The Brits and The Brats

EU bans use of 'Miss' and 'Mrs' (and sportsmen and statesmen) because it claims they are sexist | Mail Online


In the past we've indulged ourselves here at Geek Central pointing out the social and legal (and cultural) "Faux Pas" of our lovable, cuddly friends in England. Oh, it's not their fault that their governmental lackeys seem determined to undermine their entire culture. After all, they are accustomed to being British "Subjects" .... which is entirely different from being "Citizens".

And it's also not their fault that writers Aldous Huxley and George Orwell (two Brit writers of some reknown) seemed to feel free to base "1984", "Brave New World" and "Animal Farm" on the 'if this goes on' Science Fiction tool of extending 'current' English cultural trends into the future, to the present embarrassment of their fellow countrymen.

But now The Brits have a New Master: The European Union. You know, the friendly neighborhood Spidermen who attempted to make it a crime to advertise supermarket produce price by the "Pound" rather than by the Kilogram. (Hereinafter referred to as "The Brats".)

Today, The Brats have, in their infinite wisdom, decided that it is politically incorrect to use the terms "Miss" and "Mrs".

Also verboten: "Policeman", and any other reference which refers either to gender or marital status.

Instead of using the standard titles, it is asking MEPs to address women by their names.

And the rules have not stopped there - they also ban MEPs saying sportsmen and statesmen, advising athletes and political leaders should be used instead.

Man-made is also taboo - it should be artificial or synthetic, firemen is disallowed and air hostesses should be called flight attendants.

Headmasters and headmistresses must be heads or head teachers, laymen becomes layperson, and manageress or mayoress should be manager or mayor.

Police officers must be used instead of policeman and policewoman unless the officer's sex is relevant.

The only problem words that do not fit into the guidelines are waiter and waitress, which means MEPs are at least spared one worry when ordering a coffee.

You may consider this latest scheme by The Brats to exceed the bounds of permissibility in their attempt to 'standardize' terminology.

In point of fact, so do a few of the Brits:

[MEPs] (Members of European Parliament?) have reacted with incredulity to the booklet, which has been sent out by the Secretary General of the European Parliament.

Scottish Tory MEP Struan Stevenson described the guidelines as 'political correctness gone mad'.

He said: 'This is frankly ludicrous. We've seen the EU institutions try to ban the bagpipes and dictate the shape of bananas, but now they seem determined to tell us which words we are entitled to use in our own language.

'Gender-neutrality is really the last straw. The Thought Police are now on the rampage in the European Parliament.

'We will soon be told that the use of the words "man" or "woman" has been banned in case it causes offence to those who consider 'gender neutrality' an essential part of life.'

I happen to agree with MEP Struan. This latest decision by The Brats seems not only unilateral and arbitrary, but excessively determined to fix a "problem" which doesn't generally exist.

Want to know the really SCARY thing?

Read the comments. There are actually British Citizens Subjects who approve of this in the COMMENTS section following the article:

This is one EU decision that's very good. I don't view it as being politically correct, but simply fixing an outdated title system.
- Jo, Cheshire, 16/3/2009 11:18

Darn! The Brits have a Brat in their midst.

Those Poor Brits.

On the other hand, are we so far behind? After all, we are currently under the leadership of "The O".