Terms such as ‘Karen’, ‘boomer’, ‘gammon’ and ‘Terf’ are mildly offensive to UK audiences, according to research conducted by the communications regulator Ofcom.
The list of political references, totalling 10 words altogether, also include ‘snowflake’, ‘Remoaner’ and ‘Nat’, with ‘Femi-Nazi’ and ‘Yoon’ being the only two considered moderately offensive by respondents.
“These findings will help broadcasters to make these often finely balanced judgements and better inform their decisions about the broadcasting of offensive language and other content.
“The report also helps us at Ofcom understand and take account of audience’s views when making complex and nuanced decisions about potentially offensive content on TV and radio, while having full regard to freedom of expression,” said Adam Baxter, director of standards and audience protection at the watchdog.
Despite Ofcom stating that these are the views of audience members and that it “doesn’t necessarily mean we think these terms are offensive”, people have since expressed anger at Ofcom, slamming the findings as “censorship”.
Ofcom are set to be put in charge of regulating social media companies.
— Matthew Lesh (@matthewlesh) September 22, 2021
They're already putting together lists of "offensive" words like Karen, Gammon, Libtard, Remoaner, and Snowflake.
A recipe for chilling speech and inevitable censorship.https://t.co/nRgXyvPbfV
So ofcom thinks the word Karen is offensive I can see lot's of Karen's being offended by your offense. Just one more small step on the never ending ladder of censorship, welcome to China.
— Paul (@ScouserPaul59) September 22, 2021
Just when @Ofcom were doing so well with some of there rulings and decisions they revert to factory settings and pull this nonsense.
— Peter C. Barnes (@Barnesy19) September 22, 2021
This is frankly pearl-clutching nonsense and another nail in the coffin for #FreeSpeech.https://t.co/RUOi3Jwpcd
This is nuts.
— Tom Harwood (@tomhfh) September 22, 2021
Stop calling everything offensive.
To be fair - it's less Ofcom who have been nuts here, and more the British public.
This list is a result of a survey asking Brits what words they find 'offensive'. https://t.co/gTRvqvWJqn https://t.co/hVHSolfZUn
Actually @Ofcom has now declared it to be an offensive term. Any journalist would know that. Oh.
— Mike Graham 🇬🇧 (@Iromg) September 22, 2021
Others were poking fun at the study:
Very proud to have played my part in the Great Gammon War. Important to be magnanimous in victory, though. https://t.co/danLmwcCR6
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) September 22, 2021
I think it’s time to change my namehttps://t.co/2RoR9lJMR3 via @MailOnline
— Karen Storey (@StoreytellerK) September 22, 2021
this is nice
— Seb Baird (@sebbaird) September 22, 2021
“Both [gammon and snowflake] were seen as less offensive compared to other derogatory words because they focus on people’s attitudes rather than their identity,” concluded Ofcom.” https://t.co/cHvQnWN1cu pic.twitter.com/J8ehmvPTuU
— Peter Kay (@theonlypeterkay) September 22, 2021
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And in case you were wondering what the full 10 words were and where they rank:
- A Karen – mildly offensive: Defined by Urban Dictionary as a “middle aged woman, typically blonde, makes solutions to others’ problems an inconvenience to her although she isn’t remotely affected”.
- Boomer – mildly offensive: Referring to the ‘baby boomer’ generation, which Vox says are born “roughly between 1946 and 1965”.
- Femi-Nazi – moderately offensive: According to Dictionary.com, it’s “an offensive slur for a feminist whose views are considered radical or extreme”.
- Gammon – mildly offensive: “Someone whose opinions are very right-wing, used mainly about white men who are middle-aged”, according to the Cambridge Dictionary.
- Libt**d – mildly offensive: A term based on the ableist slur ‘r****d’ to belittle liberals.
- Nat – mildly offensive: Short for nationalist, referring to someone who wants independence for Scotland
- Remoaner – mildly offensive: Defined by Collins Dictionary as “a person who continues to argue that Britain should remain in the European Union despite the vote to leave at the referendum in 2016”.
- Snowflake – mildly offensive: A disparaging term to describe someone “regarded or treated as unique or special” or “overly sensitive”.
- Terf – mildly offensive: A Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist, who “believes that a trans woman’s gender identity is not legitimate and who is hostile to the inclusion of trans people and gender-diverse people in the feminist movement” (Dictionary.com)
- Yoon – moderately offensive: Short for unionist, referring to someone who wants Scotland to remain in the Union. It’s the opposite of a ‘nat’.
Once again, those who often mock those easily offended are offended by something.
The fact they’re offended by a list of offensive words is just hilarious irony.
