Why does Amazon not allow the word "gay"?

[Rockwriter]

Here's something bizarre I noticed from reading the reviews of Chuck's book on Amazon, including the one I wrote yesterday. Every time any of us reviewing his book used the word "gay" - which is not derogatory, it is not intended in a defamatory way at all, and it is the word Chuck himself used over and over - Amazon has replaced the word with (...). LOL, what the hell is THAT all about? Is the word "gay" supposed to be objectionable in some way that I am not aware of? It's just bizarre.


Sterling

[Zan]

Here's something bizarre I noticed from reading the reviews of Chuck's book on Amazon, including the one I wrote yesterday. Every time any of us reviewing his book used the word "gay" - which is not derogatory, it is not intended in a defamatory way at all, and it is the word Chuck himself used over and over - Amazon has replaced the word with (...). LOL, what the hell is THAT all about? Is the word "gay" supposed to be objectionable in some way that I am not aware of? It's just bizarre.

Well, how gay is that?

I guess we'll have to start referring to it as "the G-word."

[rajah2165]

Here's something bizarre I noticed from reading the reviews of Chuck's book on Amazon, including the one I wrote yesterday. Every time any of us reviewing his book used the word "gay" - which is not derogatory, it is not intended in a defamatory way at all, and it is the word Chuck himself used over and over - Amazon has replaced the word with (...). LOL, what the hell is THAT all about? Is the word "gay" supposed to be objectionable in some way that I am not aware of? It's just bizarre.


Sterling

Political correctness in this country is way out of control...and it is soo hypocritical....I for one am sick of it.

[cittadeeno23]

Welcome to the World that Dennis tried to warn us about in 1983.

[Zan]

Welcome to the World that Dennis tried to warn us about in 1983.

um. What?

[stabbim]

Welcome to the World that Dennis tried to warn us about in 1983.

um. What?

I'll see your "What?" and raise you a "Zuh?"

And since I'm having trouble conceiving of a scenario where the word "gay" offends anyone, I don't see what political correctness has to do with it either. Maybe it's a script glitch.

[Blue Falcon]

On the news years ago I remember hearing about a computer program that would PC what you wrote...and some business guy wrote a report saying that the company's profits would put the company "back in the black."

Of course the report that went out after the computer 'fixed' it said "back in the African-American."


PC has gone too far...just look at what happened to Don Imus. It wasn't enough that he apologize profusely, he HAD TO LOSE HIS JOB TOO. Sharpton is a race-baiter, anyway.

[Rockwriter]

Welcome to the World that Dennis tried to warn us about in 1983.

um. What?

I'll see your "What?" and raise you a "Zuh?"

And since I'm having trouble conceiving of a scenario where the word "gay" offends anyone, I don't see what political correctness has to do with it either. Maybe it's a script glitch.

If it is, then it's consistent in each review. Somehow I find that unliklely, but then I also find it unlikely they simply won't allow the word at all. Strange.


Sterling

[stabbim]

Welcome to the World that Dennis tried to warn us about in 1983.

um. What?

I'll see your "What?" and raise you a "Zuh?"

And since I'm having trouble conceiving of a scenario where the word "gay" offends anyone, I don't see what political correctness has to do with it either. Maybe it's a script glitch.

If it is, then it's consistent in each review. Somehow I find that unliklely, but then I also find it unlikely they simply won't allow the word at all. Strange.


Sterling

Yeah, it seems to be blocked from the TGI reviews, but It's present in the book description, and the descriptions and reviews of "similar titles." Can't think of any reason it would have been deliberately singled out in this instance. As you said, bizzare.

[stabbim]

PC has gone too far...just look at what happened to Don Imus. It wasn't enough that he apologize profusely, he HAD TO LOSE HIS JOB TOO. Sharpton is a race-baiter, anyway.

Sharpton is a tool, to be sure, but the Imus show was, more than anything else, the unfortunate victim of a gap in the news cycle and a bored media. Had Baby Smith's father or Paris Hilton's jail sentence been revelaed 2-3 days earlier, no one would ever have heard the story.

