Monday, January 10, 2011

Gestures - Monday, January 10th

Many societies have varying actions which are considered "social offenses." For instance, many U.S. citizens would say "giving the finger" is always socially offensive. Or is it? Do you think it's always socially offensive to make vulgar gestures? Can you think of a time when it would be acceptable to raise your middle finger at someone?


Post your response to these questions, explaining your reasoning and providing examples supporting your opinion. Sign your name at the top of your comment, then read others' comments and respond to them by name. You will receive a grade on the quality of your responses.

65 comments:

Anonymous said...

Elizabeth
I personally dont think it is appropiate for the middle finger to be given in public. I think if you are in desire need to do it, do it where not a lot of people can see you.

Anonymous said...

ELizabeth I mean not appropiate

Anonymous said...

ELizabeth I mean not appropiate

Anonymous said...

Arianna
I think that it is always offensive to use the middle finger towards someone even if they did it to you because you could just ignore them and be the bigger person.

Anonymous said...

tyler

it is acceptable to flip someone off when they cut you off in traffic or keep honking their horn at you

Anonymous said...

Anthony Williams

I thing giving the finger is socially offensive. No I dont think it is offensive to make vulgear gestures. I think it would be acceptable to raise your middle finger at someone when your drinving and they cut you off.

Anonymous said...

i think that it is apropreate only if someone cuts u off when u are driveing. i personaly dont take it offenseve because it is just a finger.

Anonymous said...

Melani
At times it is offensive to make vulgur gestures. It would be appropriate to raise your middle finger when you got it hurt and you are showing someone or if someone grew up only knowing about that finger.

Anonymous said...

the hole driving thing is mine.

bradi goodrich

mmatysak said...

Anthony...you contradict yourself.

Anonymous said...

Justice Rowe,

I think the appropriate time to raise your middle finger is when the person next to you is very annoying or is botyhering you then maybe they see the finger and get the point.So I think it is appropriate in some situations.

Anonymous said...

Melani
Elizabeth i totally agree with you. There could be kids around that don't need to see that.

Anonymous said...

Many times it's just rude and shouldn't be acceptable. However it could be used to indirectly tell someone that they're being a jerk..such as if they were to almost cause an accident on the rode from cutting you off..etc.
Chance

Anonymous said...

brandon

yeah i think there are a few occasions where it is acceptable to give someone "the finger"

Anonymous said...

Sean_John
I dont think giving the finger is a good gesture at all. But if some one were to say something to me like "sean john your about to get you a** whoped" then they are going to get the finger.

Anonymous said...

Tom

I suppose given the origin of the word being used to brag that you still had your middle finger as an archer, it isnt that bad. It has evolved from that, to a very blunt and harsh gesture, due to people making it that way.

Anonymous said...

Meagan,
I don't think that you should always use your middle finger in a situation i think that you should try not to make a vuglar gesture but probably use words.

Anonymous said...

austin

It would be acceptible when someone cuts infront of u on the road or if someone who u really hate says some thing offenceif u can at least u not verbilly saying it like if ur in school ur where ur not supposed to say profaanity in school u can just fick them off

Anonymous said...

Melani
Justice I dont agree with you at all. Just because you want to give the person NEXT to you the fingure doesnt mean you should.

mmatysak said...

Interesting Tom.

Anonymous said...

Nichole,
I dont think it is ever okay to give someone the middle finger. If you do it out in public and there are alot of people then the wrong person might think that your doing it to them and it could start a big fight, and it wouldn't be worth it.

Anonymous said...

Sean_John to Meagan.
So you should justr cus people out insteed of fliping them off?

Anonymous said...

Melani,
Very good example of why not to make inappropiate gestures
and thanks
-Elizabeth

Anonymous said...

Benjamin best
I believe that if someone is perposely making you mad you should be able to flip them off.

Anonymous said...

chelsea,

i think that if someone does it first then you HAVE to reply with the same gestures as they had put forth! If someone is pissing you off then i think its necessary to give them what they diserve! If they didn't want to be flipped off then they shouldn't of made the person that flipped them of mad! Its def. appriopriate when your stuck between beating someone up, or just spitting out unappropriate words and then flippin the ,
"BIRD" < lolz and ya what else is a vulgar gesture?

Anonymous said...

chelsea,

i think that if someone does it first then you HAVE to reply with the same gestures as they had put forth! If someone is pissing you off then i think its necessary to give them what they diserve! If they didn't want to be flipped off then they shouldn't of made the person that flipped them of mad! Its def. appriopriate when your stuck between beating someone up, or just spitting out unappropriate words and then flippin the ,
"BIRD" < lolz and ya what else is a vulgar gesture?

