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Mayan Calendar
I write a column for my school paper, and I was wondering if it would be offensive to anyone if I said the Mayan calendar looks like a Monopoly board on crack. Because it does...
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I personally don't find it offensive, but I'm sure some people out there will. My concern about it is how appropriate it would be to put that in the school paper. Maybe if you were writing a short story for English or something.. but not something that would be viewed by the whole school.
Of course, it's your column, and you can decide for yourself. If the whole thing is very proper and "politically correct," I would avoid putting that phrase in there, but, if you're taking the more sarcastic and humorous approach to the column, and that phrase will blend in, then go ahead.
~Maria, 18
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lol, i don't find that offensive at all.. clever :)
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I have a fondness for the pre-Columbian cultures of Earth; I was sorry to see them go. Anyway, as an outsider, I really couldn't comment on whether that description would offend anyone; however, I do feel that in the interest of accuracy I should point out that the 'Mayan calendar' you speak of is not Mayan and not really a calendar.
That picture is a representation of the Aztec calendar stone:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
Although it does carry the signs for the twenty days of the Aztec calendar, it is not really a calendar at all. (Of course, the Maya calendar also had 18 months of twenty days, and the Aztecs borrowed that system from the Maya.)
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Hah, I think it looks more like a Trivial Pursuit board on crack, but I see where the monopoly thing comes from, too.
It may be offensive to some people, but it couldn't get you in any trouble as long as your intent is to be honest or funny and not to harm. Freedom of speech protects anything you say that does not have the intent to harm, cause chaos, etc.
Should you phrase it differently? Yeah, probably.
I think your "monopoly board on crack" line would work better for friends than for something that a superior would read.
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I'm not sure if it would offend someone, but it would not be tasteful at all and your paper would probably not be taken seriously by your peers, let alone the faculty.
Simply say that the Mayan calendar doesn't appear to be set-up properly from the naked eye or that it appears disoriented from first view. There are many ways to say that something is "stupid" looking without saying it in such a harsh manner.
It may appear as a "Monopoly board on crack" to you, but in writing a paper that your peers and people with seniority over you will read then you should definately word that more appropriately. Someone views it and thinks the world of it so it's best not to belittle it to a joking manner. Be clear, informative, and proper in writing to lessen the risk of offending the public.
It may be funny or cute to say but it definately shouldn't be done in a school paper. If you absolutely must say something like that then try to do it in a joke, comic, or other area of the paper that isn't considered "news" or something that is taken seriously. People want information in their news, not funny jokes or commentary.
Try to use etiquette while writing and people will take you more seriously. Try to be more classy with your wording, that's all :)
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