Social Ben Shapiro thinks that "wokescolds" invented the neutral usage of "they" as a pronoun.

[Mr Holmes]

Jon plays on a soccer team. They like to start practice at 6

 

[bigkick]

Maybe because we know the sex of the person in that sentence. In other cases, they can be used singular for sure.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singular_they

True. It's used a lot colloquially and I'm fine with that. The example from the wikipedia link is good: "someone left an umbrella in the office. Can they please get it?"

But that's completely different than something like: "Stevie left their umbrella in the office. Can you tell they to please get it?" This is just stupid forced newspeak. Maybe it'll take over time. But right now it just sounds ridiculous.

 

[Andy Capp]

Still doesn't sound right.

"Where is your brother?"
"They're going to the store."

You wouldn't assume he was alone hearing that based on modern English.

The word brother answers your question before it's asked. How about,
"If someone doesn't like the pronoun you use, they should complain to their mom instead of expecting you to care because people who make a big deal out of such a request have no empathy in the first place."

 

[Andy Capp]

True. It's used a lot colloquially and I'm fine with that. The example from the wikipedia link is good: "someone left an umbrella in the office. Can they please get it?"

But that's completely different than something like: "Stevie left their umbrella in the office. Can you tell they to please get it?" This is just stupid forced newspeak. Maybe it'll take over time. But right now it just sounds ridiculous.

*them, which I only mention because using the correct pronoun there makes it sound far less weird.

It only sounds ridiculous due to lack of familiarity. Language changes. Many people think it's ridiculous to care about the correct usage of whom, while others get their neck up about people ending sentences with prepositions. In my own case, what drives me nuts these days is "plays a factor". When I was a kid, the word contact was a noun and some people looked down their noses at usage like contact me later.

To me, the only issue here is this. If you know a person would like to be called they instead of he or she and you refuse to do it based only on your personal belief it's stupid, I think you're just being a dick for no good reason. At the same time, if you're a person who wants to be called they but the person who refers to you has no way of knowing that, you're being a dick for no good reason if you get offended. It's all down to intent, IMO.

 

[InternetHero]

Just, stop making other genders.

Two is great. By all means pick one and enjoy.

 

[Ramon Antonio]

*them, which I only mention because using the correct pronoun there makes it sound far less weird.

It only sounds ridiculous due to lack of familiarity. Language changes. Many people think it's ridiculous to care about the correct usage of whom, while others get their neck up about people ending sentences with prepositions. In my own case, what drives me nuts these days is "plays a factor". When I was a kid, the word contact was a noun and some people looked down their noses at usage like contact me later.

To me, the only issue here is this. If you know a person would like to be called they instead of he or she and you refuse to do it based only on your personal belief it's stupid, I think you're just being a dick for no good reason. At the same time, if you're a person who wants to be called they but the person who refers to you has no way of knowing that, you're being a dick for no good reason if you get offended. It's all down to intent, IMO.

From now on I want you to address me as: “His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, Baron Greenwich, Royal Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Extra Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Member of the Order of Merit, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Grand Master and First and Principal Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Knight of the Order of Australia, Additional Member of the Order of New Zealand, Extra Companion of the Queen's Service Order, Royal Chief of the Order of Logohu, Extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada, Extraordinary Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Canadian Forces Decoration, Lord of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Personal Aide-de-Camp to His Majesty King George VI,Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom the second.”

 

[Andy Capp]

From now on I want you to address me as: “His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, Baron Greenwich, Royal Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Extra Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Member of the Order of Merit, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Grand Master and First and Principal Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Knight of the Order of Australia, Additional Member of the Order of New Zealand, Extra Companion of the Queen's Service Order, Royal Chief of the Order of Logohu, Extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada, Extraordinary Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Canadian Forces Decoration, Lord of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Personal Aide-de-Camp to His Majesty King George VI,Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom the second.”

That's not a pronoun, and you're being deliberately obtuse. Preferring to be called they rather than he or she is not like wanting to be called a string of 17 words. If you don't want me to call you Ramon, I suggest a name change. Buy a platinum subscription and you can make it anything you want up to the system character limit and I will respect that.

 

[cincymma79]

Fuck you and your pronouns
If I know you’re a man or woman I’m calling you that
If I don’t know I’ll say they until I do

 

[cincymma79]

I'm too lazy to post all of the sources on this, so here's a video from the Majority Report breaking down how fucking stupid of an "argument" this is. The video is timestamped to when Shapiro starts talking.

Not that I give a shit anybody's "pronouns," but the fact that this dude did an entire rant pretending that people don't use "they" as a gender neutral pronoun is ridiculous.



It still boggles the mind that people in the mainstream media started promoting this fast-talking troll as a serious person just because he quit Breitbart after that Lewandowski thing.

Terrible example tweets

 

[IDL]

The correct sentence would be "they're going to the store". This can be used when referring to a single person going to a store. Are you a native English speaker?

I don't think I've come across 'they' being used to refer to the singular like that ever 'out there in the real world'. That would be very uncommon.

Maybe technically ok but certainly awkward.

 

[Ramon Antonio]

That's not a pronoun, and you're being deliberately obtuse. Preferring to be called they rather than he or she is not like wanting to be called a string of 17 words. If you don't want me to call you Ramon, I suggest a name change. Buy a platinum subscription and you can make it anything you want up to the system character limit and I will respect that.

