Pronouns? Absolutely - I love nouns

Others pointed out that the real crime was ‘verbal abuse’ and not sexual harassment

Mike’s response here is definitely the one I’d go with.

There may be more to this story. Certain aspects might be being emphasized over others to make a point. I don’t know. But I do find this obsession with pronouns to be deeply weird.

911 : what is the nature of your emergency?
female identifyee : Someone just called me the H word. I’m running low on affirmation today. I need the police and an ambulance

Only this week I learned of a new exciting gender to choose - cake gender. Here’s a description:

Cakegender is a gastrogender that is related to cake, and is soft and fluffy like cake. It can also be sweet or warm. Cakegender can also come in different "flavors" which could change how the gender feels. You could also feel as your gender tastes like cake. One who is cakegender may also feel their gender, or "flavors", are layered, similar to layered cake.

I still think this has to be some sort of parody, but apparently it’s a real thing. I’m still not sure. I don’t detect any of the usual indicators of parody in the video which can be viewed here, but it may just be a very good parody. The lines between parody and reality have become rather too blurred over the last few years and it’s no longer as easy as it once was to spot the difference. The pronouns for this masterbakery new gender are cake/cakes and cakeself.

I think if someone asked me to use those pronouns I’d probably say “Gateau’t of here”.

The problem here is similar to the difficulty of accepting ‘identification’. If we’re OK with the principle of accepting a man being able to identify as a woman (and I’m not talking about the trans issue here, specifically) then, where, logically, does this stop? If someone identifies as a deer (and, yes, some do) then should we accept this too? If not, why not? Do we claim one makes no biological sense and the other does? The feelings in each case may be equally strong - so who are we to judge? And what criteria are we using to form that judgement?

Same with pronouns. Once we have accepted the principle that people can choose, and force others to use, their chosen pronouns then we would have to say that saying ‘him’ when the individual wants ‘them’ is no different than saying ‘him’ when the individual wants ‘xem’ (or ‘cakes’). If one is deemed abusive, then any mispronouneration (I can invent silly words too), must also be deemed abusive.

Someone has punctured the Squishy Colostomy Bag of the Absurd and the crap is leaking out all over the place.

To be honest, I don’t know what identification means. If someone asked what I identify as I wouldn’t know how to answer it. I am a man - I don’t identify as being a man. My sex, or gender, or my sexuality are not very interesting things - neither is the fact that I still have all my teeth. If I were to describe myself I would be talking about my personality - or at least my perception of it (which may be quite different from how others see me).

I don’t think we’re living in clown world, I think we’re living in Jello World where people want everything to be soft and wobbly and sweet - backbones are definitely not a good thing, and unless you’ve suffered 17 different traumas today, you’re a nobody. Emotional blackmail is the social currency of the 21st century.

This proliferation of, and obsession with, pronouns is narcissism run amok. It’s a way of feeling special in an increasingly vapid and superficial world. Tinkerbell Spacedust has been told she is special, she can do anything, she can reach for the stars. The unrealistic expectations we have foisted on our kids have not served them well. There’s nothing wrong with wanting an ordinary life. It’s what the vast majority of us have, after all.

Would I rather be a major ‘influencer’ on TikTok, or a devoted and loving husband and father?

Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,
         Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;
Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile
         The short and simple annals of the poor.

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r,
         And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Awaits alike th' inevitable hour.
         The paths of glory lead but to the grave.

It’s OK to shoot for the moon, as long as you realize, and accept, that you’re probably only going to hit the upstairs window.

The problem isn’t so much that we don’t reach those dizzying heights, it’s that we expect to reach those dizzying heights.

Someone has to flip those burgers. And you know what? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. You’re not a ‘failure’ - just an ordinary person making their way in the world, doing what you can to get by. My dad was an ordinary guy by any measure of wealth or status or influence; an unskilled labourer - but he was the most extraordinary guy I’ve ever met. A heart the size of a country and an unshakeable love for his family and friends. I’d rather be that guy, than a prince or movie star.

So, honestly, just fuck right off with your pronouns and build a personality. Your pronoun advocacy is not a legacy - a life well-lived, a world that is better for you having been in it - even if it’s only noticed by those closest to you - these are the things that really matter. This is the legacy you should be aiming for.

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