The purpose of satire is to make fun of stuck-up idiots, who are usually politically powerful.
For instance, the American Association of Anthropologists recently canceled a conference session titled “Let’s Talk about Sex Baby: Why Biological Sex Remains a Necessary Analytic Category in Anthropology.” The reason (my bold)?
This decision was based on extensive consultation and was reached in the spirit of respect for our values, the safety and dignity of our members, and the scientific integrity of the program(me). The reason the session deserved further scrutiny was that the ideas were advanced in such a way as to cause harm to members represented by the Trans and LGBTQI of the anthropological community as well as the community at large.
You think that’s bad? Here is what Twitter was like before Musk; it’s a quote from a biography of Elon Musk:
Twitter prided itself on being a friendly place where coddling was considered a virtue. “We were definitely very high-empathy, very caring about inclusion and diversity; everyone needs to feel safe here,” says Leslie Berland, who was chief marketing and people officer until she was fired by Musk. The company had instituted a permanent work-from-home option and allowed a mental “day of rest” each month. One of the commonly used buzzwords at the company was “psychological safety.”
Actually, this is not just a woke thing. As the Zman writes:
Males expect confrontation, then some sort of agreement with a clear winner, typically the man in charge. Women prefer consensus, especially if it facilitates endless gossip and intrigue.
The whole safetyism / harm / respect thingy is a girl thing. Because women believe in consensus while men expect confrontation. Notice that “agreement” and “consensus” are different. Agreement is formal and permanent; consensus is unstated and subject to adjustment.
But I need a full dictionary of inclusionary consensus terms so I can satirize and make fun of it.
Wait! Here it is, from the American Psychological Assocation: “Inclusive Language Guidelines.” The idea is “avoiding language that perpetuates harm or offense toward members of marginalized communities through our communications.”
The words we use are key to creating psychologically safe, inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environments.
Of course, the Guidelines go on and on into definitions, such as “color-blind beliefs.” Did you know:
Research evidence shows that holding color-blind beliefs allows racial and ethnic prejudice to fester.
Well, all this is very helpful. I will start using inclusive language all the time. But it will take a while to get up to Mark Twain levels of mockery.