I believe this new phenomenon is an illustration of a deeper, hidden social force. That is the relentless, often unconscious, need for humans to reassure themselves they are in sync with their group. Displaying pronouns signals: I am part of the tribe and I know the rules.
This is a new enough idea that it deserves a column?
Sheesh. This is so old there’s even a song about it – the song already almost as old as I am.
After his name and pronouns (he/him) was the question: “Why are there pronouns in my signature?” I clicked the link.
It led me to a six-page Google document called the NPR Pronoun Guide
Weird. When I get an email from somebody with pronouns in their signature, I just laugh and mentally tag them as a clown.
Incidentally, the Pajeets who are eating British businesses alive at both ends (lot of Indians taking C suite roles in London in addition to offshoring millions of UK jobs to their cousins in Mumbai) don’t believe any of this shit, it’s a stupid white people thing.
Indeed it is weird. I can’t help wondering who these people are because I don’t think I’ve ever met any of them. When you say “white”, surely you’re talking about some barking subsets in the UK & coastal USA. (Greggs!?!? FFS!) No sign of it penetrating this far south in Europe. Spanish is a gendered language. We know where we are. Any group of people takes the masculine gender unless it’s 100% female.
Courage was mine, and I had mystery;
Wisdom was mine, and I had mastery;
To miss the march of this retreating world
Into vain citadels that are not walled.
Then, when much blood had clogged their chariot—wheels
I would go up and wash them from sweet wells,
Even with truths that lie too deep for taint.
Did anyone else guess the song?
or to put it another way – I can’t think for myself!
This is probably older than you too, Tim:
https://youtu.be/ztFv6OSFeUA
Steve,
“Weird. When I get an email from somebody with pronouns in their signature, I just laugh and mentally tag them as a clown.
Incidentally, the Pajeets who are eating British businesses alive at both ends (lot of Indians taking C suite roles in London in addition to offshoring millions of UK jobs to their cousins in Mumbai) don’t believe any of this shit, it’s a stupid white people thing.”
It’s particularly a thing people do who are scared of getting found out. People like Panjeet, me, plumbers, hairdressers, girls on the checkout at Aldi and prostitutes* get paid for what we supply. Don’t do it well, you’re going to get found out quickly and out the door.
Pronouns are about creating an illusion. It’s the same as things like people with PhDs in bullshit flashing their title, or dons wearing robes. 60 years ago it would have been someone going to church regularly. It signals being better, smarter, more respectable than other people. The aim is that no-one digs into whether you are adding any value.
See, the Whore Class people, like me and Panjeet, can be an open book. You can take a good long hard look at us, because you’ll see lots of value there. Maybe we’re a bit overpaid at the moment, but we’re not like lecturers in anthropology or most people working at the BBC.
Look at Twitter now. Most of the pronoun people quit. Yeah, they’ll say it’s about Elon supporting fascism, but that’s the excuse. The truth is that they all knew Elon was going to have them doing less dossing about, demanding more output. They’ve quit to find another host.
“Look at Twitter now. Most of the pronoun people quit. ”
No, they got fired. Unless they were necessary and were good at their job and actually produced anything besides hot air..
Musk is easy to read: If you got time at work to agonise about pronouns, you’re not using your time efficiently, and are distracting others from their work. So here’s the boot to your overly sensitive arse, and bugg’roff..
The Pronoun Crowd were doomed the moment he finished signing the paperwork that made him sole owner.
And, imnsho, rightly so.
Did anyone else guess the song?
Yup, it was contextually predictable plus had been discussed on the blog recently. It must have been someone here who suggested the Bryan Ferry version, which is played straight and is excellent.
. 60 years ago it would have been someone going to church regularly. It signals being better, smarter, more respectable than other people. The aim is that no-one digs into whether you are adding any value.
They now call themselves Remainers.
When I get an email from somebody with pronouns in their signature, I just laugh and mentally tag them as a clown.
That would be almost everyone who works for the government or in any organisation with more than 1,000 employees. 🙁
Chris Miller
“When I get an email from somebody with pronouns in their signature, I just laugh and mentally tag them as a clown.
That would be almost everyone who works for the government or in any organisation with more than 1,000 employees. ”
… and your point is? 🙂
You got me there, BiT. 🙂