New subject: [Callers] More substitute terms for the g-word

13 Mar 2018

I agree, but the problem is more serious than “it’s just too close to gypsy”.  If we’re
not going to use “gypsy” because it’s an ethnic slur, then we have to avoid obvious code
words for the ethnic slur.  There’s a long history of slightly altering socially
unacceptable race and ethnic slurs, and pretending that this makes it all right. It
doesn’t make it all right, period.  

The fact that we really don’t have any ill intent is irrelevant; we didn’t have any ill
intent when we were using the word gypsy either.  

...
  On Mar 13, 2018, at 2:32 PM, Yoyo Zhou via Callers
&lt;callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote:

 On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 1:07 PM, Martha Wild via Callers
&lt;callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>>
wrote:
 I don’t think right shoulder round is going to make the grade. It’s descriptive,
certainly, but it is long and unwieldy and can’t be easily shortened to anything
recognizable as you eliminate calls in the dance. So, I’m sorry, but I’m not going to be
using it.

 Personally, I use "right shoulder turn" in teaching, and when prompting, I
shorten it to "right shoulder". This is already shorter than "right
allemande", which I don't think can get any shorter.

 Also personally, I would find it hard not to cringe when I hear "kipsie" (and,
not being from New York, I would have never made the Poughkeepsie connection without the
help of this list). I feel similarly about "jets" as a dance role replacement
term. It's just a little too close and reminds you too much of what you're trying
to avoid.

 How dancers respond to new terms is shaped by their attitudes, which can range from
"I don't want this to change" to "I think this needed changing but the
new thing is awkward" to "I like the new thing" to "I don't care
either way" to "I'm new, what is this?" So different things may work
for different crowds, though you'll hear a lot of feedback from a few vocal dancers,
whereas most dancers I think are closest to feeling "I don't care either
way". But the whole reason we're on this topic is that enough dancers want it to
change.

 Yoyo Zhou

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Re: [Callers] More substitute terms for the g-word