Queer Evolution: Word Goes Mainstream Analysis

Refined Words from the Past to Present
According to the great philosopher named Aristotle, virtue enables to a thing’s unique characteristic to perform well and if it doesn’t function well then it’s irrational. Definitions of certain words and their usage have changed from the past to present. Certain words are exploited to abuse or to harass other groups, communities, ethnicities, and people. Author John McWhorter and journalist Martha Irvine wrote “Baltimore’s mayor and the president said ‘thugs’? Let’s not get too bent out of shape" and "Queer' Evolution: word Goes Mainstream." McWhorter and Irvine explore how the words evolved from the past to present and have negative and positive impacts on people. These transitioned words can integrate
and disintegrate others.
John McWhorter is an associate professor at Columbia University and the author of several books. In the author, John McWhorter article "Baltimore’s mayor and the president said ‘thugs’? Let’s not get too bent out of shape", McWhorter analyzes how the word "thug" has refined and implies on black ruffians in general. Words with defined meaning led to produce change in those words through generation to generation to represent something else that are directed towards human beings. McWhorter stated, “It’s always has been and it still is, just as the meaning of all words changes over time”(para#3). In McWhorter's article, he defines the slur thug as "it used to refer to a class of criminals in India."According to the dictionary, thugs are criminals, ruffians, villains and the list goes on. McWhorter points out ,"Characterizing rioters in a black neighborhood as thugs is the kind of thing that gets some people talking about a (wait for it) “post-racial” America." In other words, this term emphasized on black ethnicity only to disintegrate them. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake posted via twitter the handiwork of rioting “thugs,” she could've addressed them as black thugs not as thugs. She conveys a meaning that only blacks can be thugs and not any other race. After this tweet, she apologies, but the damage was already done.
On the other hand, some words can unify a certain group of people, but not to disintegrate to integrate. Martha Irvine a journalist graduated from the University of Michigan and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. Martha Irvine wrote "Queer Evolution: Word Goes Mainstream." In this journal, Irvine explores that how the word "queer" transitioned from unusual or odd "to describe any sexual orientation." Meaning how the term "queer" changed from the past to present and it represent something else. Shows on televisions like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Queer as Folk change the meaning of the word and bring new images to people and this term has frequently exploits on TV ads (Irvine 12). Those who fell in this category likes others to call them as queer because to them it's who they are. Even women like to use this term queer. Coordinator of Indiana Youth Group, Stacy Harbaugh says, "If 'lesbian' or 'bi' does not seem to fit, 'queer' certainly does"(14). Harbuagh likes to use this term, because queer can relate all other sexual oriented categories expect homosexual(Irvine 13). During the time period between 1920s-30s,queer mentioned as : pansy, sissy, and pervert. When we look at it now, this term changed and became positive and unify a group.
In these two articles, "Baltimore’s mayor and the president said ‘thugs’?
Let’s not get too bent out of shape" by John McWhorter and "Queer Evolution: Word Goes Mainstream" by Martha Irvine prove that the words that have changed can unify and discriminate people. In McWhorter's article has negative effect on black. McWhorter notes, "The reason is that Modern American English increasingly has a way of saying “black criminal"(Para 11). The note means that thug only directed towards black race. He also points out that "white thug" cannot be found because thug only means black. The thug definition is ironic due to its proper meaning and how this word applies in the present. However, in Irvine's article queer has positive effect . Using the term queer unify them with people goes with same or similar category and they are confident on implying this term on them. This term queer does not hurt them by the reason of it is who they are. "Edwards, from Houston, says he likes when straight people are comfortable using it"(Irvine 24). In Jay Edward's perspective, the queer brings comfortable to all sexual orientation except homosexual. The other instance, Rohr from Boston, believes the only one word that sideline him is queer because he thinks that lost its meaning and formed a new meaning(Irvine 26-7). In McWhorter's and Irvine's article, conveys how the evolved words affect on people because they are implying these terms on themselves or on
others.
What causes words to change depended on the generations because the generations manipulate words and make favorable for them. These new meanings of the evolved words are conveyed to others differently because it depends on how the people perceive these new term's meanings. The aftermath, will be either bring unity or division. Some people would love to agree to this type and other will be insulted and/or disagree with this adapted words because their new denotation derived not from the original and ironical to the default meaning. These evolved words have causes some to suspect is it rational to apply on certain situation. In the end it's all depends on who they implied and how they react to it and stereotyping should be limited. We should be very careful how to use these evolved terms appropriately in any situations, since the outcome can be unpredictable.