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My conclusion is that if someone is offended I will try to use a different term. I know that for many basically well meaning folks, they would rather argue that it’s okay to use a term that some find offensive. Their right to use whatever words they want is more important that someone else’s feelings. This is sometimes expressed by “F*k your feelings.” Some think political correctness and virtue signaling has gone too far.
I felt the same way for about 4/5ths of my life but for whatever is left of the rest of it, I’m going to make a different choice. “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves” (Cher song) should have made it clear to me over 50 years ago that there was a perjorative meaning to the term.
It’s all about context. If someone refers to “Jew York” they aren’t being flattering. Years ago I was doing research for my government class and came across a site called “Jew Watch” and they were sounding the alarm on the “high percentage of Jewish members” of the Senate. Antisemitism is the oldest hatred.
I’m Jewish and grew up in a very Jewish area of NY and never realized that we were a minority nor did I get a lot of the negative comments until I moved outside of NY. I remember my sister was asked by her college roommate where her “horns” were because she was told that Jewish people had horns. That was the first time I realized that there was antisemitism and hostility toward Jewish people.
Honestly, I haven’t really received a lot of negativity about being Jewish until the last 6 years. Unlike a person of color, I can hide my religion and these days sadly I find myself doing it more and more.
Perhaps. But discrimination against “other” is so widespread and prevalent everywhere that I suspect it has been a part of humanity forever, long before Abraham.
I’d posit that it’s a modern-day extension of non-paranoid fear of hostile groups that would kill each other dating back to early human life.
Now we know that it’s discriminatory and wrong to assume that everyone in an identifiable group is the same and assign some negative (or even what we might think is positive) qualities to them, but I suspect that when the human brain was less developed, all the members of this tribe or that actually were intent on killing each other, without dissenters who said, “Hey guys, they’re people just like us, and they’re minding their own business- I don’t think we should attack or kill them.”
Fear and lack of understanding fuel xenophobia, and I would venture a guess that developed from legitimate fear that became perverted over time.
I’m surprised that you used the term “colored person.” I haven’t heard anyone use that in a long time. I assume that it’s considered insulting, but I suppose I don’t know that for certain. I do hear “person of color,” and it doesn’t seem to be offensive.
@Annet3176 gave you the Etsy link and here’s my verbiage
As you may know, the AirBnB experience is not the same as a hotel and ratings for hosts are different than on TripAdvisor or Yelp or Google. If you’ve never stayed in AirBnB before, here’s a quick and (we hope) funny guide to how AirBnB expects hosts to be rated:
Overall Experience:
5 ***** = Just as described (or better).
4**** = Not as described, it was just “OK.
3 *** = What a dump.
2 ** = This host should be banned.
1 *= Bulldoze the place
Location Rating:
5 ***** = I can read a map & the location was just as described on the map.
4 **** = I can’t read the map, the place was in the wrong location.
3 *** = I never found the place
2 ** = I didn’t read the description.
1 *= I forgot how to read a map.
Value Rating:
5 ***** = The price was as described.
4 **** = I didn’t read description of AirBnB’s fees.
3 *** = I skipped that part of the listing.
2 ** = I’m a total cheapskate.
1 *= I’d rather be couch surfing.
I’m booked / blocked through the end of May now, even my inquiries and views are down and the new hosts with 0 reviews are all on top, so I’m lower down on the search results, too.
Some new whole home hosts are at $93 a night and the nearest here are at $200-$300 a night. I see this happen every year and those cheap hosts eventually fall off or raise their prices.
But hey - it’s easy money, right?
Because I’m an in-home host I talk to them all the time about their experience, other ABBs, and even ask during the visit if there’s something they’ve seen elsewhere that would be applicable here. Even then I’ve gotten dinged on stars because… people.
Does ABB do that? If so, where? Because that’s a double standard that leaves us worrying and guests with the upper hand.
Exactly. I cleaned to Covid-type instructions before Covid. I’m not about to slack off now. I have my pride.
I have Jewish family and am from NYC and have family and friends who use those words still. It may be an age thing, it may be a location thing. But thank you for pointing out that this has become more sensitive than ever.
Exactly.
I’m Catholic - practicing. You’d be astounded at the level of hostility on this forum to any religious person or person of faith or practicing religious believer. I haven’t called anyone out who has insulted me for my faith or my beliefs in the way that this thread has turned to my use of a word. If I had, it wouldn’t have been pretty. And I’d waste a lot of time explaining Catholicism to lapsed Catholics and people thinking I have horns or whatever.
