h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

How should we define what may be deemed acceptable in the name of 'Political Correctness'?

Put another way, in an age where the Personal Computer is much more common than the Police Constable who at one time used to actually walk the streets each day, have we reached a point at which PC has also come to mean: Pointless & Counterproductive?

My wife had an experience on a [non-BBC] website recently which upset her somewhat.
When she explained it to me I immediately thought "I've noticed that before ..... "
but I have to admit that since it didn't affect me PERSONALLY I hadn't given it a lot of thought.

One of the 'Compulsory' fields necessary to leave a message on the site was the TITLE field.
Available were: Dr. Mr. Ms. One to be chosen: leaving field blank not an option.

As she pointed out to me, having been happily married for over 20 years she felt demeaned and offended that she was being denied the CHOICE of being able to describe herself as "Mrs." if she wished to do so.

I felt that she had made a fair point, actually so:

Please Comment
Politically Correct
Provocative Crap
Probably Counterproductive

Any other 'PC' descriptions of this 'copout'??

To me it seems clearly a case of: "For God's sake let's make sure we don't offend [ X ] .... "

[X] is usually a minority group -at least, [X] considers him/herself to BE a minority group

Does this mean that if I want to state a case for the rights of happily married people to HAVE THE OPTION to indicate the fact if they so wish, I should make my claim on the basis of believing that such people represent a MINORITY GROUP?
Has our society reached a point where this would actually be POSSIBLE??
If that's the case, perhaps the joke which finished with the punchline:

"Last man out, turn off the lights ...."

isn't really funny any more

I understand your point, but as someone who was briefly and unhappily married a long time ago and has been very happily unmarried to my partner for 15 years, I don't feel that I qualify either as a Mrs or a Miss. It is very common for sites to offer a choice of Mr, Mrs, or Dr, and I often feel demeaned and offended that I am being denied the choice of being able to describe myself as a maritally-neutral Ms if I wish to do so.

Do we really need titles to be compulsory? I would far rather people refer to me simply by my name - my domestic status is of no consequence to anyone outside my own family.

Thanks for your reply, Cariadcoch: I was beginning to think I was the only person left who had any opinion one way or the other on this!
Let me say straight away that I appreciate and fully understand your viewpoint, which is completely logical and you have just as much right to be addressed in a way that leaves you feeling 'comfortable' - I'm sure there's a more appropriate word, but at the moment it escapes me
Just for a moment, try to put yourself in the position we experience on a monotonously regular basis.
A brown "window envelope" arrives. Nowadays this could just as easily be a bill or an unsolicited personalised advertisement - but that's a different "gripe" which I will refrain from 'ranting' about in THIS thread!!.
The envelope is addressed to " ms. P. - which is MY initial, NOT my wife's) [surname]
Alternatively it is addressed to "Mrs. P. [surname]
We have had mail [almost exclusively advertisements] addressed to "ms. K. [surname]" - but, as she has pointed out to me, she is a PERSON, not a "manuscript" [We are both wordsmiths of different professions, and the abbreviation "ms." will therefore never have any other significance for either of us].
Occasionally we have even had mail addressed to "Mr. K. - which is HER initial [surname] - though admittedly this has only happened occasionally.

Without actually opening the envelope, how can I be certain who a letter addressed to "Mrs. P [surname] // or even ms. P. [surname] is actually trying to reach? Or should I take offence if I discover that the letter addressed to "Mr. K. [surname]" was intended for my wife, or possibly someone else with the same surname whose details were incorrectly read off a list by some pimply-faced office junior who couldn't really care less?

I was brought up to believe (and still do) the value of the saying attributed to Sir Francis Bacon and carved above the front doors of a local public library:
"Reading maketh a Full Man
Writing an Exact Man
and Conference a Ready Man"

I cannot therefore accept slovenliness in speech or (especially) with regards to a certain degree of formal courtesy which I take with my written correspondence. I expect no less from those (particularly official bodies) who wish to communicate with me.

Don't mean to sound like a 'stuffed shirt' BTW: the subject just happens to be a particular hobbyhorse I like to ride once in a while!!

Should I assume from your 'tag' that you are from Wales, "Dearest"? I seem to recall 'Cariad' as one of the few words I can still remember from trying to come to grips with the language during frequent childhood trips to the beautiful hills of North Wales. My wife and daughter also love the scenery there, it reminds her so much of the part of Sweden she comes from ....