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Post by Hades on May 12, 2009 12:40:57 GMT -5
Is the word "Jew" inherently derogatory? My mother seems to think so.
A few weeks ago my mom told me I should try this bread called "Jewish Rye". So I tried it, and I liked it. When I called her this weekend I told her that I thought the "Jew rye" was good. She nearly had a stroke. She seems to think that shortening "Jewish" to "Jew" makes me a Nazi (not literally, but may as well).
I've honestly never heard any opposition to the word "Jew". Did my mother make a big deal over nothing, or am I oblivious to my apparent antisemitism?
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Post by dasfuchs on May 12, 2009 12:43:58 GMT -5
I think it goes along the way of arab. Depending on how it's used can be good or bad
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Post by John E on May 12, 2009 12:47:38 GMT -5
I agree with Dasfuchs. It depends on how it's used. My wife uses it, and she's a Jew.
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Post by Mira on May 12, 2009 12:48:30 GMT -5
Just in the way the word is pronounced it is hard not to have a harsh sounding tone. Of course, its only derogatory if you intended it to be such.
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Post by Dragon Zachski on May 12, 2009 12:51:08 GMT -5
It's kinda like how the word "negro" became derogatory, even in its present form.
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Post by peanutfan on May 12, 2009 12:54:54 GMT -5
Your mother was overreacting. When an entire religio-ethnic group refers to themselves by a name they've used for thousands of years and wasn't assigned by an outside group (the way various names for people of African descent were assigned by whites way back when), it's only offensive if you intend for it to be such.
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Post by Sandafluffoid on May 12, 2009 13:00:08 GMT -5
I think it is far more derogatory when used as an adjective, e.g. "jew business", "jew food", "jew music", as opposed to "Jewish". It's sort of like how you would say "Chinese food" instead of "China food".
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Post by peanutfan on May 12, 2009 13:11:15 GMT -5
You do make a good point, Sanda. Have a cookie and a karma point.
Edit: Gah! I hit smite by mistake! Sorry, I'll give you two next chance I get to make up the difference.
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Post by John E on May 12, 2009 13:12:14 GMT -5
It's also derogatory when you use it as a verb (my wife uses it that way too, though tongue in cheek).
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Post by Jebediah on May 12, 2009 13:13:07 GMT -5
I think it depends on how it's used. In general, I don't think it's a derogatory word, but my siblings and I have had it used against us in a derogatory fashion.
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Post by gotpwnt on May 12, 2009 14:08:27 GMT -5
When I saw the title of this thread, this came to mind:
But I digress, I guess it depends on how the term is used.
/shrug
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Post by Hades on May 12, 2009 14:44:57 GMT -5
Just for the record, I did not intend it to be derogatory.
@ gotpwnt - lol
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Post by SimSim on May 12, 2009 14:47:30 GMT -5
It depends on how it's used. I've even heard people use Jewish as an insult. That and gay have always confused me as insults. I'm supposed to be offended that you think I'm gay or Jewish?
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Post by NoLeafClover on May 12, 2009 17:35:11 GMT -5
Totally depends on how you use it. It can be used in a slightly derogatory manner, but there are worse words for Jewish people than Jew.
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Post by doomie 22 on May 12, 2009 17:59:15 GMT -5
I guess it depends on how you use it. Like you could say "That deli down the street wont serve ham sandwiches because the owner is a Jew" but you can't say "He took all my money like a Jew" because that would be the truth very rude.
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