Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1998. [Vol. 5.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 25)

Studies - Pál Csontos: Is Political Correctness Politically Correct? A Tour along the Alleyways of the Shambles Called Political Correctness

the hazards of the inclination towards multi-syllabic pretentiousness and euphemisms.

5 Fussell's invective is lashed out against quite a few other examples of "updated" usage that seek to impress through the sheer increase of syllables. Yet his stance is mentioned here not only because he represents a radical view about formations like "developmentally delayed" (for "retarded") or "African-American" (for "black") but also because his approach is fundamentally similar to that of Orwell's. B.oth of them would most probably disagree with the practices exercised and strongly recommended in the usage of English by the staunch adherents of PC. Affirmative action, my next point, is an issue that has been around since the late sixties-early seventies, and should sound familiar to most of us. Nevertheless, just a quick recapitulation of the basic concept could possibly be of some help at this stage to illustrate why it has been a key prompt in the emergent awareness of the necessity of PC. The original idea was first introduced in government programs that covered colleges, universities, and companies receiving public funds, and the overall goal was to make up for past inequality by giving special preference to members of minorities seeking jobs or admission to college. The programs oftentimes resulted in setting quotas of minority students and workforce to be admitted or hired, and therefore, also in protests by many Americans (minority citizens included).

6 ' The fate of the word salesman exemplifies both the urge toward high portent and the normal American discomfort in facing unpleasant or demeaning things. Once, a salesman was a salesman as in Death of a, a useful person, to be sure, but socially low and inclined to make a pest of himself. Or herself, since women were admitted to the occupation, necessitating the welcome addition of a syllable as the word expanded to salesperson. In time, more class was felt to be needed, so in due course three syllables were expanded to five (sales associate) and then to six (sales representative). But this last, it was found, could be extended to eight syllables by designating this person a merchandising associate

, and the former sales manager, a poor thing with only four syllables to his name, was verbally promoted to vice president, merchandising

—eight syllables, and a nice bit of euphemism as well. (BAD 104) h Asian American students, unembarrassed by any traditional group advantages in American society, vehemently reject the idea that they should suffer in order to 26