Opinion

“That’s gay.” “Don’t be gay.” “Are you gay?” “That’s the gayest thing I’ve ever heard.”

I hear those phrases and similar ones on a daily basis and let me tell you, it pisses me off like hell. As the popular Facebook group can tell you,

The word “gay” is NOT a synonym of “stupid”!

At one point, I actually tried to tell each person I heard saying “that’s gay” to learn to use another word, because gay means homosexual, or in older times, happy. Then I realized it would tire me out like crazy because I hear it every few minutes in the school halls and cafeteria. But now I’m back on it. A lot of people , when I tell them to watch what they say, choose to respond with “Don’t be gay.” That annoys me because it doesn’t really say anything intelligent. Others argue that in modern times, the word gay has become a synonym for stupid. Bullshit. It doesn’t. And if it has, shame on us.

It doesn’t really matter if one thinks homosexuality is right or wrong. It’s offensive. Like it or not, gay people are out there, and they’re not all stupid. Calling inanimate objects, phrases, actions, music and other things “gay,” when they clearly can’t be, is wrong, not to mention it makes no sense.

To those who use this phrase but frown upon homosexuality, let me pose a question: Why call half the things in this world a synonym of homosexuality when they’re not if you hate it so much?

Besides, when people say it, they don’t know who they’re offending, and it’s not just the LGBT community. A lot of heterosexual people find it offensive too. Every time I hear “That’s gay” or an equivalent from someone, I cringe. And then my opinion of that person changes a bit. I know, I shouldn’t judge people based on their bad choice of vocabulary. Well, that’s too bad, because I do. And I’m not the only one.

One of my (bisexual) friends has suggested the following test: If you can substitute the word “gay” for “homosexual” in your sentence or phrase and it still makes sense, then go ahead, use it. If it doesn’t, come up with something less absurd.

Here’s a list of words that may actually make sense as a synonym for stupid. Read it, use it, seem more intelligent.

absurd
dumb
nonsensical
foolish
brainless
unintelligent
pointless
ridiculous
loser
dull
childish
puerile
idiotic
ignorant
inept
moronic
uncool
fatuous

Gay is not a synonym of stupid. Spread the word.

Kanye West, please shut up.

Okay, I don’t mean that completely, Kanye West’s music isn’t so bad. Actually, I suppose a lot of people like his stuff considering the number of Grammys he’s won.

But if it’s not about music, Kanye, stay quiet or try saying something somewhatly intelligent.

Kanye West, just yesterday, said he’s the “voice of his generation.” Yes, that’s right, Kanye West THE RAPPER thinks he’s the voice of his generation. Here’s a blurb from the Yahoo News Article I found it on:

“I realize that my place and position in history is that I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade, I will be the loudest voice,” he [Kanye West] said in an interview on Wednesday. “It’s me settling into that position of just really accepting that it’s one thing to say you want to do it and it’s another thing to really end up being like Michael Jordan.”

Sorry to disappoint you, Kanye, but 1) You are not the loudest voice of ANY generation, 2) nobody but you thinks you’re the loudest voice of your generation, and 3) the Michael Jordan analogy sucks.

Everyone knows that Kanye West isn’t the most modest guy out there, but this was just pushing it a bit. Remember two years ago when he posed as Jesus wearing a crown of thorns on Rolling Stone? Or when he said he’d really have a problem if he didn’t win Album of the Year at the 2006 Grammy Awards? Or how about when he said he’s “definitely in the history books already”?

Kanye West has a hugely inflated ego and please, somebody, anybody, knock him back into reality. I really don’t care about his politics, and while I thought the “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” could have been more eloquently and effectively worded, it was, after all, him speaking his mind. However, this voice of his generation crap - it really has to go.

Now, why, you may ask, am I willing to take the time to write a whole blog entry about a rapper who likes to say controversial things? It’s quite simple, really. I’m sick and tired of celebrities saying or doing dumb things for media attention. Yes, he says he has “sacrificed real life to be a celebrity and to give this art to people” but that doesn’t mean we’re all going to go worship him or whatever. If he’s the so-called “voice of his generation” is his hit song about a gold digger supposed to be how he wants to get his messages out?

