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Add "spook" to the word filter (hexbear.net)

submitted 6 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I had a post removed today for using the word "spook" in reference to government agents, a common usage that I see around the site, because it is a racial slur, although ive never seen it used with that intent (not that it matters), and it only gets removed maybe 10% of the time. In order to be consistent and not offend any comrades I would propose adding it to the word filter so its removal will be uniform and not open to mod interpretation.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (3 children)

So is it actually used?

Like I'm dead serious when I say does anyone have examples of actual usage? I have never seen anyone use it, not in fictional media/drama, not online, not anywhere.

I mean this in entirely good faith. I am trying to properly understand and build the basis of how I would have this conversation with someone who is as oblivious to this as me. My assumption here is that this must be a regionally specific american thing or something hence my complete and total obliviousness to it.

I think the bigger issue I will have with this is that it's going to be almost impossible for me to convince anyone in the UK to stop using it. It's definitely not used as a slur here and there was a very popular UK drama show called "Spooks".

[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 months ago

Once a cousin of mine used it meaning a CIA agent, and another cousin said "you mean a black person?"

That's my only experience with it off the top off my head (but I'm white)

[–] [email protected] 16 points 6 months ago (2 children)

There's this scene from Gran Torino cw: racism, chud movie

[–] [email protected] 14 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Oooo good example thank you. Her acting is baaaaaaaad though data-laughing

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

yea she barely trying lmao

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

For some reason I vaguely remember it being used in the first Back to the Future when Biff's gang encounters the band playing the school dance, because of course Biff would be a racist on top of everything else.

I'll see if I can find the timestamp and edit once I can confirm/deny.

Edit 1: OK, yup, found the quote on IMDB while waiting for the damn movie to buffer [CW: old-timey racism]:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/quotes/?item=qt0416348&ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Edit 2: Timestamp is around 1:21:00, when Biff's henchmen are throwing Marty in the trunk of the car.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Edit 2: Timestamp is around 1:21:00, when Biff's henchmen are throwing Marty in the trunk of the car.

Would be genuinely useful to find a clip of that online, or get it clipped and posted on youtube with a title like the gran torino one. Entertainment media including it is the easiest example for libs. It'll be popular with racists but it'll also be valuable for libs.