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.

  • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    There is Portlandia weird, and then there’s “I want the government to track your menstrual cycles” weird.

  • Glide@lemmy.ca
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    3 months ago

    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.

    • grrgyle@slrpnk.net
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      3 months ago

      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!

    • kshade@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      The unease doesn’t come from the word itself being a grave insult but, for example, from being bullied for being “weird”.

    • InputZero@lemmy.ml
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      3 months ago

      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.

  • Sanctus@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    If you like the word you’re the good kind. If it offends you, well, you’re weird.

    • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      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?

  • Unbecredible@lemm.ee
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    3 months ago

    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.

    • ChronosTriggerWarning@lemmy.worldOP
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      3 months ago

      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.

          • arality@programming.dev
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            3 months ago

            I know this is anecdotal, but when I was first diagnosed with depression they put me on medicine that made me devoid of feelings like your explanation. Well fast forward a few years and a new doctor. Turns out I’m bipolar, and being on the right medication has been SO helpful and such a night and day difference.

          • Biezelbob@programming.dev
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            3 months ago

            yeah you kinda want to feel something again(?)

            Had to go trough several drugs before hitting the jackpot, although I’m also on other meds.

            totally get it though