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Total Members Voted: 35
Voting closed: April 27, 2021, 12:04:26 PM
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Gypsy was a childhood pony for me, she was a second hand find at my Dad's school's fete.Gypsy is a word in the English language which means 'free-spirited.' It's also a girl's name with the same meaning. This is also in keeping with Gypsy's character in the comics. Over here in the UK the term is used to self-identify by a lot of the people in question. I went to primary school with some of them. My Dad taught others. It's absolutely true that the word can be used in a derogatory sense - but that's the thing. Using it as a derogatory label and using it in the context of a name to express a meaning of free spirit are two different uses of the same word.The nuance may be a British thing, but it's a British pony, so probably relevant in terms of Hasbro's decisions.
Quote from: Taffeta on April 23, 2021, 08:27:37 AMGypsy was a childhood pony for me, she was a second hand find at my Dad's school's fete.Gypsy is a word in the English language which means 'free-spirited.' It's also a girl's name with the same meaning. This is also in keeping with Gypsy's character in the comics. Over here in the UK the term is used to self-identify by a lot of the people in question. I went to primary school with some of them. My Dad taught others. It's absolutely true that the word can be used in a derogatory sense - but that's the thing. Using it as a derogatory label and using it in the context of a name to express a meaning of free spirit are two different uses of the same word.The nuance may be a British thing, but it's a British pony, so probably relevant in terms of Hasbro's decisions. Not to turn this thread into an argument, but this word is (at least contemporarily) thought to be a slur, regardless of whether or not people sometimes use it to describe a 'free spirit' or if it is sometimes used by actual Romani people, regardless of location. It's popular to use it for other reasons (as you mentioned- this is not exclusive to the UK and is sill quite common in the US), but it still originated as a descriptor for Romani people, which eventually developed into a slur and is inextricable from that origin (the use of it to describe a 'free spirit' is also a result of it's use to describe Romani people), at least not when Romani people are still oppressed. Acknowledging it's origins is important for understanding the way it's used today, in any context.
It's not that I'm denying the existence of a slurred usage, more that by imposing the slur as the ONLY interpretation on the word, you're feeding that meaning, rather than the other. Which, as you acknowledge, exists. Otherwise, what I said before stands. You only increase hate and suspicion by being suspicious of every single possible interpretation of a word. As I said in my previous post, some words are always offensive and some are contextually offensive. This is the latter.
...*sidesteps argument*Have her, love her! Gorgeous pony and I like her name, too, it's pretty.visitors can't see pics , please register or login(One of my particular favourite pony pics too! Well, except for those stray hairs. :p)
We can of course agree to disagree, although I am in no way condoning its use as a slur, nor denying the existence of that usage.
I do think it's important to respect different cultural perspectives. Although that also includes understanding and acknowledging the more nuanced British usage of the term.
My opinion is that probably Gypsy was a clumsy 1980s attempt at inclusion.
The reason why I don't see her as offensive is because she was a very popular character and beloved. Whether you can find stereotypes in her character - maybe, but broad strokes, rather than specifically cringey moments. She likes music and dance. She doesn't have a tent and a crystal ball.
As for the tambourine, well, my sister plays the tambourine too. She's a percussionist. As a kid she loved the fact Gypsy had tambourines, because when she was a kid, people didn't take percussion seriously and she dealt with a lot of issues. So for her Gypsy was validation that it was ok to play percussion.
As an autistic person I've learned and come to value that awkward attempts to reach out and include are better than being ignored completely. It at least begins a discussion, which can lead to improved awareness and education.
I also say this from the standpoint of someone who has seen the r word used regularly and liberally in discussions on equality and diversity, so I know that this whole thing can be very complicated.
You are as always entitled to your opinion, and you don't have to agree with mine in the slightest. All I really wanted was to say that not all opinions have to be binary.
The one thing I do find weird, though, is that you guys still want to own her although she makes you uncomfortable. If it were me, I wouldn't want her in my collection at all.
Noo, but there's a difference between personally disliking a name and considering it perjorative.Simply changing the name doesn't change the concept of the toy, nor her appearance. Owning the pony endorses both those aspects, even if you don't accept her name.I do understand Serena-hime's points about being able to criticise the things you love; on the other hand, that can also be used as a convenient excuse to own something which contains undertones. At the end of the day, Hasbro made profit on Gypsy. When you buy Gypsy, unless you pick her up from a second hand store, you are somehow reimbursing the money paid at the store till for the pony in its original package. The money goes back down the line until it goes back into Hasbro. So I think it probably does matter in regards to owning her.