As a leftist that just recently used the word to describe a leftist troll, is there a racist or abelist context about the word that I am unfamiliar with?

Please feel free to bombard my comment w/ downvotes if I was being a fuckwad :(

https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/comment/2361929

[–] ProfessorAdonisCnut@hexbear.net 29 points 2 years ago (1 children)

We don't have downvotes

[–] Zuberi@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 2 years ago (1 children)

TIL

[–] Egon@hexbear.net 4 points 2 years ago

Makes the 1 point much more shameful. If you post dumb shit people don't even interact. (Or they dunk, depends)

[–] Thordros@hexbear.net 19 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

It's used in many circles as a "polite" synonym for removed—a slur for people with Down Syndrome.

If you're going to dehumanize a person, I think it's best to call them something that's entirely unhuman (e.g. demon, ghoul, etc.) rather than something human-like (e.g. orc, ape, etc.). Human-adjacent words tend to get reappropriated as a "polite" way of saying (r-word). I recommend avoiding that trap entirely.

Edit: the slur filter is smarter than I am! It removed that one, too! You can guess what word it was, though.

[–] DictatrshipOfTheseus@hexbear.net 13 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I don't know, I don't think there's anything really wrong with using the word as an insult because I don't think it's actually a slur. If anyone can point me to something that shows "troglodyte" in particular is used to refer to any disadvantaged group (like people with DS), I will retract this and never use it again. Like several other comrades who have already commented, I've used troglodyte for years to refer to the same people we all tend to call chuds here. In fact, cannibalistic humanoid underground dweller is pretty damn close to troglodyte. Speaking of which...

If you're going to dehumanize a person, I think it's best to call them something that's entirely unhuman (e.g. demon, ghoul, etc.) rather than something human-like (e.g. orc, ape, etc.)

That's not really the problem, as I see it. There's no line between "unhuman" and "human-like." How is ghoul or demon any different than orc in that respect? Not to be cliche, but it really is all about the context. Orc in general wasn't bad to use per se, but now that it's being used to specifically refer to Russians or more generally, Asians, it has become problematic. Ape is pretty obviously not a good word to use in most cases because of the history of it's use to dehumanize people based on race. But even then, I wouldn't consider it a slur if I were to playfully say to my large, muscular, white friend "you big ape!"

All that said, as always I'm open to being shown where I might be wrong.

If I'm understanding HornyOnMain (OP) correctly, she's not trying to say it shouldn't be used, just that it's odd and suspicious that libs seem to have suddenly picked up on it and are throwing it around incessantly. I fully agree on that.

[–] o_d@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 2 years ago

TIL chud is an acronym

[–] Zuberi@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 2 years ago

Understood. Linguistics of why something is offensive is often so subtle to my derpy brain.

I will leave it up for people to go dunk on me

[–] doublepepperoni@hexbear.net 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

No way would I ever call someone like this guy frothingfash a fucking demon, it makes them sound way too cool. Wouldn't call them a ghoul either- the way I see it, ghouls are the guys at the top of the hierarchy giving these guys their marching orders.

The rank and file chud is like a goblin at best