Got a bit of a controversy going here at the True West World Headquarters. We have a big, 12-page feature on the history of mules going to press tomorrow and I wanted to use the title, "The History of Mules And The Jackasses Who Love Them," but several on the staff think the usage of the term jackass, in this connotation could be seen as too offensive, or disrespectful.
A Resident Jackass Seen Here With A Mammoth Jack
I personally think it works on two levels: You get a mule when a jackass makes love to a mare, so, "the jackasses who love them" is especially accurate since fathers love their sons. Then when you factor in all the crazy people in history who rode mules, from Alexander the Great, to Napoleon, Santa Anna, Buffalo Will, Wild Bill, not to mention Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, you could safely say they were characters—okay, jackasses—who loved mules. Hey, I love mules and in this regard I am not ashamed to say I'm a bit of a jackass on the subject.
Six Gold Rush Jackasses And A Mule.
Anyway, what do you think? Too negative? Too disrespectful? Besieged and befuddled editors want to know.
"He has had to plod and work through life against the prejudices of the ignorant."
—Muleskinner Harvey Riley, on the mule, 1867
Jackass works for me, I'm kinda partial though.
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteBeautiful jackass.that's what they are. Love'em.
DeleteI think it's just fine.
Deletebeen one all my life,dont bother me
DeleteHey Andrew Jackson took being called a Jackass as a compliment and adopted the animal as his official mascot which soon became the official mascot of the democrtic party. So if a president and a major political party say calling a Jackass a Jackass is just fine,who are we to disagree?
ReplyDeleteThe jack is a male ana jenny is a female so jackass is a correct term of use, theres nothing bad about the word.
ReplyDeletePuns are the kindergarten of humor. Let sleeping equines lie.
ReplyDeleteThe word "jackass", when applied to a human being, means a stupid person. Look it up. So you are calling all of the people you named above stupid? I think it's derogatory and disrespectful. Ignorance and stupidity don't mean the same thing.
ReplyDeleteextremely disrespectful
ReplyDeleteHilarious and accurate! Some Jackasses can't take a joke.
ReplyDeleteSo funny. My husband has been a jack ass since the day I met him. 45 years ago. It is a term of endearment for me. Social sensitivity has really isolated the poor people that have no humor in their lives. Sad,sad world they live in.
DeleteThanks
DeleteThumbs up. Don't let the jackwagons get you down.
ReplyDeleteI like it, the world need a good laugh right now.
ReplyDeleteJackass is correct;forget political correctness...we are "sick" of it.
ReplyDelete