Anonymous said...

Melani
Meagan i agree(: people seem to use the middle finger as a reflex.

mmatysak said...

Sean-John,

Isn't there a better way than cussing people out and flipping people off?

Anonymous said...

Limit

Yes i belive that it is ok that you give some one the berd. Because it is better then yealing and fighting.

Anonymous said...

Melani
Elizabeth thanks(:

Anonymous said...

Sean_John to Mrs.Matysak.
Yeah. You could punch them in the face

Anonymous said...

Nichole @ Sean-john,
I agree with you on your example.

Anonymous said...

Tyler

Melinie justice is right, if someone is doing something specifically to tick you off then yeah you should have the right to flip them off

Anonymous said...

Elizabeth to Justice and Melani,
Justice I agree with what melani said towards you, "Just because you dont like the person next to you , you dont have to flip them off," you could politely ask them to be quiet . or something

Anonymous said...

Melani
Limit but wouldnt it be better to just not do anything at all. Most of the people that are immature arent worth anyones time.

Anonymous said...

Meagan to Sean-John,
No what I ment is that you should just use words instead of gestures, I was not saying you had to be "cusing them out". Just saying words might be better.

Anonymous said...

limit

Nichole If you dont flip the person off then what you going to do walk away. I dont think so. So ither way there will be a fight.

Anonymous said...

Scott

the person would really have to deserve it for it to be necesery

Anonymous said...

austin

no there is not it is the best way to make ur point so i agree with sean john 100%

Anonymous said...

Sean_john to Elizabeth
Do you mean like this. Hey Branden, shhhhhh

Anonymous said...

Melani
Tyler not when the person next to him didn't do anything.

Anonymous said...

Elizabeth to Limit
Does there always have to be violence, could you possibly walk away.

Anonymous said...

Yihuan

I don't think it's good to give the finger to people some people take it offencive and it is very rude.

Anonymous said...

Melani
Elizabeth yea especially when the person NEXT to him didn't do anything(:

Anonymous said...

Elizabeth to Sean-John,
Yes why sure .it is much better then flipping them off.

Anonymous said...

Colton

Well I don't think it is very vulger but i do think it should be use to ofter like in a traffic jam ya i think it should be used it someone is honking at you to move when the person in front of you is doing the same because your honking your horn at them but when someone accedently trips you you shouldn't do it if they are trying to help you up. The only way i think you should "slip the bird" at someone is when they are doing something mean to you when your being mean to someone else.

Anonymous said...

Nichole @ Limit,
You could walk away and be the bigger person. There are some people that will walk away, but then again we do have some people who would cause a fight. So by not giving anybody the middle finger you could avoid something like that:)

Anonymous said...

Tom, that is very true and very intresting.
-Anthony

Anonymous said...

Elizabeth to Melani
Yupp (: Thanks for agreeing with me (:

Anonymous said...

Sean_john to Nichiol
The bigger guy would be abel to hit the other guy in the face. So why walk away?

Anonymous said...

Meagan,
Scott please explain your explination more, I don't quite get what your saying.

Anonymous said...

Limit

Colton that is a varey good comment at that is so true.

Anonymous said...

Tyler
melani, justice said, "when someone next to you is making you mad"

Anonymous said...

Nichole @ Sean-john,
Well the mature person would just walk away and not cause trouble

Anonymous said...

Melani
Tyler yea but he is talking about me. He even told me.

Anonymous said...

Sean_John to Nichole
You dont mean the more mature person. You mean the smaller person :D

Anonymous said...

Justice Rowe,

Yeah well in some cases people may think differntly then other and is this case i think it is the right choice. =]

Anonymous said...

ANOTHER FLIPPIN REASON IS WHEN THESE STUPID COMPUTERS ARE BEING GAYY AND THEN THAT IS A VERY APPROPRIATE TIME TO FLIPP IT THE FREAK OFF!

Anonymous said...

ELizabeth to Melani
Thats mean ):

Anonymous said...

Limit

But Nichole there are more people who would rather star somthing then to walk away.

Anonymous said...

you cant just go flipping people off is they didnt do anything to you. if you were to do so they would just be confused.

Anonymous said...

Chambers
it is right to give them the finger when they say something to you.

Anonymous said...

Tyler

well then you should have stated that then

Anonymous said...

Colton

Thanks Limit your is to even though i havn't really read it but good job.

Gantwboc said...

Melani Tyler yea but he is talking about me. He even told me.