I've seen some people getting genuinely uncomfortable at the recent discourse. Just wanted to point out there's more than one kind of weird.
There is Portlandia weird, and then there’s “I want the government to track your menstrual cycles” weird.
Exactly!
Came to say that: Keep Portland Weird Doesn't welcome MAGA-weird.
Imo, the neat thing about this current "weird" discourse is that only right-wingers could ever find it genuinely insulting. Any sensible, self-actualized human being who isn't obsessing over the sex and genetalia of others is like "haha, yeah, I am kinda weird".
But the right wing is built on the misconception that they are "normal" and everything else is a problem. They're the only ones that could ever be bothered by being told they're weird, because it deconstructs the very foundation of their beliefs. Without the core of "we are normal and everyone else is causing problems in our normal society" backing up their every decision to threaten others over the religon, sexuality or life choices of others, they instead have to face reality: it's normal to be a little weird, and it's normal for some of that weird stuff to take root and become normal. And to refuse it and obsess over it is, in its own way, kinda weird.
Exactly, exactly! To keep it going, I think their whole worldview is based on what's "natural" and how their shitty behaviour and policies and ideas are normal and natural, because they view stereotypes about human nature (esp re sex, gender roles, race, family structures, etc) like these unshakeable institutions that they're powerless to influence in any way.
When really it's like, nah it hasn't always been like this, and it will continue changing, forever.
Further, we can do the very difficult work of trying to change it in a way that benefits more of us!
Hear fuckin' hear!
The unease doesn't come from the word itself being a grave insult but, for example, from being bullied for being "weird".
I get to call myself weird. You don't get to call me weird.
That's how this goes.
I like when people call me weird, means they’re comfortable saying it like it’s no big deal.
This is the goal for how I want people to view me tho
I'm not calling anyone that doesn't fantasize about their daughter or fuck living room furniture weird.
I think "scary weird" is an excellent clarification.
I heard it as if you're fine being called weird, you're the good weird. If you fight being called weird, then you're weird weird.
o0o0 i like that
weird²
Creepy weird vs quirky weird
Came here to say that. Quirky weird is wanting to wear a propeller hat as an adult because it's fun and no one can tell you no. Creepy weird is wanting to wear a propeller hat to predate on children. They are not the same.
Weird Al: good weird Trump: bad weird
It's not rocket science.
If you like the word you're the good kind. If it offends you, well, you're weird.
Ding ding ding! That's how i see it too.
I just hope I'm a decent weird. I know I'm weird, because I use Lemmy, after all.
The different kinds of weird get lumped together in the media though
And that's why i hope to clarify.
Depressed. Depressed weird
That sucks. I'm sorry to hear that. As a life long vet of the Depression Campaigns, i can relate. I don't have any magic words that i can drop that'll magically make things better, but i wish i did. If you don't have someone to talk to, you can bend my ear.
weird weird.
I'm not good, or bad, i'm a force of chaos that cannot be reckoned with, only conceptualized.
Also. what kind of discourse are we talking about?
Bout 60/40 here
Weird just means unusual (with slight negative connotations already) . So to use "weird" as an unqualified insult is to say that being unusual is a negative thing in itself. Which echoes the sentiment behind things like xenophobia and such. That's why people are uncomfortable with this line of political attack, imo.
To say "there's good weird and bad weird" doesn't say much more than that there are ways of being unusual that you view positively and those that you view negatively. But that's obvious and doesn't resolve the issue I mentioned before.
I disagree that weird automatically carries negative connotations. "Keep Austin Weird" comes to mind.
Also Weird AL or Hanson playing the song Weird.
I could see Weird Al answering the Witch of the North this question and being undeniably good. But why stop there? Great Weird!
The Great and Powerful Weird Al
Should be nice weird and creepy weird.
Some of both I guess.
Are you fascinated with the menstrual cycles of strangers? You want to look into the underwear of everyone before letting them into the public bathroom? You so grossed out by other people's consensual sex practices you want to take away their civil rights? You want trans children to cower in fear, and all the children to be surrounded by guns? You want women to know their place and shut their mouths? And black people to stick to menial jobs so you can kick all the brown people out of the country?
Or are you normal weird, i.e. partly fun weird and partly sad weird?
More offended by people using the word "discourse" to describe the relentless, terminally-online, America-centric shit-slinging.
i dont think now is the time to be muddying the waters. conservatives dont need the assist, youre just giving them an out
Do they accept being called weird? I think you give them entirely too much credit... but that's just my opinion.
It doesn't matter. Convservativea cannot accept the notion of a "good weird" because it removes all justification from their beliefs. The whole conservative belief system is founded on the notion that there is an effective normal and that normal must be protected from those that would upset it.
They cannot say they're the "good kind of weird", because that means admitting that weird can be good. And if weird can be good, they have no ground to plant the roots of their beliefs in. They have to be normal, because if they're weird, all the time they spent attacking others for being weird in the defence of what's normal doesn't make any sense. Calling themselves the good kind of weird is a complete 180 on what it means to be conservative and alienated a massive portion of their voting base who only vote conservative because they see people who are "just like them", not weirdos who are willing to redefine sex and gender, or question historical narratives.
The "weird" angle of attack has been so effective because it deconstructs the very notion of what it means to be a conservative. Giving them an out through the "good kind of weird" doesn't change that.
this is a fantastic point, thank you!
