dr who and the politically correct script writers

If friends don't discuss religion, personal politics, 'only froth', that's fine but it isn't close friendship imo.

No more " Snowmen ". CBeebies are now calling them Snowpeople !

And don't forget we will now have to all the Cybermen Cyberpeople!

Snowpeople? Well If I were building something from snow with my grandchildren it would be a snowman or a snowwoman but certainly not snow people, a) because there would probably not be enough snow and b) because I wouldn't have the strength nor inclination to build more than one.

I see yesterday's story featured a pregnant man giving birth!

It'll always be a snowman to me like everything else non-pc.

Well that's bloody marvelous ( awaits crazed PM's and widespread condemnation)

EllanVannin So do you use terms like 'mongol' to describe a person with DS or "spastic" for a person with CP or " cripple" for someone in a wheelchair?

Oh PECS your post made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. 35 years in public service and a real interest in history means I'm overly familiar with the changes in terms used to describe various things or people over the years. The term 'lunatic' was replaced because of recognition it diminished and demonised the person. Same goes for 'mongol' or 'spastic' and 'cripple'.
When I started work the term "mixed race' was seen as less offensive than 'half caste'. By the time I finished, the term 'dual heritage' was in use and I honestly found it more appropriate, less dismissive.
I know I know, I'll be dismissed as a snow flake, or as someone who is too "politically correct" and has no sense of humour. I don't mind. I'd rather be diminished in this way, than find myself diminishing and dehumanising others.

PECS
What a nasty and extreme suggestion.

Snowmen will always be snowmen. That they should be 'snowpeople' is laughable. Oh but it will be adopted, just as the chairman of our regular meetings is referred to as 'chair'. He often jokes he wished he had four stable legs.

To mention he is male isn't offensive and a solicitor who leads another group is known as Madam Chairwoman - a long standing tradition which, apparently, she (mid 30s) has no desire to change, and finds unoffensive.

Your example is extreme, suggesting people are unfeeling and cruel. Cruel names for disabilities have been changed and rightly so, but when has referring to an icy garden sculpture, fun to make, which melts, as a snow MAN been offensive?

Just who does it offend? By all means have a snow woman and differentiate.

We will be having cross-dressed and transgender snow sculptures before long I dare say.

It's all getting quite ridiculous. The word MAN is not offensive (Or is it? ) I find it all slightly sinister. And yes, the pregnant man giving birth in Dr Who was a liberal writers nod to the norm (miraculously) changing. Should we give our snowMEN wombs too?

Sigh.

What's the problem with a cross dressing snow sculpture? What's the issue about having snow people, snowmen, snowmen ?

I spent half this weeks Dr Who wondering exactly how the man gave birth. I did like the idea of a one week pregnancy!

The names for disabilities aren't cruel ; they were all at one time correct and accepted medical terms; it is people's usage, calling someone 'spas' or cretin which is cruel.
In exactly the same way calling a woman a bitch or a cow, lovely animals both, is intended to hurt.
But I won't use the term 'chair because it is silly.
Madam chairman or chairman.'

All I can say is, a small group of adults seem intent on confusing everyone as to what is acceptable and what is not. So now children have to be aware that being a man or woman, a girl or a boy is not how it is. The age of innocence is dead, more's the pity.

I remember when more and more homosexuals came out. I was glad they felt they could, but to this day THEIR sexuality is flaunted and hyped and now the current issue gender confusion, so that has to be hyped as well. Dr Who script writer - "Yeah, a pregnant man giving birth - that's out there." It fools no one.

Whatever happened to growing up and then discovering there was more to people than met the eye? Being aware of sexuality evolving...growing up, coming to terms with feelings. Dare I say that puberty is quite a big deal for a straight man or woman too?

I (and I am sure most thinking and caring adults) have no axe to grind whatever regarding the way other people are. We have to be true to ourselves and yes, there have always been hurdles to overcome for people who are different, who break the mould, who don't fit the norm, but do we REALLY have to now have an agenda (for snowmen) that is all inclusive? Really? We have to tell children their snow ...man, woman..has to represent the growing trend for cross dressing and denying their gender?

I suspect we are confusing lots of little ones who haven't the thinking skills, wisdom or maturity to embrace a minority push for a society without gender. Let them build a flipping snowman.

Give it earrings and a frock if necessary - but that will be the initiative of an adult

Just be - stop forcing issues on children.

It's not enlightenment, it's akin to mental cruelty if they haven't the capacity yet for awareness or understanding. Growing up without confusion and fear and gaining gradual enlightenment (because we are so much more aware these days so it will happen) should be the right of every child if we want to protect their precious innocence and their childhood.

That is not to say ignorance is bliss, as we all become aware and self conscious eventually but as far as I know, women give birth to boy and girl babies. The angst and confusion some suffer regarding their sex (a minority) is not for the mind of a young snow sculpture building child.

Their sexuality is flaunted and hyped.
What a ridiculously sweeping generalisation.
What about all those gay people who simply get on with their normal lives - with no flaunting or hyping involved - just working, building homes, being members of families?

I can't see the link between calling a snowman, snowman or snow person and confusing children. No one is 'taking away innocence', what does that mean even?

The children in our family all know that Uncle x is gay and lives with his husband. They know that y's sister is gay and lives with her wife. It isn't confusing for them, it is as it is.

There's nothing new in Sci Fi about a man giving birth. Some of my favourite books in that genre are Ian M Banks's 'Culture' novels about a society of advanced humans who can choose to change sex as and when they feel like it. They have the technology to make it happen!

Brilliant Day6

Iam64 absolutely! Kids only know what we teach them . If they grow up with snow people they can choose man / woman/ boy/ girl etc. as they want. As the song goes, "You have to be taught to hate"

day6 what do you mean? All this damage to children based on a word!! If Cbeebies had not announced this decision..or someone had not let it be known... and they had just started using snowpeople, snowmen, snowwomen in programmes, nobody would have batted an eyelid!

So we now have to deny who or what we are in order to be uhh who we are ? ?! !!!

When Dr Who started (with William Hartnell), I was quite young and enjoyed it - and did so for a few years thereafter until I seemed to outgrow it.

I got some Dr Who DVDs for my grandchildren a little while back, remembering how I had enjoyed the programme as a child. However, I found the newer Dr Who episodes to consist almost entirely of violent confrontations and didn't encourage my grandchildren to watch them any more.

I'm still not keen on Dr Who but I did catch a little of the programme featuring Rosa Parkes. It made me think that at last it is covering important and interesting historical issues that still have relevance today.

Some people describe this as being "PC". But programmes have been made throughout the years which quite often reflected and reinforced the status quo, even when that status quo left a lot to be desired in terms of its depiction of women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, etc, etc. Or some significant events and issues were almost totally ignored (I was shocked to watch a recent TV dramatic re-enactment of killings that occurred in Ballymurphy before the much more famous Bloody Sunday killings). I think it's good to see subjects being aired that were formerly ignored and the balance being redressed a little.

Eloethan Agree very much with your post. Condoning the status quo by never mentioning them has gone on in the media a great deal. It is the challenges that we notice!

A bit puzzled bridgeit.

"Do we have to deny who we are to be who we are?"
AND
Your agreement with day6's statement about homosexuality being "flaunted and hyped".

I ask again about the gay folks I know who are just getting on with their daily lives.

If out and open, are they "flaunting" or by staying in the closet are they "denying who they are"?

Am finding it difficult to reconcile the two points of view.

No no what I am trying to say is That in our quest to communicate with each other with out causing offence we become stimied & stilted IN case we cause offence, so we become more divided by Fear of causing offence than if we actually did cause offence . ?