Gratuitous information

Question

Here, from the Jan/Feb Dilbert DNRC Newsletter, is a good example of gratuitous information in the Quotes From Induhviduals section:

(quote)
This past Veterans Day, a young blonde local newscaster was interviewing an elderly lady who had been in WWII. "I understand you were held by the gazpacho."
(/quote)
One word provides two pieces of unnecessary information and reveals the writer's prediposition to hold golden-haired females in contempt.

Just an object lesson for the ignorant.

Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

On 9 Feb 2004 01:31:13 GMT, CyberCypher
[nq:1]Just an object lesson for the ignorant.[/nq]
Aaah - an "object" lesson indeed. Yet another one of those pesky gratuitous words.
Here we have the blonde being objectified - naughty! Clearly calls for a class in remedial sensitivity.

Jitze

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Here, from the Jan/Feb Dilbert DNRC Newsletter, is a good example of gratuitous information in the Quotes From Induhviduals section: ... to hold golden-haired females in contempt. Just an object lesson for the ignorant. Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.[/nq]
Firstly, nothing in the quotation you supplied suggested that the newscaster was female.
Maybe the writer to reveal their contempt for (young) golden-haired newscasters..Is this necessarily unjustifiable?

What was the context of the quotation???
Stupot

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2](quote) This past Veterans Day, a young blonde local newscaster ... WWII. "I understand you were held by the gazpacho." (/quote)[/nq]
[nq:1]Firstly, nothing in the quotation you supplied suggested that the newscaster was female.[/nq]
Nothing? Perhaps you should investigate the difference between 'blonde' and 'blond'.

Alec McKenzie

Usenet · Answer

"Stuart Chapman" (Email Removed) wrote on 09 Feb 2004:
[nq:2]Here, from the Jan/Feb Dilbert DNRC Newsletter, is a good ... for the ignorant. Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.[/nq]
[nq:1]Firstly, nothing in the quotation you supplied suggested that the newscaster was female.[/nq]
"blonde" is the adjectival form for females and "blond" for males. It's from French.
[nq:1]Maybe the writer to reveal their contempt for (young) golden-haired newscasters..Is this necessarily unjustifiable?[/nq]
Well, we don't know whether their contempt was justifiable or not. We don't know whether the writer (a singular being, I believe, and not a pair or more) has reasons for its contempt simply because the writer did not state them. What you see is all of what I saw. But we don't like to see gratuitous prejudice expressed in public any more than we like to see anything else gratuitous, except, of course, cash tips for services rendered.
[nq:1]What was the context of the quotation???[/nq]
I've already provided the context, but I will provide it again:

(quote)
[nq:2]Here, from the Jan/Feb Dilbert DNRC Newsletter, is a good example of gratuitous information in the Quotes From Induhviduals section:(/quote)[/nq]
Perhaps you are not a member of the DNRC?
[nq:1]Stupot[/nq]
Curious.

Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.

Usenet · Answer

(Email Removed) (Jitze Couperus) wrote on 09 Feb 2004:
[nq:2]Just an object lesson for the ignorant.[/nq]
[nq:1]Aaah - an "object" lesson indeed. Yet another one of those pesky gratuitous words. Here we have the blonde being objectified - naughty![/nq]
But you've removed it from the category of gratuitousness and illustrated how well suited to its task the word really is.
[nq:1]Clearly calls for a class in remedial sensitivity.[/nq]
Can sensitivity be remediated?

Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1](quote) This past Veterans Day, a young blonde local newscaster was interviewing an elderly lady who had been in WWII. ... (/quote) One word provides two pieces of unnecessary information and reveals the writer's prediposition to hold golden-haired females in contempt.[/nq]
Not necessarily. Judging entirely from the quotation you have supplied, it could equally well be the case that the writer has nothing against youth, nothing against females, and nothing against blondes, as such. Instead, he/she might be implacably opposed to the hiring of reporters exclusively on the strength of a vacuous feminine attractiveness, not backed up by a sufficient standard of intelligence and general knowledge. That would be quite a reasonable attitude for the writer to have, in defence of his/her profession of journalism.
You have gratuitously attributed prejudices to the writer, without sufficient evidence from the quoted passage.
If the writer is male he may even think, as I do, that the ideal is an attractive blonde with an IQ of 125+. The BBC and ITN both manage to find a few of this rare breed of woman. Well out of my class, and I can only fantasise. Especially about Kirstie Young, with her light Scottish Lowlands accent.
Richard Chambers Leeds UK.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]You have gratuitously attributed prejudices to the writer, without sufficient evidence from the quoted passage. If the writer is male he may even think, as I do, that the ideal is an attractive blonde with an IQ of 125+.[/nq]
Might one attribute a heterosexist prejudice to the writer of the above? Would that be a gratuitous attribution too?

