Have we become a nation of slugs, so offended by a simple old-time Christmas song that we want to ban it from the radio? Where does this leave us in real life?
So, with the current controversy about "Baby Its Cold Outside" raging on the radio and social media I got to thinking and thinking and thinking....are we as a country just becoming too PC?
"Baby Its Cold Outside" was originally written in 1944 by Frank Loesser's as a jazz standard. Is it a song about date rape or just a catchy tune? Should it be "banned" from the airwaves? I vote NO! This is just a catchy tune, nothing more, written in a more innocent time in our history. Here is a video that depicts the song first as a man trying to convince a woman to stay a little while longer which has garnered criticism and a second version where its the man that wants to leave and the female is trying to convince him to stay. Do you feel differently about each version? Or again, is it just a catchy tune?
Being PC isn't a new idea. In another life in the 1970's early 1980's, I was a USN broadcaster serving in Japan. We had what was called, "host country sensitivities." For instance, when giving the weather, we were not allowed to say, "there's a nip in the air." Some other issues: we weren't allowed to discuss the nuclear bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And we couldn't call the Emperor by his first name as this was considered disrespectful. I can see how we need to be sensitive when we serve in the military overseas and need to blend in. However, here in the US nowadays we seem to be resorting to not wishing to offend anyone.
And it seems as though others agree with me. "The most recent national survey from Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind finds that 68 percent agree with the statement: "A big problem this country has is being politically correct."
So, how does this relate to nursing and medicine? "After 25 years, the MCAT is being revised, becoming longer (by three hours) and covering a broader range of topics than simply chemistry, physics and biology. One quarter of the new test covers "psychology, sociology and the biological foundations of behavior." More specifically, students will be tested on "social inequality, class consciousness, racial and ethnic identity, institutionalized racism and discrimination, and power, privilege and prestige." Most of us would agree that widening the scope of physician education is important. There are many more social issues nowadays, more poverty, more people that feel disenfranchised. In this venue, it's important to be inclusive. Can we be inclusive without crossing over into not offending anyone?
And, most of us have had to sit through in-services about cultural awareness, even generational awareness. Has this resulted in stilted communication? Must all our communication be so "aware?" Do you think before you speak? Do you consider generational differences when communication with co-workers, patients?
Where do patients fit in? Should patients expect all of their needs to be met? Where do we draw the line between being PC and enabling? When discharging patients from the hospital nowadays, follow up appointments are made, prescriptions electronically sent to pharmacies, perhaps home health arranged and other case management needs that are met. Then, the patient states, "I need a ride to my appointments." When did this become the responsibility of the healthcare system? While we are all striving to reduce readmission rates, when does the responsibility of transportation become the patients' responsibility? Or is it PC to say, "Oh I can get you a cab voucher"? Are we making healthcare too accessible?
As a nation, shouldn't we "man up" and be responsible for our own lives? That means taking care of ourselves, communicating our needs in a clear manner, being honest in our dealings with others and overall being a worthwhile citizen?
To me, the n-word or 'Kamikaze' for a Japanese person is not what the 'PC' topic is all about. Those are just offensive and racist things. To me 'PC' is when you go far beyond that and make a problem out of nothing, such as what another commenter mentioned, 'Don we now our gay apparel', where gay only means 'happy'.
The banned song made news because it is an outlier. Most radio stations and their listeners are not that extreme. Outliers and manufactured outrage will always make for more interesting news. In the real world, most of us live in, PC is not that big an issue.
It is probably an issue for people who are adjusting to new standards. My parents have a friend who was admitted to the hospital, and had to take this friend aside and explain that calling the nurses "honey" and "babe" and "joking around" with them in a flirtatious way was not acceptable in this setting (or any other). Their friend was once a big CEO in his home country and probably always treated the women around him that way.
I think most people appreciate changes in culture that encourage more respect of others.
Unfortunately, this PC culture has had the opposite effect. People are more disrespectful than ever and the negativity and mistrust of everyone's motives is wreaking havoc.
I will agree that most of us are only affected when we turn on the news and allow ourselves to be exposed to the extreme views of certain groups. People I interact with day to day do not reflect those extremes thankfully, although every now and then I'm taken aback by something that happens because people DO watch/listen to all the stuff the media relentlessly puts out there.
