Why is the word Jap censored out of my posts.

[Tankota]

Exactly as the title says. I was talking about Japanese mototcycles on a thread and the word j a p was censored out, like this... jap :tapedshut:

http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=4976.msg47797#msg47797

Dont we all drive jap made vehicles after all. :chair: I know its just the automatic censor but I just thought it was funny.


See!!! Its even censored out of the title!

[slosurfer]

I think you can turn your censor off in your profile preferences, and then only those with theirs on will see ****. The censor has no way of knowing if you are making a racial slur or not.

[Tankota]

I see, thanks. So its just individual settings. Just changed my settings and now I can see it no problem.

[RunnerUp]

i for one believe the following words should also be censored out

Ford
Chevy
Dodge

[Tankota]

i for one believe the following words should also be censored out

Ford
Chevy
Dodge


Haha yes, dont forget our arch nemeses, the evil J**P.

[calrockx]

Dont we all drive jap made vehicles after all. :chair: I know its just the automatic censor but I just thought it was funny.



yeah, ethnic-slurs are a real hoot

[Tankota]

Dont we all drive jap made vehicles after all. :chair: I know its just the automatic censor but I just thought it was funny.



yeah, ethnic-slurs are a real hoot


Hold on now. I wasnt making an ethnic-slur there, to me that is just short for Japanese. When I was trying to figure out what was going on, I had no idea why "jap" was censored out. It didn't even occur to me that someone could use that as a slur until slosurfer brought it up in the second post.


What I thought was funny was that, in my mind the automatic censor had just picked some random word to censor out and that somehow it was a mistake. Thats why I posted it in the UY related section as a problem.

Calrockx quoted the sentence where I said "Dont we all drive jap made vehicles after all".
Would it be more politically correct for you if I sail "Dont we all drive Japanese made vehicles after all".

I like Japaneses cars and motorcycles, I often refer to Japaneses motorcycles as "jap bikes". Does anyone consider that to be an offensive ethnic or racial slur?

[calrockx]

i know what you were saying, i was just pointing out that's probably the reason it was censored it out.
i'm surprised you didn't know that, isn't it common knowledge? maybe not.

[Tankota]

I still don't see how that is offensive or demeaning, unless someone is using it in a specific or pointed way. But then anything can be offensive if you use it like in a certain way. I come into contact with a lot of dirty, vulgar, racist, redneck truck drivers and they can (and will) make just about anything a nasty slur.

Is saying "Britt" rather that "British" I slur too? Because I really like "Britt bikes" as well.

[Cebby]

"J a p" is an ethnic slur - regardless of the usage. Ask someone who Asian how they feel about - most find it offensive. Just because in your mind it's short for Japanese doesn't mean everyone adopts your abbreviation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jap

No, "Brit" isn't a slur anymore, but it used to be: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_words_for_British

[Robinhood4x4]

Yup, calling a person of japanese ancestry (or any asian for that matter) a jap is very derogatory. I think this comes from WW2 during the japanese internment here in the US. My dad absolutely hates the word but me being of a much younger generation don't have the emotional attachment to the word. Likewise my wife, who is from Japan, also doesn't think it's that bad, but recognizes it's not good.

Having said that, I cut people slack because it's very easy to think it's just a shortcut to say japanese. An honest mistake.

[oly884]

I avoid saying it from my grandparents (WW2 era) and while not Japanese, they had many good friends that were.