Why are journalists so stupid? Read this. The allegedly offensive word is not mentioned, so readers have no clue how to evaluate Kobe Bryant's speech act. Do journalists not know the difference between mentioning a word and using it? Only using it can be offensive. Compare the following utterances, for example:
- You fag!
- Kobe Bryant said, "You fag!"
In the first utterance, I use the word "fag." In the second, I mention it. One wonders whether these journalistic idiots know the difference between mentioning a chair and using it. It's a basic distinction, one that any intelligent person should grasp.
By the way, I did not use the word "fag" anywhere in this post. I did, however, mention it several times.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 