Philip Eden

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]If the writer is male he may even think, as I do, that the ideal is an attractive blonde with an IQ of 125+.[/nq]
[nq:1]Might one attribute a heterosexist prejudice to the writer of the above? Would that be a gratuitous attribution too?[/nq]
This calls for courage on my part. No more hiding the fact. It is time for me to come out and declare it to the world. I am, and have been since the age of 13, a heterosexual. In my own way, I am proud of it too. Why can't the world just leave us alone, and let us live according to our chosen lifestyle?
As for "heterosexist prejudice", I plead not guilty. My use of the word "may", in the phrase "may even think", ensures that I am not attributing my own views to the entire male gender, but only to a section of it. The existence of this section of the male population, as a sociological fact, is demonstrable.
Richard Chambers Leeds UK.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Might one attribute a heterosexist prejudice to the writer of the above? Would that be a gratuitous attribution too?[/nq]
[nq:1]This calls for courage on my part. No more hiding the fact. It is time for me to come out ... to a section of it. The existence of this section of the male population, as a sociological fact, is demonstrable.[/nq]
Good try, but no Weezlie points. You failed to account for your glaring heterosexist exclusion of those of the Tampax-kickstarting persuasion ((C) Rey 19wheneverhecoinedit).

Ross Howard

Usenet · Answer

"Richard Chambers" (Email Removed) wrote on 09 Feb 2004:
[nq:2](quote) This past Veterans Day, a young blonde local newscaster ... reveals the writer's prediposition to hold golden-haired females in contempt.[/nq]
[nq:1]Not necessarily. Judging entirely from the quotation you have supplied,[/nq]
The entire quotation; I left nothing out.
[nq:1]it could equally well be the case that the writer has nothing against youth, nothing against females, and nothing against blondes, as such.[/nq]
I think that youth is one of the important characteristics of the reporter and necessary for the humor of the situation. Take that away and there are still two unnecessary characteristics of the stereotype dumb blonde.
[nq:1]Instead, he/she might be implacably opposed to the hiring of reporters exclusively on the strength of a vacuous feminine attractiveness,[/nq]
The quotation doesn't say that the reporter was attractive, merely that she was blonde. But your assumption is probably correct, given the nature of TV.
[nq:1]not backed up by a sufficient standard of intelligence and general knowledge. That would be quite a reasonable attitude for the writer to have, in defence of his/her profession of journalism.[/nq]
There's no way to know what the writer's profession is. He (probably, IMHO) or she most likely subscribes to Scott Adams' DNRC Newsletter, though.
[nq:1]You have gratuitously attributed prejudices to the writer, without sufficient evidence from the quoted passage.[/nq]
All I have to go on is the quoted passage and an understanding that neither the *** nor the hair color of the young newscaster is necessary to make the blooper funny. Had I written the passage, I would have omitted "blonde".
[nq:1]If the writer is male he may even think, as I do, that the ideal is an attractive blonde with an IQ of 125+.[/nq]
Well, there we have it. You have merely replaced the writer's negative stereotype with your own preferences (read: biases). I find it difficult to impossible to prejudge what I will find attractive about a woman, but hair color is irrelevant (it can always be changed) and IQ (a mere number) is much less important than shared interests and the ability to carry on an interesting and intelligent conversation; I've met too many people with high IQs but no social skills at all, so IQ does not impress me.
[nq:1]The BBC and ITN both manage to find a few of this rare breed of woman. Well out of my class, and I can only fantasise. Especially about Kirstie Young, with her light Scottish Lowlands accent.[/nq]
You really need to get out into the world a little more. Real women are so much more interesting than TV images.

Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.

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