PC Kisses

[pen_grunt]

I caught myself doing nose-to-nose rubs to the baby and tickling her and saying, "Eskimo kisses!" while she squealed.

And then I realized, um, yeah. That's probably not something that's okay to say anymore, is it.

Dammit.

Comments

[tediousandbrief.livejournal.com]

Um...why wouldn't it be ok to say?

[sacramentalist.livejournal.com]

Eskimo is a name given by the French/Iroquios for the northern indigenous people. It's Iroquois for flesh-eater or something. I suppose I could just wikipedia it, but I like to recount my grade 7 Canadian history.

They prefer Inuit: "the people"

I don't know how strong of a pejorative it is.

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

"Inuit kisses" just doesn't have the same ring...and the action itself is probably some variety of stereotype-offensive if I'd care to research it.

[llythefaerye.livejournal.com]

a) It seems everything is "offensive" these days. Makes me batty. I strive to be courteous and respectful, but there've gotta be some limits to people's sensitivities.

b) I'm totally with you. "Inuit" is not nearly as fun to say as "Eskimo". Essssss - kee - moh!

c) I never thought about it before, but does this mean they're going to rename the dogs that have "Eskimo" in their breed name(s?), too?

d) On a tangent of PC-ness, did you see that apparently the MN State Flag is now also racist?

[sacramentalist.livejournal.com]

I don't know about PC. It's not unreasonable for a group of people ask to be called something more appropriate.

About your flag. Someone in Wisconsin says it's racist. Consider the source. Hahaha!

[llythefaerye.livejournal.com]

Oh - I don't disagree with you! I'm just saying there are times I really think people need to get a little thicker skin (not all times, but some times) . . . or at the very least give the benefit of the doubt if it is a word or phrase not commonly thought to be pejorative - that the person using it *may* have not necessarily been uttering it in intentional derogation. Sharing information is fine and good and lovely; I'm all for it! Assuming the worst of people, though, is bad for everyone. Everyone comes off as an a$$ once in awhile, but I do truly believe that *most* people do not *usually* set out to intentionally hurt other people.

And - yes - *chuckles* . . . I am well-aware the flag bit started with a Sconnie (Sconny?). ;) (Speaking of pejoratives . . . hopefully no lynchings ensue here for good-natured neighborly rivalry!)

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

A-I agree with the limits and that some things do SEEM ridiculous. But a lot of the things that I think seem ridiculous...well, I remind myself that racist POS people probably think it's equally ridiculous that they can't use whatever super-bad pejorative they want, too. So I'm somewhat eager to dismiss my feelings of, "Man, this is ridiculous, why can't I say XYZ? I've always said it, it's no big deal," in favor of erring on the safe side.

C-I have no idea. Apparently the opinion on whether Eskimo is directly pejorative or not is sort of divided. It's certainly not a new objection, so I would imagine that if they were going to rename the dogs there would have been some noise about it somewhere? I'm not sure.

D-OH COME ON. (Actually, I had to look up the flag because pretty much all I could see from memory was the blue flag, yellow circle, some stuff in the middle--though I wouldn't have been able to tell you what--and the French Star of the North [that I can't spell offhand apart from "du nord"].)

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

It *can* be considered offensive or derogatory because it was a name given instead of an actual name (like Cherokee or Cree vs. "Indian"). I believe that Inuit is a more correct designation mostly, though I'm fuzzy on tribal designation.

Lapplander is also offensive in Swedish for their native northern people--because it means "garbage people"--though people still use it to varying degrees.

[tediousandbrief.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of it being a pejorative term! Nor had I heard that lapplander was offensive!

I'm not sure I would find Eskimo Kisses to be that offensive, but then again I might just not be terribly PC anymore. :/

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

It's something I had to stop and think about.

FWIW: There seems to be some debate about whether it's offensive or not on the onlines. I tried to look it up and it's a split opinion...but I'm going to err on the side of not being offensive.

[sacramentalist.livejournal.com]

It's probably not a big deal. It's not like you were doing the non-crepuscular version of "eenie meenie... "

[newlifeinstpaul.livejournal.com]

Only our Worstest Slurs Survive^TM

I take this--and the comments on any Yahoo article--as proof we're all doomed.

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

DO NOT READ THE COMMENTS ON YAHOO NEWS ARTICLES!

Occasionally I do this just to see if it's still That Bad. It is always still That Bad.

[newlifeinstpaul.livejournal.com]

But it's so much fun to watch them froth at the mouth about the Confederate flag!

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

we call them "nosy kisses" instead.

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

Perfect replacement.

[immemor.livejournal.com]

I second. "Nosy kisses" is fun to say.

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

It is! I'm so pleased to have an alternate.

[llythefaerye.livejournal.com]

... alternately, you could always just headbutt like Madz and I do. :)

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

I think the nose-rubs will ultimately be less painful for ME. :)

[smittenbyu]

oh I never knew about "eskimo" history.... and now I know! Thank you!

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

It's not one of those things that is really front-of-mind! I didn't think about it (or haven't thought about it for a really long time) until I absent-mindedly caught myself saying "Eskimo Kisses".