[Zan]

Yeah, it seems to be blocked from the TGI reviews, but It's present in the book description, and the descriptions and reviews of "similar titles." Can't think of any reason it would have been deliberately singled out in this instance. As you said, bizzare.

he only thing I can think of is that because it's banned in the review section, maybe they are deliberately avoiding ANY words that can be POSSIBLY used in a derrogatory manner. You know trolls can be on any internet forum. Maybe this is Amazon's way of dodging bullets. Has anyone tried to type in "Damn" or "bitch?" How about "homosexual?"

[stabbim]

From the 4th review down....

but more important a personal and frank chronicle of his life, first as a closeted gay man in the Sixties and Seventies, his battle against the AIDS virus, and finally his emergence as an eloquent activist for AIDS and gay rights. The book covers Panozzo's growing up closeted gay in Sixties Chicago, his emergence as an international rock and roll star with one of the biggest rock groups of all time, his battle with AIDS, the death of his brother Styx drummer John Panozzo, his eventual coming out to family, friends, band members, and his recognition and personal acceptance of being a gay man and spokesman for AIDS and other gay rights issues. He pulls no punches in this chronicle. And spares no one including himself in his search for Self Truths. For those readers looking for band gossip--it's here but not sensationalized. But for those readers looking for a story spanning almost 60 years of a musician's journey to be recognized as a gay human being--GRAND ILLUSION is an eye opening, heartfelt memoir.

I'm sticking with my technical error theory for now.

[cittadeeno23]

I was just making a joke about censorship. But it does seem more and more things are being censored these days. And this political correctness Bullshit is out of control and ridiculous.

[Zan]

I was just making a joke about censorship. But it does seem more and more things are being censored these days. And this political correctness Bullshit is out of control and ridiculous.

Ah - I thought that might have been what you were alluding to. Unfortunately, PCness isn't really *censorship* per se. Well, at least not in the way in which Dennis was portraying it. The censorship Denny was boycotting was the kind that say, Ed Sullivan was promoting. Ei: The Rolling Stones having the change their lyrics from "let's spend the night together" to "let's spend some time together," and Jim Morrison not being allowed to say "we couldn't get much HIGHER" when he appeared. This was to protect US, the American public, from the evils of the world like profanity and that horribly disgusting sex stuff. The word "gay" being removed, as Stabbim so beautifully pointed out, is likely just a clitch in the system, but if it was bleeped out, it would likely to protect the minority groups from being insulted, hence, political correctness. Not the same thing at all.

I agree that in both situations, certain phraseology(sp?) is being barred, but for very different reasons. Let's face it, we are light years further from the robotic world Denny warned us about back in the eighties. They can say "ass," "duschebag," "bitch," and "penis" on prime time television, for god's sake. Not to mention that giving Dennis credit for being some sort of soothsayer even reaches beyond my realm of imagination. lol

As far as the "nappy headed ho" ordeal/fiasco, the MEDIA itself made that much worse than it ever should have gotten, giving it way too much national attention. Can anyone say "wag the dog?" Does anyone know that the same day all of that was going on, an embassy was bombed in Iraq? Not many do because everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE was so concerned with this idiot shock jock and whether or not he deserved to be fired from his cush celebrity job.

If you ask me, censorship isn't the problem, it's a complete lack of common sense.

Here is a good example:

http://www.jibjab.com/originals/what_we_call_the_news

[GrandIllusionist725]

Welcome to the World that Dennis tried to warn us about in 1983.

I got it, censorship. Thanks Kilroy!

[stabbim]

Not to mention that giving Dennis credit for being some sort of soothsayer even reaches beyond my realm of imagination. lol

Don't let Howard Bloom catch you saying that!

If you ask me, censorship isn't the problem, it's a complete lack of common sense.

Here is a good example:

http://www.jibjab.com/originals/what_we_call_the_news

Damn straight.