I was obviously only being half-serious, but it's not simply a matter of courtesy. You need a better argument than 'it's not a big deal'. It IS a big deal when society has to suddenly change something that has worked for thousands of years. It just makes things more inconvenient for the rest of us without any added benefit. On top of that it's not even a real thing based on biology or science. It's just snowflakes wanting to be special.

 

[Brodels]

He actually meant it in a different way that makes sense. But I just hit a weed pen after a long break. Not good at explaining shit anyways.

True. It's used a lot colloquially and I'm fine with that. The example from the wikipedia link is good: "someone left an umbrella in the office. Can they please get it?"

But that's completely different than something like: "Stevie left their umbrella in the office. Can you tell they to please get it?" This is just stupid forced newspeak. Maybe it'll take over time. But right now it just sounds ridiculous.

That's exactly what Ben meant. He knows it's been used the other way around long as we can remember. Some people aren't able to comprehend little things like that though.

 

[AlexDB9]

Fucking insufferable nerdlinger. Give this kid a swirly and stuff him in a locker

Shapiro is a weasel .

lmao. "They" has been discussed as an alternative for as long as I can remember. Ben is a small boner.

Shapiro is a genius for dumb people.
Talking quickly and confidently does not make your argument cogent.
He always makes stupid rants like this. When you actually listen to the garbage that comes out his mouth, it's just a lot of whining about nothing.
The guy goes into some sort of trance when he starts talking and goes on and on like an autistic Eminem in a rap battle

Fast paced rambling like that about a single subject is pretty autistic. Not in an insulting way either, but people with Asperger's can talk like that about a subject that fascinates them.

That he has never given an orgasm

I’m not really sure who this is but if these goofs hate him them I’m convinced he’s aight

 

[Amerikuracana]

The thread title isnt English, and if you think it is then it doesn't matter what corporate approved political side you are on, you are wrong.

Stop the insanity.

 

[Andy Capp]

I was obviously only being half-serious, but it's not simply a matter of courtesy. You need a better argument than 'it's not a big deal'. It IS a big deal when society has to suddenly change something that has worked for thousands of years. It just makes things more inconvenient for the rest of us without any added benefit. On top of that it's not even a real thing based on biology or science. It's just snowflakes wanting to be special.

In fact, it is based on biology, which is a type of science, while they was in similar use over 400 years ago, "So even the reflexive form of the pronoun lexeme they is used in Shakespeare with a singular antecedent (every one, spelled everyone in modern English)."

How is it even remotely inconvenient?

The added benefit is the natural growth of the language.

About the last sentence, that aspect of it is clearly a matter of opinion and you can believe what you want, but regardless of how you view the scientific basis for non-binary gender, for the person who believes there is a mismatch between their sex and their gender, I think it's simply a way of not constantly being reminded that everyone perceives you in one especially fundamental way while you perceive yourself completely differently. I don't see that as at all flaky, just insecure, which ought to be understandable for a whole host of reasons.

 

[tramendous]

Yeah, that’s how I’ve been using it since forever, too.

i still find it weird for people to identify as 'they' because that term is supposed to be applicable to anyone not just the gender confused people.

 

[Bloody Pulp]

 

[ShadowRun]

I'm too lazy to post all of the sources on this, so here's a video from the Majority Report breaking down how fucking stupid of an "argument" this is. The video is timestamped to when Shapiro starts talking.

Not that I give a shit anybody's "pronouns," but the fact that this dude did an entire rant pretending that people don't use "they" as a gender neutral pronoun is ridiculous.



It still boggles the mind that people in the mainstream media started promoting this fast-talking troll as a serious person just because he quit Breitbart after that Lewandowski thing.

Any reason to attack your political opponents right.... weak thread but he was referring to that “they” want to take over the word they for their pronouns and that “they”
Was a word before the magic of more then two genders was discovered.

 

[andnowweknow]

What's the reasoning behind listening to anything Ben Shapiro says?

 

[Ramon Antonio]

In fact, it is based on biology, which is a type of science, while they was in similar use over 400 years ago, "So even the reflexive form of the pronoun lexeme they is used in Shakespeare with a singular antecedent (every one, spelled everyone in modern English)."

How is it even remotely inconvenient?

The added benefit is the natural growth of the language.

About the last sentence, that aspect of it is clearly a matter of opinion and you can believe what you want, but regardless of how you view the scientific basis for non-binary gender, for the person who believes there is a mismatch between their sex and their gender, I think it's simply a way of not constantly being reminded that everyone perceives you in one especially fundamental way while you perceive yourself completely differently. I don't see that as at all flaky, just insecure, which ought to be understandable for a whole host of reasons.

You're equating the use of 'them' for singular, and using 'them' for people who define themselves as non-binary. I'm pretty sure Shakespeare wasn't referring to non-binary people. I never said it technically couldn't be done, just that it's unnecessary and a hassle in real life.

If non-binary was a actually a scientific thing, we should create non-binary prisons, restrooms etc. We don't, because it has no biology behind it. They either are able to give birth or make someone pregnant, there are no real in-between people who can do both. Sometimes the gender might be less obvious, but with DNA testing it can be established.

It's not natural growth of language either when they try to enforce it by law.

It's inconvenient because he and she are more specific (reveal info about a person), can be guessed correctly in 99.9% of the cases just by looking at someone without remembering anything, and simply are related to their actual biological genders, so they're meaningful.