Politically correct and McLintock!

You know, sometimes I think this politically correct thing has gone too far. I’m as much for watching out for other people’s feelings as the next guy (well, maybe this is debatable LOL), but sometimes it seems like you have to walk on eggs all the time just to keep from offending people.

Recently, at my monthly meeting with my manager, we did a “diversity” scenario. This one was about how to not offend people with a disability. The specific case was opening the door for a blind person. The question posed was what do you do to not offend the person. For once, I actually responded. I told my boss that I thought the proper course of action was just to pick and side and see how it worked. Either chose to hold the door for him or don’t; see how he reacts to this. Obviously if he huffs and appears visibly angry at holding the door for him (or not doing so), you can make the proper correction the next time. Do we honestly live in a time now when this is a huge deal? Please tell me it isn’t so.

I was watching an old western that I loved as a kid last night. The DVD version of it is really poor quality, but that is off the subject a bit. The film (McLintock!) was made in 1963, so it shows some transitioning to political correctness. On the other hand, there are some parts in the movie that are very politically incorrect. I’ll try to remember some of my favorite quotes/scenes.

The main character wants to hire a new cook--mainly to give the widow a better life, but also because she is a very good cook. The previous cook is an old Chinese immigrant; as they approach to ask him about “retiring” the question is phrased something like this: “So, what do say you old Chinese reprobate?” (my sister got a real kick out of that if you know her). His response to this is “You fire me? I kill myself!” The whole scene is just hilarious, but it is not very politically correct.

Another great scene is when the daughter (Becky) comes to her father after a long wild ride in the stagecoach from the hired hand (who is obviously interested in her romantically). She immediately demands that her father shoot the young man. She says "her honor has been slandered." John Wayne’s reaction to this is awesome. "Oh, You’re your honor has been impugned!" (say it very sarcastically) He then proceeds to take out a gun and shoot the guy. The gun is loaded with blanks though. After this the daughter is very nurse-maidy (is that a word?) to the guy (she is obviously interested in him as well); she fawns over him “oh you poor dear!” This attitude reversal is capitalized on by the young man; he tells her that what she needs a good spanking! As he lays her over his lap to give her some discipline, the father hands him the fireplace scoop made out of cast iron. This will serve better!

The last quote I really liked from the movie was from the beginning. “You have to be a man first before you’re a gentleman, he fails on both counts.” This sort of attitude is all but lost in our society these days. Society would prefer men communicate like women and deny their God given responsibility. This is off the subject though, as modern society’s obsession with feminism is a topic in its own right.

One of my friends used to say that they wished we could just go back to being politically incorrect. Call things like they are. In some ways, I whole heartedly agree. I think we can leave out some ethnic slurs and such, but we need to make some distinctions.

Obviously, in our current situation, people of middle-eastern decent should be searched more frequently at an airport than others. Should they be rounded up and put in camps? No way! But lets understand where the most likely threat comes from and leave this politically correct nonsense behind.