What is a "----tard"?

I don't get around much, but when I have time off from work, I try to catch up on the Houston hobby scene. I have noticed increased use of terms like "retard", "hooktard", etc. Maybe I don't understand hobby jargon, but as the brother of a mentally challenged sibling, it seems pretty childish. Since the forum rules forbid insults and unprovoked rudeness, these words seem to get a pass. Am I being over-sensitive? Flame on if I deserve it.

I know I'm not suppose to answer but here's the definition of fucktard circa June 2010.
http://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?...light=fucktard

A guy who doesn't have enough blood to run his dick and his brain at the same time, thereby rendered moronic by lust or impotent by cogitation. Originally Posted by 78704

I don't get around much, but when I have time off from work, I try to catch up on the Houston hobby scene. I have noticed increased use of terms like "retard", "hooktard", etc. Maybe I don't understand hobby jargon, but as the brother of a mentally challenged sibling, it seems pretty childish. Since the forum rules forbid insults and unprovoked rudeness, these words seem to get a pass. Am I being over-sensitive? Flame on if I deserve it. Originally Posted by okiehardun

Lets see if you get a answer honey. And you dont deserve to be flamed.

Am I being over-sensitive? Originally Posted by okiehardun

No flame intended here, but yes, you're being oversensitive. Don't feel alone; we have a society that has developed an inordinate fear of words, at the expense of sober consideration of the expression of ideas. The extremism of PC-speak would require that we all do nothing more than sit around and nod our heads, making affirmative grunts. Boring, and in stark contravention of our humanity.

No flame intended here, but yes, you're being oversensitive. Don't feel alone; we have a society that has developed an inordinate fear of words, at the expense of sober consideration of the expression of ideas. The extremism of PC-speak would require that we all do nothing more than sit around and nod our heads, making affirmative grunts. Boring, and in stark contravention of our humanity. Originally Posted by 2intexas

On the one hand I agree that as a society we have developed an over-sensitivity to the use of just normal being used to express just what they originally intended.
But on the other hand I don't think that using "retard" as an insult falls into that category. That clearly is a reference to developmentally disabled people and is not being used in its proper expressive context. Calling someone stupid is an insult but I don't think over the line since you are using the word to express what you mean. But calling someone a "retard" to imply stupid is also implying stupidity of developmentally disabled people by extension. To me that is equivalent to insulting someone by using any other physical characteristic as an insult.

Having worked with people with developmental disabilities I know that they feel insulted when you use one of their natural characteristics as an insult to someone else - you are implicitly insulting them as well. Many developmentally disabled people may not want to be categorized in the same group as the people one is calling a "retard". Think about it. Imagine that the person was you and you can see why.

People who ask dumb questions are generally called dumbtards. ijs

IMHO, you are being over sensitive.
The connotation is not directed at your relative who has absolutely no responsibility for their condition. Should the use of that term be directed at your sibling it would be very offensive indeed.

I believe the term Hooktard was invented by some hobbyists in 2001. It is a suitable term to describe some women in this industry that make irrational aka dumb choices. And no its not politically correct but neither is this entire hobby. I also have a loved one who is intellectually challenged... and I have learned to pick my battles. I havent heard anyone refer to them as "hooktard" and doubt I will.

Z-thanks. Good comment.

Z-thanks. Good comment. Originally Posted by belinda

Care to explain your board name and why you have a male profile and reviews.......hhmmmm

IMHO, you are being over sensitive.
The connotation is not directed at your relative who has absolutely no responsibility for their condition. Should the use of that term be directed at your sibling it would be very offensive indeed. Originally Posted by The2Dogs

I think I disagree a bit here. I might concede that the terms hooktard/modtard etc. are just made up words and not offensive. But not so much the term retard since it is very clearly socially understood to mean developmentally disabled.

It is true that a person is not directly referencing the OP's relative but there is an implicit negative comment being made about developmentatlly disabled people. Let me give you an example: If I do something stupid and you say "you are acting like an idiot" you are just insulting me. But if you say "you are acting like a negro/asian/whatever" you are not just intending to insult me but you are insulting that other class of people by saying that they should be naturally be associated with my stupid behavior. I think people would readily concede the point off the example I gave. But for some reason they don't do so for developmentally disabled people.

I can perfectly understand the OP's POV. I perfectly relate to their feelings when they see people who act stupid or socially inappropriate being described as retards. And even more so to a developmentally disabled person who hears it.

I am not necessarily making a commentary on what the mods should or should not censor or find offensive. But if you are telling me that the casual use of the term retard is not offensive to a whole class of people I would have to disagree. What we do about it can be debated.

No flame intended here, but yes, you're being oversensitive. Don't feel alone; we have a society that has developed an inordinate fear of words, at the expense of sober consideration of the expression of ideas. The extremism of PC-speak would require that we all do nothing more than sit around and nod our heads, making affirmative grunts. Boring, and in stark contravention of our humanity. Originally Posted by 2intexas

Z, my apologies. I should have qualified my above statement to clarify that I was referring to use of the terms hooktard and fucktard. I'm with you on your rationale regarding the term retard. To me, they are three separate and distinct words, with specific meanings. Fear of using the word hooktard to refer to a sex provider is similar to fearing to use the word niggardly to describe someone who is stingy.