We love the name too much, for too long."
Well, yeah. I'm not offended by the C in NAACP -- which isn't racist for obvious reasons -- but someone out there must be. That's not an argument for changing the name. I am offended, however, that the Philadelphia Eagles are named after the Blue Eagle, the propaganda symbol of the New Deal's National Recovery Administration, which restricted competition and even threw a dry cleaner in jail for undercharging (by a nickel) to clean a suit. But I don't think the Eagles should change their name on my account.
And that's my problem with Costas' crusade. He -- and the editors of Slate -- are simply deciding to be offended about something they don't need to be. According to various accounts, "Redskin" actually has quite innocuous origins. It was probably adopted from Native Americans themselves. And though it obviously took on nastier connotations over time and in some contexts, it strains credulity to believe that the team name was intentionally pejorative or that the fans or the ownership see it that way today.
Words become offensive when we choose to be offended by them. When should we be offended? That's a tough question. "The answer, of course, lies in the context," the late Hugh Rawson wrote in his lovely lexicon, "Wicked Words." "The meanings of words change according to who says them, to whom, and in what circumstances." Rawson chronicled many words that were uncontroversial in Chaucer and Shakespeare but are considered repellent today.
Ultimately, of course, this isn't a fight about words but about cultural politics and the imperative to scrub society of all offensive language (or, often, merely language that offends liberals). That fight will never end, and not just because some people always need to be offended by something. It will never end because words themselves will never cooperate.
What would we do without the effit elitists of Manhattan to tell the inferior races when and about what to be outraged. Thankyou, Mr. Costas for your divine guidance.
I am sick of people being offended. I have decided to totally avoid anyone who even says the word. LOL, I find people who are offended....offensive.
I think the Washington Redskins should change their name.
I like the sound of the San Antonio Redskins.
Hey Costas, let’s talk about your bad hairpiece and plastic surgery instead.
Do you think the day will ever come when the NAACP adapts to the times & renames itself the “National Association for the Advancement of African-Americans”?
Answer: “NAAAA!!!!!”
;^)
Since the terms, “journalist” and “reporter” are rapidly becoming perjorative, how long will it be until someone is offended by being labeled with them?
I’m sick and tired of all this political correctness bull-costa.
Especially the one where his mom takes away his ipad so he just grabs an iphone he had hiding under his pillow.
“we no longer talk about groups based on their physical traits: No one would ever refer to Asians as yellow-skinned.”
But in fact we do, if they are black...
And by the way, the "Just for Men" makes you look like a very vain, overpaid moron.
When the "Redskins" take the field in a sporting contest do you think the intent is to conjure up images of a defeated and humiliated enemy of early America? Or do you think the intent is to remember, pay homage to, even ask the spirits for a little help from - great and fierce warriors who remained faithful to their people?
Granted, the Redskins (the team) may not be doing so well and living up to the standards of the Redskins (the warriors) but hey, this is sports. (besides, cry me a river and tell me about disappointment, I'm a Steelers fan)
So Bob, if you want to continue to view American Indians as somehow culturally, intellectually, physically or in some other way inferior, a group in need of your noble protection 'cause they can't stand on their own... Fine, you do that. You go on comfortably sitting their in your self-proclaimed superiority. When you think "American Indian" just think casinos and rug weavers. Me, I don't mind being reminded from time to time (ie. Sundays and occasionally Thursday or Monday nights) that there was and is a lot more to American Indian culture - including a fierce warrior ethos.
If I’m supposed to be offended by the word “redskins” in whatever context other than potatoes, than I guess I should be offended when I hear the term “paleface.” Except not only am I not offended, I’m amused. And the Indians who described white settlers and soldiers as palefaces were not trying to be complimentary. It was a term for their enemies. So what? Bob Hope even had a movie or two with the word paleface in the title. So what? Who cares? Oh, I’m sorry...liberals care deeply. I’m sure they’re all offended as well about the term paleface. (snicker)
Wee Bobby seems to think Blackskins would be an insult. Where was he when that whole “Black Is Beautiful” thing was all the rage?
The Washington Redskins should adopt “Please Mister Custer” as their fight song to intimidate the opposing team;
“Look at them bushes out thar. They’re movin’, thar’s an Injun behind every one. Say Mister Custer, you mind if I be excused the rest of the afternoon?”
“Hey, Charlie, duck yer head! (PHFFFFFFFTT!) Nope, yer a little bit late on that one, Charlie. Ooooooo, I bet that smarts!”
If I wanted inane, hyper-PC drivel at halftime, I’d turn on MSNBC.......I say keep the name and change the logo to a giant Virginia Peanut. Isn’t there a variety referred to as Redskins?
Bingo!
Costas himself admitted that a majority of Native Americans are not offended by the name, but he in his paternalistic, white supremacist mode knows what’s best for them.
As a political commentator, Bob Costas is a hell of a sportscaster.
"You're excited....Feel these nipples."
When will Costas editorialize against Dems using the deliberately offensive expression “tea bagger” to refer to Tea Party members or sympathizers? Of course, the little weasel would NEVER do that.
Excellent post.
99% of the comments get it wrong.
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