All My Children Discussion Group -- Please tell me why 'you people' is inappropriate.

All My Children Discussion Group

Topic: Please tell me why 'you people' is inappropriate.

Topic Posted by: CaroleA
Date Posted: Tue Sep 2 19:16:35 2008
Additional Comments: I know some of you are incensed by the use of this term, but I see nothing wrong with it. To me it means just that: you people. Where is the offense? Unless, of course, you are NOT people...........

Posted by: CaroleA
Date posted: Wed Sep 3 10:23:34 2008
Message:
Thanks to everyone who responded. My conclusion from this is that individually, we are not offended by that term. It is almost as if someone would be looking for a fight if he/she were offended.

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No, not what i meant, at all//teach

Posted by: ingyandbert
Date posted: Wed Sep 3 10:21:30 2008
Message:

''You people'' is generally seen as a means to convey a sense of superiority on the part of the person saying it. It sets a negative tone. In short, it's a put-down.

Y'all is totally different. It conveys a casual friendliness.

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I'm sorry, I still don't see why it is inflamatory. I guess, like everything else, it is in the eye of the beholder. eom/CaroleA

Posted by: Teacher
Date posted: Wed Sep 3 10:06:17 2008
Message:
Because in some circles the usage can be construed as a way to categorize peolpe in a stereotypical way. Such as, "Why is it you people get so mad when a reference is made to welfare moms being lazy?" or "You people seem to like having children a whole lot"...it is meant in a passive, yet derogatory way. I tell my children to be careful when using the phrase or don't at all...Also, as a southerner, "ya'll" means something totally different...it is used as a pronoun substitute and not to classify...so there, ya'll.

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I mean

I mean ''people''...easy to do a typo on that word...lol...and then forget the quote mark ban...//teach

Posted by: DixuhsBaybuh
Date posted: Wed Sep 3 8:27:53 2008
Message:

two plain words that really just take on the meaning of what YOU PEOPLE give them

if offended, pleasured, apathetic, humored, enraged, thank yourself for giving those words their meaning

YOU PEOPLE have a great day!!!

Posted by: Sue
Date posted: Wed Sep 3 8:18:42 2008
Message:
It doesn't bother me at all. To me it's short for: To all the people that think alike on this matter -
Big deal?

Posted by: Allys Mom
Date posted: Wed Sep 3 8:16:53 2008
Message:

We don't really use that term here although I have heard it.....in VA it is y'all.......I think, and of course this is just MY opinion, that it would matter HOW you say it rather than the fact that you say it.....if I were to say something like 'you people make me mad' then I would maybe take that as offensive since I would be generalizing a whole group of people and maybe some in the group really didn't have anything to do with what had made me mad.....if I said something like 'I enjoy talking to you people' or 'you people really know what you are talking about' may still be generalizing but, hey, who could get mad at that?? LOL Everything has to be so PC these days that it is hard to have any sort of conversation with people of different backgrounds, etc. without offending SOMEONE!! We have that here all the time......

YOU PEOPLE have a nice day! LOL

~Ally & Ashleys Mom

Posted by: Summer
Date posted: Tue Sep 2 21:37:37 2008
Message:
I was responding once on a board (I think they are now defunct) and they were SOOO clique-y - and MEAN - really mean to a new poster. I was defending the new poster and said something like 'you people are really mean...' and O M G the flames I got! That was the first time I ever realized the 'you people' was a bad thing to say! I still am not really sure what's so bad about it, but I know enough not to use it! PS: It was the Banned Soap Board - and if they're gone or gone to another site, whatever, they're really nasty people!

Posted by: Holly
Date posted: Tue Sep 2 20:02:39 2008
Message:
We say "You all" in the south where I live. I'm not familiar with the term "you people" - I've never heard it before. It doesn't offend me because it's not part of the language here.

I live in Tex-Mex country so you can call me "amiga" which means friend.

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over here we drop the YOU and just say y'all DXB

Posted by: Sapphire
Date posted: Tue Sep 2 19:59:32 2008
Message:

Or you are not you..........

*snicker*

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I was thinking the same thing!LOL! - jamie

I think I recognize a little REM...DxB

No REM from me. / Sapphire

Posted by: Vivian
Date posted: Tue Sep 2 19:47:10 2008
Message:

I don’t personally think it’s offensive, but I always had the feeling that DB was trying to be sarcastic about it. That’s why I asked him. I know some people do think it is, because at one time someone (I can’t remember who; it’s been so long ago) said it to a group of blacks, stereotyping them, and ever since then, a lot of people have taken offense by it. I couldn’t care less when someone uses it when they’re speaking. I just wondered why DB always seemed to be making an issue of it. / Vivian

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P.S. On the other hand, if someone is deliberately trying to use it in an offensive way, that's a different story. / Vivian

Ross Perot used it when he was addressing the NAACP. I'm sure he meant no harm but I can see why they would take offense. eom Mark S

you can always find somebody offended by something DxB