“A Critique of Politically Correct Language”

In Ben O’Neill’s article, “A Critique of Politically Correct Language,” he discusses the challenges of political correctness in society and how difficult it is to determine what is right and what isn’t.

           O’Neill’s most important assertion is that political correctness is determined by the connotation of a word. A word or phrase becomes politically incorrect once someone is offended, which in turn gives it a negative connotation. Words and phrases with negative connotation are automatically frowned upon by society, so if you were to use a politically incorrect term you would be looked down on and would be expected to change.

            Politically correct terms are always changing. O’Neill explains in his article that it is nearly impossible to please everyone at once, so there is always that one person or group of people that don’t like something that is said so they demand that a different term is used. He compares this process to a “euphemism treadmill” because it is never ending cycle. O’Neill explains the “euphemism treadmill” as starting with a polite expression (euphemism) that turns into neutral expression (orthophemism) that turns into a nasty expression (dyphemism). After this cycle, a new word is created and it starts all over again. O’Neill also discusses in his article that eventually words that were once seen as nasty expressions will be seen as polite expression due to that society is going to run out of new words and will have to recycle past words.

           O’Neill also suggests that political correctness is always changing because people focus on the connotation rather than the intent. He uses an example of a school yard bully who is calling another child a “retard.” Instead of people brushing it off, or explaining to the boy that it is not nice to call someone a mean name, they jump to the conclusion that he is directing his comments towards the mentally disabled. After jumping to conclusions, it is demanded that the term is to be changed. The intent of the bully wasn’t to degrade anyone except the other child. O’Neill believes that theoretically there are people that sit around all day looking for ways to make everything in society correct.

 

Do you like the idea of political correctness, why? Do you agree with O’Neill’s idea of the “euphemism treadmill?” Can you think of a situation that political correctness was taken to an extreme?