I'd like to add: http://youtube.com/watch?v=vmj6JADOZ-8

[Rockwriter]

I was just making a joke about censorship. But it does seem more and more things are being censored these days. And this political correctness Bullshit is out of control and ridiculous.

Ah - I thought that might have been what you were alluding to. Unfortunately, PCness isn't really *censorship* per se. Well, at least not in the way in which Dennis was portraying it. The censorship Denny was boycotting was the kind that say, Ed Sullivan was promoting. Ei: The Rolling Stones having the change their lyrics from "let's spend the night together" to "let's spend some time together," and Jim Morrison not being allowed to say "we couldn't get much HIGHER" when he appeared. This was to protect US, the American public, from the evils of the world like profanity and that horribly disgusting sex stuff. The word "gay" being removed, as Stabbim so beautifully pointed out, is likely just a clitch in the system, but if it was bleeped out, it would likely to protect the minority groups from being insulted, hence, political correctness. Not the same thing at all.

I agree that in both situations, certain phraseology(sp?) is being barred, but for very different reasons. Let's face it, we are light years further from the robotic world Denny warned us about back in the eighties. They can say "ass," "duschebag," "bitch," and "penis" on prime time television, for god's sake. Not to mention that giving Dennis credit for being some sort of soothsayer even reaches beyond my realm of imagination. lol

As far as the "nappy headed ho" ordeal/fiasco, the MEDIA itself made that much worse than it ever should have gotten, giving it way too much national attention. Can anyone say "wag the dog?" Does anyone know that the same day all of that was going on, an embassy was bombed in Iraq? Not many do because everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE was so concerned with this idiot shock jock and whether or not he deserved to be fired from his cush celebrity job.

If you ask me, censorship isn't the problem, it's a complete lack of common sense.

Here is a good example:

http://www.jibjab.com/originals/what_we_call_the_news

Imus was, as we say in Nashville, "Dixie Chicked"; that is, a story was made where there really was none, and for reasons probably having nothing to do with the story itself. In his case, hey, he's a shock jock, he says shit like that all the time, like any of them. Big deal. Move on or don't listen to him. In the case of the Dixie Chicks, Natalie made her comments (which most people who got upset about can't even BEGIN to repeat correctly . . . they are upset about something that they can't even quote, LOL) at a time when Americans were frustrated about their own inability to do anything about the impending war, and thus became a lightning rod for a backlash that should never have happened. People were simply transferring their anger and frustration onto her, which was stupid. The comments were made in England, our strongest ally in that war; it's not like she went to Iraq and said it. It was all bullshit, but then as you aptly pointed out, the news media is largely worthless in America. If you want to know what's going on here, you have to read the news from other parts of the world where it is not so slanted toward our own propaganda. Freedom of the press is mostly bullshit in modern day America.


Sterling

[Rockwriter]

I was just making a joke about censorship. But it does seem more and more things are being censored these days. And this political correctness Bullshit is out of control and ridiculous.

Ah - I thought that might have been what you were alluding to. Unfortunately, PCness isn't really *censorship* per se. Well, at least not in the way in which Dennis was portraying it. The censorship Denny was boycotting was the kind that say, Ed Sullivan was promoting. Ei: The Rolling Stones having the change their lyrics from "let's spend the night together" to "let's spend some time together," and Jim Morrison not being allowed to say "we couldn't get much HIGHER" when he appeared. This was to protect US, the American public, from the evils of the world like profanity and that horribly disgusting sex stuff. The word "gay" being removed, as Stabbim so beautifully pointed out, is likely just a clitch in the system, but if it was bleeped out, it would likely to protect the minority groups from being insulted, hence, political correctness. Not the same thing at all.

