race and fandom

[rm]

http://witchqueen.livejournal.com/407901.html

Short version: HP porn community chooses a different theme from a dictionary ever week. This week they chose "miscegenation," being, presumeably, unaware of the word's context. This, combined with the fact that the listing of submissions on said theme managed to equate goat-fucking with interracial relationships, pissed some people right the hell off. When the problem was pointed out to the mods of the community, they blow it off. And you thought that whole Blaise Zabini makes my fandom look like racist idiots situation sucked? Yuck.

Random PSA: While we're on the subject of people not understanding the terms they are using, please don't say "gyped" or "jipped" or however you choose to spell it. It's derived from "Gypsy" and using it is the equivalent of saying someone "jewed you down," which I can only assume you all already do know is offensive. I have to correct people on this one all the time and it makes me nuts.

Comments

[hangedwoman.livejournal.com]

This is one of those things that always seems to get me into trouble, but I can't stop myself from doing it. Technically, the etymology of "gypped" is unclear. It's similar enough that I think it's a good idea to strike it from one's vocabulary, but there is evidence that its origin may have been entirely separate from the labelling of the Romany peoples as Gypsies. There is no clear evidence that it originated as a derogatory term.

This is actually a less extreme example than some things I've seen, but some days I wish there was a Snopes for etymology, because it's amazing what people will not only swallow when it comes to language but will then browbeat other people about as well. For instance, why is it that no one criticizes "quarantine" when it's used to mean something other than a period of fourty days?

Of course on the other hand it seems that my instant horrified recognition of the word "miscegenation" is a minority reaction - it's odd how many people are saying they've never seen it before. But the history of the usage of that word is clear and well-documented.