8 chapters across the catalog
Gender Neutral Language, The-bies and Congress-persons
A TikTok video advocating for terms like "the-bies" instead of babies and "birthing people" instead of mothers is discussed. John Dvorak recounts a story from 1986 involving a PC World editor who insisted on using "congress-person" instead of "representative" to signal gender neutrality, a practice he views as early virtue signaling.
Marxism and Language Control, The Comrade Solution
The push for specific pronoun usage is characterized as a Marxist power game designed to reorder social hierarchies and implement mass programming. Since pronouns are typically used when a person is not present, the enforcement of these rules is viewed as a form of linguistic mind control. A satirical solution is proposed to use the term "comrade" for everyone, as it is inherently gender-neutral and egalitarian.
Father's Day Observations, Seeding Person Vernacular
The cultural shift toward gender-neutral terminology is mocked through the invention of the term "seeding person" as a male counterpart to "birthing person." The importance of Father's Day is noted as having increased in recent years. This follows a period where both Mother's and Father's Day were treated with less sincerity in public discourse.
Apple Auto-Correct, Gender Neutral Language Trends
A prediction suggests that Apple may integrate "socially correct" auto-correct features into future iOS updates. This would involve automatically suggesting gender-neutral terms like "folks" instead of "guys," reflecting broader cultural shifts in language usage.
Latinx Terminology, De-genderizing the Spanish Language
The emergence of the term "Latinx" is analyzed as a social justice effort to de-genderize the Spanish language and dismantle the patriarchy. Critics argue that replacing masculine and feminine endings with an "X" ruins the musicality of the language. The movement is described as "unhinged" for attempting to rewrite the core linguistic structure of gendered languages like Spanish and French.
Gendered Language and Workplace Political Correctness
A discussion on gendered language covers the replacement of "guys" with "folks" or "y'all" and "manpower" with "workforce." An anecdote is shared about an editor at PC World rejecting the word "representative" as sexist, insisting on "spokesperson" instead. The hosts conclude that these linguistic trends reflect a broader marginalization of straight white males on college campuses.
Black Lives Matter and PC World Gender Politics
The concept of "in-groups" and "out-groups" is explored through the lens of political slogans and corporate language. Martin O'Malley's apology for saying "all lives matter" is cited as an example of failing to use the correct group code. Dvorak shares a story from his time at PC Magazine regarding PC World's insistence on using the term "spokesperson" over "representative" to avoid perceived sexist language.
Gender-Neutral Language and the "Cultural Marxism" Debate
A growing movement among younger activists and media figures on networks like MSNBC advocates for "gender-neutral language," such as removing the word "woman" from discussions about abortion to be inclusive of trans men. Critics view this as a manifestation of "cultural Marxism" intended to confuse social categories and potentially lower birth rates. The discussion suggests that the fear of causing offense has led to a "conceptual murk" in public discourse.