I agree that in both situations, certain phraseology(sp?) is being barred, but for very different reasons. Let's face it, we are light years further from the robotic world Denny warned us about back in the eighties. They can say "ass," "duschebag," "bitch," and "penis" on prime time television, for god's sake. Not to mention that giving Dennis credit for being some sort of soothsayer even reaches beyond my realm of imagination. lol

As far as the "nappy headed ho" ordeal/fiasco, the MEDIA itself made that much worse than it ever should have gotten, giving it way too much national attention. Can anyone say "wag the dog?" Does anyone know that the same day all of that was going on, an embassy was bombed in Iraq? Not many do because everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE was so concerned with this idiot shock jock and whether or not he deserved to be fired from his cush celebrity job.

If you ask me, censorship isn't the problem, it's a complete lack of common sense.

Here is a good example:

http://www.jibjab.com/originals/what_we_call_the_news

That "What We Call The News" clip is great! You know what, we're ALL to blame, almost every last one. By choosing to watch that kind of crap in larger numbers than hard news shows, we are telling networks that we want even more of it. I mean, I'm sorry, but did Anna Nicole Smith actually ACCOMPLISH something in her lifetime? Why the hell are we concerned with her in death when she was so utterly vapid in life? It drives me nuts.


Sterling

[styxfanNH]

I was just making a joke about censorship. But it does seem more and more things are being censored these days. And this political correctness Bullshit is out of control and ridiculous.

Ah - I thought that might have been what you were alluding to. Unfortunately, PCness isn't really *censorship* per se. Well, at least not in the way in which Dennis was portraying it. The censorship Denny was boycotting was the kind that say, Ed Sullivan was promoting. Ei: The Rolling Stones having the change their lyrics from "let's spend the night together" to "let's spend some time together," and Jim Morrison not being allowed to say "we couldn't get much HIGHER" when he appeared. This was to protect US, the American public, from the evils of the world like profanity and that horribly disgusting sex stuff. The word "gay" being removed, as Stabbim so beautifully pointed out, is likely just a clitch in the system, but if it was bleeped out, it would likely to protect the minority groups from being insulted, hence, political correctness. Not the same thing at all.

I agree that in both situations, certain phraseology(sp?) is being barred, but for very different reasons. Let's face it, we are light years further from the robotic world Denny warned us about back in the eighties. They can say "ass," "duschebag," "bitch," and "penis" on prime time television, for god's sake. Not to mention that giving Dennis credit for being some sort of soothsayer even reaches beyond my realm of imagination. lol

As far as the "nappy headed ho" ordeal/fiasco, the MEDIA itself made that much worse than it ever should have gotten, giving it way too much national attention. Can anyone say "wag the dog?" Does anyone know that the same day all of that was going on, an embassy was bombed in Iraq? Not many do because everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE was so concerned with this idiot shock jock and whether or not he deserved to be fired from his cush celebrity job.

If you ask me, censorship isn't the problem, it's a complete lack of common sense.

Here is a good example:

http://www.jibjab.com/originals/what_we_call_the_news

That "What We Call The News" clip is great! You know what, we're ALL to blame, almost every last one. By choosing to watch that kind of crap in larger numbers than hard news shows, we are telling networks that we want even more of it. I mean, I'm sorry, but did Anna Nicole Smith actually ACCOMPLISH something in her lifetime? Why the hell are we concerned with her in death when she was so utterly vapid in life? It drives me nuts.


Sterling

If it wasn't for fake boobs, mattying some wealthy guy old enough to be her grandfather and her "reality tv" style life after putting on a hundred pounds, no one would care. Actually does any body even care? She is like a cartoon character. And her daughter, no one will care for another 18 years unless she acts like her mom.

[stabbim]

By choosing to watch that kind of crap in larger numbers than hard news shows, we are telling networks that we want even more of it.

What are these "hard news shows" of which you speak? Where might they be found?

[bugsymalone]

What are these "hard news shows" of which you speak? Where might they be found?

NPR??

As to the original subject of this thread ... The the word "gay" being excised from Amazon reviews has already been addressed above. I agree. I think the term is used pejoratively in so many reviews by, well, idiots, that they simply have it as one of the words that will automatically be blanked out when the review is published.

Bugsy