People like Kanye’s music. And he should just keep making his music, because that’s what he’s good at.

Making statements about his legendary status, he should stay away from - it distracts from his music. God forbid this man ever write an autobiography.

I was StumbleUpon-ing earlier today and I came by this site dedicated to stopping Walmart and other big box stores from checking receipts at the exit . I haven’t been to a Walmart in who knows how long, but I do go to Costco regularly and they have a similar practice.

I’ve always found it quite frustrating having to wait in line to exit the store. Costco says that they do it to ensure you have all your stuff and everything has been paid for, but it looks to me like the person at the door looks at your receipt, looks at your stuff, draws a line through the receipt, and then gives the receipt back to you. The whole process takes less than five seconds. How does this work, concerning most people at Costco have a cartful of items?

Firstly, the system is not very effective with checking items. It would be impossible to check each item, dollar by dollar, on the receipt with what’s in the shopping cart. Secondly, it’s questioning the honesty and integrity of people who just need to get in, buy what they need, and get out. No one wants to spend precious minutes of life in a dim and ugly warehouse like Costco. How often do they catch someone, anyway?

StanduptoWalmart.com shows stories from people who have “stood up to Walmart” and refused to show their receipts at the door. It tells of people who have been detained, who have had the police come, and who have been physically stopped/attacked by multiple employees. I’m not saying these people are right to do this - but it has made me think more about it.

Apparently, this receipt checking policy is “store policy.” To make sure you haven’t stolen anything, to make sure you’ve paid for everything, to make sure nothing accidentally found its way onto your cart. Heck, maybe it’s to create jobs.

Before, I just thought, “Ugh, this is so pointless.” I probably still will. This site has just given me some perspective. Maybe sometime in the future I will gain the courage to run out the store with my unmarked receipt, hopefully faster than they can catch me.

After my previous post about my dislike for the big, baggy Roots sweatpants I consistently see girls (and guys) wearing to class, I decided to make a whole post about the clothing choices that I see around school.

1. The big, baggy sweatpants. See the link above. I don’t mind normal sweatpants, but don’t get the ultra-baggy ones. In a nutshell, they’re ugly, they turn your butt/legs into an odd-shaped balloon shape (if that makes sense), and they look slobby.

2. Super-short black shorts . Also known as yoga shorts or dance shorts, they are characterized by their very short, or sometimes even non-existent, inseam. I wear them for yoga and fitness classes. Seeing people wear them in public upsets me greatly. These shorts were never made to be worn to school or the mall or the movies. Basically, they cover the butt cheeks and not much else.

[above] A classic example of the super-short black shorts, by Lululemon. Great for running, dancing, yogaing… not for the mall or for class.

3. The back of the bra . Bra straps I’m okay with, but the back of the bra? No, no, NO. If you’re going to wear a backless top, semi-backless top, or even a weird-back-design top, please get a weird-design bra for it, or a clear back bra. Most people don’t, and so, it looks tacky. Unless you can pull it off tastefully (which I’ve yet to actually see in reality), please hide the back of the bra and spare me the knowledge of what color bra you’re wearing today.

4. Your thong. Or any underwear, in fact. I realize that this “trend” has long blown over, but just be careful when bending down or bending over. I don’t want to know what color your underwear is, either.

5. Super-tight clothing. This goes for jeans, leather pants, tops, everything in the book. If you’ve gained a couple pounds since you bought it, or the garment shrunk in the wash, or it just happens to be a tad too small, well, that’s normal. If you wear it and you notice glances and cringes around you, or if it’s uncomfortable and you can hardly move in it, it’s probably too small. For pants, you should be able to walk and sit down. For tops, try twisting your waist or the “hugging yourself” exercise. If you can’t do these basic exercises, it’s too small. So don’t wear it (in public, at least). It’s probably killing your circulation system anyway.

By not wearing (or showing) the above five - you’ve made the world a better place. Thanks, and have fun picking out what to wear tomorrow!