D'oh! The European Union bans the use of ''Mrs'' and ''Miss''...They are offensive, Oui?

[Каие]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...s-and-Mrs.html

The politically correct rules also mean a ban on Continental titles, such as Madame and Mademoiselle, Frau and Fraulein and Senora and Senorita.

Guidance issued in a new 'Gender-Neutral Language' pamphlet instead orders politicians to address female members by their full name only.

Officials have also ordered that 'sportsmen' be called 'athletes', 'statesmen' be referred to as 'political leaders' and even that 'synthetic' or 'artificial' be used instead of 'man-made'.

The guidance lists banned terms for describing professions, including fireman, air hostess, headmaster, policeman, salesman, manageress, cinema usherette and male nurse.

However MEPs are still allowed to refer to 'midwives' as there is no accepted male version of the job description.

The booklet also admits that "no gender-neutral term has been successfully proposed" to replace 'waiter' and 'waitress', allowing parliamentarians to use these words in a restaurant or café.
It has been circulated by Harold Romer, the parliament's secretary general, to the 785 MEPs working in Brussels and Strasbourg.

Struan Stevenson, a Scottish Conservative MEP described the guidelines as "political correctness gone mad."

He said: "We have seen the EU institutions try to ban the bagpipes and dictate the shape of bananas, but now they see determined to tell us which words we are entitled to use in our own language."

Philip Bradbourn, another Conservative MEP, vowed to ignore the booklet, which he described as a "waste of taxpayers' money" and called on Mr Romer to reveal its cost.

He added: "I will have no part of it. I will continue to use my own language and expressions, which I have used all my life, and will not be instructed by this institution or anyone else in these matters."
Seven years ago, an attempt to amend noise laws came close to effectively outlawing bagpipes.

However, a number of bizarre EU rules remain in place, including a directive stating that every pair of rubber boots must be supplied with a user's manual in 12 languages.

[VALIS]

It's scary that such a gargantuan organisation such as the EU would care about such insignificant things. Fear the state. (or Pseudo-state)

[bomberboy]

ing stupid PC, it really has gone mad. And why the hell would you wan't to ban bagpipes! It's a musical instrument for pity's sake. Oh my days!

[VALIS]

Kafka predicted this. It seems like the Bureaucrats are reading his books for tips along with Orwells.

[Silenus]

Nonsensical and absurd as the pamphlet is, it should in fairness be pointed out that The Torygraph's deliberately innaccurate choice of the word 'ban' to describe it is a rather shameless attempt to portray this as more than it is, presumably so that we can all go around muttering angrily, as we are wont to do over the most trivial things, about how it's "PC gone mad" and how the world's been "turned upside down" by this fiendish continental plot.

[Romios]

Lets hope twc does not follow EU on that.

[That Damn Robot!]

I agree that the article is deliberately vague and misleading.

My understanding of it from the above is that all that they've done is advised MEPs to use some alternative words.

To label this 'Orwellian' is a massive overreaction.

[Erik]

Nonsensical and absurd as the pamphlet is, it should in fairness be pointed out that The Torygraph's deliberately innaccurate choice of the word 'ban' to describe it is a rather shameless attempt to portray this as more than it is, presumably so that we can all go around muttering angrily, as we are wont to do over the most trivial things, about how it's "PC gone mad" and how the world's been "turned upside down" by this fiendish continental plot.

True,

But I'm going to mutter anyways, and do it angrily!

Mutter mutter MUTTER mutter It's PC gone MAD! mutter mutter.

There.

[Maverick]

Nonsensical and absurd as the pamphlet is, it should in fairness be pointed out that The Torygraph's deliberately innaccurate choice of the word 'ban' to describe it is a rather shameless attempt to portray this as more than it is, presumably so that we can all go around muttering angrily, as we are wont to do over the most trivial things, about how it's "PC gone mad" and how the world's been "turned upside down" by this fiendish continental plot.

Philip Bradbourn, another Conservative MEP, vowed to ignore the booklet, which he described as a "waste of taxpayers' money" and called on Mr Romer to reveal its cost.

Obviously the rules won't be enforced, what's horrifying is that tax dollars were spent compiling such a ridiculous set of rules.

Personally I think it's just a distraction to get people muttering about this nonsense instead of financial nonsense. Or the EU bureaucracy is ing retarded.

[Nikos]

Or the EU bureaucracy is ing retarded.

Bingo!

[removeduser_426582376423734]

I wonder how many of the women EMPs actually requested this.

[bomberboy]

I wonder how many of the women EMPs actually requested this.

Probably a lot.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

Probably a lot.

Ah, if you say so.

[Ummon]

The EU can't do anything worthwhile, so they do a lot of unworthwhile things.

[bomberboy]

Come to think of it it is the press after all and after re-reading it is over the top.

Ah, if you say so.

Hey don't take my word for it. I might be wrong

[IrishHitman]

Eh, who cares?

It's a tiny, insignificant event that's been blown out of proportion.
Besides, Mr, Mrs etc are pretty much unnecessary anyway.

So really, who gives a flying shitake mushroom?

Other than the Conservatives, who say that it is a waste of taxpayers money.
It saves ink, doesn't it? Seems like a cost-cutting measure to me.

[VALIS]

Eh, who cares?

It's a tiny, insignificant event that's been blown out of proportion.
Besides, Mr, Mrs etc are pretty much unnecessary anyway.

So really, who gives a flying shitake mushroom?

Thats the point. Why SHOULD the EU care about these titles? Such an organization should not get involved and not interfere. Theres more about this than just the face of it, its about the powers of an insane bureaucratic entity encroaching on certain things and matters a government or proto-government shouldn't even get itself involved in. It's yet another sign that the EU is an incredibly centralized, nannying and somehwhat big brotherish entity.

[IrishHitman]

Thats the point. Why SHOULD the EU care about these titles? Such an organization not get involved and not interfere. Theres more about this than just the face of it, its about a insane bureaucratic entity encroaching on certain things and matters a government or proto-government shouldn't even get itself involved in. Its yet another sign that the EU is an incredibly centralised, nannying and somehwhat big brotherish.

The EU doesn't care, the EU Commissioner for Equality cares.

[Barry Goldwater]

If I eat beans then I'll assure you they'll rather have your spit than my fart...

Bah, then I'd spitball PC in its ugly face

[VALIS]

The EU doesn't care, the EU Commissioner for Equality cares.

Well he is representing the EU and the EU condones this so yes, the EU does care.