Saturday, June 16, 2012

Buzzwords That Should Stop Being Used

I have heard some really ridiculous sounding words and phrases that really should fall out of usage.  These are words and phrases that don't have real meaning.  They are meant to abuse and opponent or to make something sound good.  Here are the ones that I find the most appalling: 

Modern Woman
I remember reading a review of the '09 Disney film The Princess and the Frog.  The heroine was described as a "modern woman".  
       
   "She knows that happiness does not come from a handsome prince or a fairy godmother, but through hard work and good character" 
(That's not the exact quote, but that is the basic gist.)  

I'll admit that there were all sorts of myths about happiness coming from a handsome prince and whatnot floating around back in the Victorian era.  These myths would not have been so popular, however, if the marriage customs had been different.  People married for more for money than for love back then, and they married whoever Mom and Dad picked out for them.  So you were lucky if the person your parents selected actually cared about you.  
But just because a woman knows that happiness comes from hard work and good character does not make her a "modern woman".  King Solomon wrote of such a woman in his Proverbs: The Wife of Noble Character.  This is the ideal woman.  She puts her family before her and works hard to take care of them.  This is nothing new.  Why should it be considered a "modern" thing?  It isn't.  And when you think about it, "modern woman" doesn't really mean anything.  Therefore, it should not be used.  

Homophobic
A popular term of abuse among a lot people today.  It's supposed to mean someone who hates homosexuals.  It sounds more like "same fear", however, and that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  What's more, by saying that the person who disagrees with you has a irrational fear of you, you're being abusive to them.  God says that homosexuality is wrong.  Does that mean He God has a irrational fear of homosexuals?  No, it does not.  Therefore "homophobic" should fall out of usage because it is a term of abuse. 

Bashing
This is supposed to mean insulting people of one particular group, but it's really a synonym for breaking or smashing.  As a word for insulting, "bashing" should not be used.

There are plenty more buzzwords that I hate, but I can't think of them right now.  

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