Let’s tie ourselves up in knots trying to use language that will not offend anyone. smdh
I’m Jewish, too (ethnically, not religiously), but I have to say I have never personally experienced any discrimination over it. And I grew up in middle America, not New York.
But I left the US when I was 17. The blatant hatred seemingly running rampant without shame in the US these days makes me grateful I no longer live there.
I have never travelled as an Airbnb guest, but other hosts here do, so they might be better equipped to answer that. But I have seen various incarnations of the guest review form (it seems to get changed a lot, like other Airbnb stuff). And what I have seen in the past is that the ratings were classified for guests as 5 stars means excellent, 4 stars means good, 3 means fair, 2 below average, and 1 star means poor.
I was raised to be polite, in an age where being rude, obnoxious, or impolite would result in one being banned from almost all restaurants and stores, and in small towns, could result in public shaming, or, at the very least, shunning.
I have never understood why people want to be overbearing and rude when civility and politeness would be better if they are trying to persuade someone about their beliefs.
Showing respect to others is only considered “virtue signaling” by the rude, obnoxious, and bigoted. If they call themselves “Christians” they aren’t following Matthew 5-7, 19:24, or 25:40!
Please stop using the Faux Nooz framing of any good deed that Rupert Murdoch doesn’t like as “virtue signalling”. We don’t want to keep repeating their lies.
I always try to be civil and polite and don’t try to persuade anyone about my beliefs. I just ask that I don’t get bashed for them.
I have a friend who’s an atheist and she becomes absolutely strident if I ever mention going to Church or my faith. It’s difficult getting her calmed down and she goes on the attack. My “Well I believe differently, how about Mexican for lunch?” doesn’t stop her.
I’m all about live and let live except for human trafficking and hate crimes. Then I put the tarp and shovel in the trunk of the Buick and ask you where you need me to pick up the body.
I don’t discuss religion or politics at work unless I accidentally get sucked into it then try to end it quickly.
A former co-worker made it her mission to pester me over wearing a cross necklace and silently bowing my head for grace before meals. Something plant or animal died for my nourishment, I should give thanks.
I’m curious how your reviews were at the higher rate. My experience has been that the people paying higher rates don’t necessarily give reviews any different than the ones who pay low rates.
This is the old a faded little humorous sign I have inside, about stars .
Gypsy (the trailer) was named by by husband after my horse who I named Gypsy at 1st sight because my favorite book was The Gypsies by Jan Yoors, in '68. I can’t undo that.
I know the term Gypsy is controversial and I know that Roma people is correct and I also know much of the historical and horrible persecution (The Painted Bird, anyone?) they have suffered. My Mom has also many kindred friends among them, as I do too. Her friends put on an amazing cultural festival in Sonoma county each year, that my Mom attended. There is a Fb page I follow with many photos of those continuing the Roma lifestyle with their beautiful hand-painted wagons in England!
We had a Russian guest before the war and she proudly told me in very broken English about her Gypsy heritage. This conversation would not have happened if not for the name given to our trailer. She baked an amazing cake for her bf and gave me a whole plate of it topped with whipped cream, chocolate bonbons and raspberries!!
We are going on a camping/ hotels trip up the Eastern Sierra Nevada, and the hotels are really gouging too with the “Resort fees” and all the etceteras!
I have read a long list of black authors, Malcom X, Black like me, Native son, Prison letters G. Jackson etc. Gypsy was black, in the winter, but seal brown in summer!
Over the past 8 years, I’ve been blessed the majority of my guests appreciate my rental (there were a few bumps in the road but nothing compared to what some other hosts have endured). Overall most of my guests left reviews & almost all were 5*.
This summer with higher prices my ratings were about the same as in the past but the big difference was the proportion of guests leaving reviews. A surprising number of guests simply did not leave reviews.
I don’t know if they are review weary or didn’t care or maybe didn’t want to leave a negative comment.
@Annet3176, I think you hit the nail on the head. People are review-weary. Every single thing I spend money on—my medications, doctor visits, restaurant food, clothing, gas for the car, hair cuts, groceries—everything asks for a review. Some things ask for two.
I honestly ignore most of them. I haven’t ignored reviewing any Airbnb locations where we’ve stayed, but I understand the temptation to do that.
Now that every single thing has gone review mad, it’s time for some innovative vendor to come up with something totally new. Maybe something fun.
Been a host since April 2016 and have been blessed with wonderful guests and great reviews. We have always set our own pricing, but decided to give “smart pricing” a try this summer…and received our first ever 4 star value rating! Actually, received two this summer! Oh well…live and learn.
