Yesterday I listened to this 4.8.26 N.Y. Times podcast, “Language Policing and the Return of the R-Word.” It’s really worth sinking into.
The moderator is Times Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman. The panelists are the brilliant Brock Colyar (love this refresingly candid non-binary person who began life as a biomale!) and Animatou Sow.
Copy: “The r-word is back. Why? The right is known for using provocative language. But lately there’s been a push to be transgressive, even on the left — from the return of certain slurs to the removal of pronouns from bios. To what degree is our culture abandoning political correctness — and if so, why? Plus, stick around to hear what words Aminatou and Brock would like to ban.”