iamawug: underratedwoman: kaylahenderson: ...

underratedwoman:

kaylahenderson:

iamawug:

kaylahenderson:

iamawug:

kaylahenderson:

iamawug:

kaylahenderson:

one of my fav shirts.

Nope, you’re not correcting it, you’re judging it.

Might want to change the wording on the shirt.

boo hoo.

cry me a goddamn river.

Is anyone crying here? Not me, unless you’re talking about the tears sprung from mirthless laughter at your faux-intellectualism.

aw, someone over the internet called me unintelligent.

let me try to give a fuck.

Actually, you could very well be intelligent. But intelligent people are also very capable of being ignorant and prejudiced. The words on that shirt represent a complete and utter ignorance of what language is and from that ignorance is born prejudice.

You think ESL learners feel comfortable around you when you wear that shirt? You think people who weren’t privileged as you were to learn Standard English grammar are comfortable around you when you wear that shirt?

Go ahead and wear it with pride, but don’t think for a second that you aren’t supporting the continued oppression of marginalized people when you do.

Oh, wow. Someone on Tumblr took a joke too seriously? That NEVER happens. </sarcasm>

You really need to chill out; it is, like I said, just a joke. People like you are the reason I dread getting on Tumblr.

You take a joke too seriously, and you try to act all “high and mighty” like you’ve never once in your life judged someone on something they couldn’t control.

Humans are constantly judging. It is an instinct. If someone says they’ve never judged, they’re a goddamn liar.

Get off your high horse, and for the love of science, do not talk down to me.

That was your first mistake.

I want this shirt. I will completely admit that I will (mentally) correct someone’s grammar.

Why would I not want to correct a person’s grammar, in a nice/police way? So what that you’re correcting them. Do they not want to speak proper grammar and fit in well with the society?

I wouldn’t look as harshly upon immigrants as I would people who have been born and raised in this country. I don’t care whether you come from a poor area or not, to be honest. English is English and proper grammar can be learned no matter your background or where you grew up. If I lived in China, India, Bulgaria, or any other country that doesn’t have English as their “main” language, then fuck yes, I’d want someone to correct my grammar. I don’t walk to be walking around thinking I’m speaking properly and I just look like a fool.

I 1000000% support you and this shirt, Kayla.

The main problem with your argument is that you believe that you have the ability to correct someone’s grammar. This is a logical fallacy because grammar is NOT something that exists in a state of static objectiveness. Grammar is fluid and is subject to the individual use of language. Proof of this lies in the fact that YOU can probably understand Modern English very well, yet I doubt you would get very far reading Middle English texts and you would probably think that Old English is just Dutch. Language variation and evolution is something that naturally occurs over time therefore you cannot say that what we consider Standard English grammar is objectively more “right” than the grammar rules that Shakespeare followed and thus, by extension, you cannot say that the grammar you use is more “correct” than that which another person uses.

These are the facts regarding language and it’s use. This does not take into account that the prescriptive approach to language usage was born out of the 18th century as a desire to create not only a difference in socioeconomic status of oppressive and oppressed groups, but a linguistic one as well.

To put it quite plainly, the shirt is shaming. It’s sole purpose is to shame others who cannot hold themselves to what you feel is the “correct” usage of language. To put it to perspective, what if I, a cis-passing, white male, walked around wearing a shirt that read, “I’m mentally correcting the way you dress”. How would you feel about that? Depending on how you took it, it’s either objectification (read: i’m mentally undressing you) or slut-shaming.

[edit]

To reiterate: my original proposal to the OP was not that she can’t continue to wear that shirt (as they have the right to free agency), only that the wording should be changed from “correcting” to “judging” as that more accurately defines the shirt in question.

You’re right. I couldn’t get far with texts or even speaking another language. Because I do not know another language. However, I did take spanish while in school. My teacher had tried to teach the students how to speak properly, using proper grammar. If someone is in America, trying to learn English, why would they not want to speak properly and KNOW the grammar? If an immigrant were at a job interview and had broken English or spoke with horrible grammar, many employers would look past this person. If I were living in another country, as I said before, I would want to be corrected. I’d want someone to actually tell me rather than just mentally correct me. Then I’d actually know of the mistakes I would be making and could correct tham rather than continuously making the same mistakes and looking unintelligent.

Despite my opinion on the matter, and quite honestly your opinion in the matter, nothing either one of us says is going to change the other’s mind. I believe a person’s grammar should be corrected. Under some circumstances, you shouldn’t verbally correct someone’s grammar. And you can believe that in those circumstances, I’ll most certainly be correcting someone’s grammar in my head if it’s not the right place or situation or person (my boss, a future employer, a superior, my old-fashioned grandparents, etc.).

Also, if I saw a guy wearing a shirt saying “I’m mentally correcting the way you dress.” I would look at my clothing to make sure I match or I’m not wearing plaid with stripes. I would also think the guy is really into fashion.

Not everything in this world needs to be taken so god damn seriously. Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean I, or Kayla or anyone else, have to change my behavior. Go ahead. Be offended.

(Source: untoldpretties)