Via Haggis I saw this story about golf announcer Bobby Clampett referring to golfer Liang Wen-Chong as “the Chinaman” and later giving the modern-standard i”if I offended anyone” sorta-apology. So far, so typical.

As Ella points out, the interesting part is not the slur and sorta-apology–which are routine–but the angry response in the comments on those two news threads. There’s a whole of of hand-wringing about how political correctness has made life not worth living, and then a lot of linguistic literalism about how Liang is a man from China and therefore a Chinaman.

Well, sure. But language is used by people, not robots. So words have an array of meanings, not all of them linked to a literal interpretation of the word. “Chinaman” has been used as a slur for a long time and is widely recognized as a slur. The defense that “well, I can construct a meaning in which it is not a slur” is irrelevant. If you see a Latino guy finishing up a sweaty workout and call him a wetback, or see an African-American arise from a siesta and call him nappy-headed, your protests that what you said was literally true are unlikely to be well-received. Language may indeed be a game, but not everyone wants to play with you all the time, Mr. Clever. I may be in the mood to play now, but that’s just because I had a gay weekend.

Also, I find it impossible to take seriously the analysis of people who think that “political correctness” — meaning criticism and mockery of someone who acts like an ass– are society- or speech-destroying. There is no rational world in which Liang should ignore being called a “Chinaman” on national television while pursuing his chosen sport on the one hand, but an announcer who calls him that should not have to endure ridicule on the other hand. People who wring their hands over political correctness the loudest are banner-carriers of the First Asshat Theory — the notion that whoever is a jackass FIRST should thereafter be protected from criticism in order to promote free expression. That’s just a bizarre incentive to act like an ass as quickly as possible. As far as I can tell, the hand-wringers really don’t need further encouragement to pull the trigger quickly on being a dick.

Last 5 posts by Ken

• In Which I Indulge In The Very Appalling Elitist Liberal Sneering That is Destroying America - August 27th, 2010
• Was That Wrong? Should We Not Have Done That? - August 27th, 2010
• A Less Perfect Union - August 27th, 2010
• SPEECH Act A Bulwark Against Buffoonish Brits - August 27th, 2010
• Anatomy Of A Toner Scam - August 26th, 2010