Every person I have heard ***** and moan about the world being too PC has things that they themselves take offense to that other people are baffled as to why. They think that their offence to something is the acception to the rule because if it offends THEM, then it MUST be objectively offensive.
I find it ironic when I see anti-PC fb posters post "It's not Happy Holidays, It's Merry Christmas." Soooo.... you're admitting you're offended by someone wishing you genuine good cheer by choosing the words "Happy Holidays." Insert eyeroll.
That being said, yes. Things are too PC in general. But every single one of us is guilty of being offended by SOMETHING others would not be offended by. It's how we choose to react.
Baby It's Cold Outside IS a tad rapey. That being said I love the song and enjoy the flirtatious banter. I simply remember years ago listening to it and thinking...hmmm he's a little too pushy. I held the thought for a brief moment then continued enjoying the song.
I'm guilty of getting offended easily. But that's MY problem. If it's worthy of taking a stance, do so. If not...go ahead, be offended, maybe say your piece quickly or hold it in and move along. Shrug.
Maybe it's not an expectation that other people have beliefs similar to their own, but rather, an expectation that most people associate Christmas with love peace and joy and want to share it with others even when there might be differing beliefs.
It seems like you both are saying the same exact same thing.
PC in it's current version is another means of bullying and demeaning another to get your way. The complainant determines that their world view is the only correct one and anyone sharing it must be ignorant or unworthy. How else can you explain the foul language, verbage and videos of women presented in popular culture by multi-million dollar "A" list celebrities but a 70 year old song about 2 people flirting is worthy of condemnation and must be banned?
This is probably an unpopular opinion but here we go.
Every time an article or talking head complains about PC culture all I can hear is "I'm too self-absorbed to learn about other people" and/or its a red flag the person likely is too intellectually/emotionally lazy to understand another person's perspective.
No, I don't think everything is worth having a heart-attack over, but people do make errors in judgement and in their culture which is worth picking apart to understand. This is what makes us better human beings.
With that said, I think it's important to be selective over our so-called outrage since it can be counterproductive.
I actually do not like that song, and as a pp said, it's a little rapey.
What do we teach young people, No means no, unless it's in a catchy little tune?
And how about the line, " say what's in this drink?" Is that not a reference to being rufied?
As for being banned, whatever. I don't think this song has a message about peace, love and joy, unless you are referring to forced intimacy. When I hear it, I change stations.
I continue to strive to say things that don't hurt others and take their feelings into consideration.
I don't think so. I believe that although some folks tend to complain for the smallest of issues, most people do not mind small issues. I am more worried about those that scream "Too PC" in order to justify rudeness and abuse. I'm sorry but we shouldn't tolerate bad behavior hidden behind those who think everything is "too pc".
I don't think so. I believe that although some folks tend to complain for the smallest of issues, most people do not mind small issues. I am more worried about those that scream "Too PC" in order to justify rudeness and abuse. I'm sorry but we shouldn't tolerate bad behavior hidden behind those who think everything is "too pc".
Yes, there are people who scream "Too PC" in order to justify rudeness and abuse. But that's only half the problem, because there are also people who scream "You better be PC" in order to justify rudeness and abuse, and we shouldn't tolerate that bad behavior either.
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
Well, djh123, what about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer? After all, those other reindeers were bullying poor ol' Rudolph so perhaps we should insist that song most of us grew up singing should be banned. Makes perfectly good sense to me.
Don't forget that the story is full of gender role stereotypes and suicidal ideation.
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
I've long believed this country is too PC. One of the most recent and ridiculous examples is the school principal who banned candy canes because upside down, they make a J which this woman said stands for Jesus. And did you hear that Seattle doesn't call Easter eggs Easter eggs, instead they are "spring spheres"? Unbelievable.
I do think that racial epithets, name-calling and bullying have no place in society. But a song about a man, a woman, and a snowstorm? And what's so bad about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer's father, Donner, telling his mother that going out looking for him is "man's work"? Oh puh-leeze. It's a CARTOON, for Pete's sake!
I must be un-PC because I don't get offended at every little thing. But, that's just me.
traumaRUs, MSN, APRN
87 Articles; 21,287 Posts
Totally agree