Is this article problematic?

March 19, 2015 10:52 AM

It's become one of the indispensable words of our time, a catch-all for any celebrity misstep or media mishap that could be seen as having sexist, racist, or hegemonic implications. But there is something problematic about problematic
posted by young_son (5 comments total)

The tendency for cultural critics to breathlessly describe the grumbled misgivings of people on the internet as if they were full-blown temper tantrums or existential crises is problematic.
posted by belarius at 10:57 AM on March 19, 2015

Take comet scientist Matt Taylor, who appeared at a November press event in a bowling shirt printed with half-naked women. In another age, his shirt would simply have been deemed tasteless, juvenile, even ungentlemanly.

Ah, the other age! Those were great times for men and women alike!
posted by maxsparber at 11:00 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]

Meanwhile, life is reduced to a matter of obvious problems and simple solutions. When we talk about what’s problematic, we are not discussing what it means to live in a world touched by loss, betrayal, and death. We are discussing why wearing a shirt covered with pin-up girls to a press conference might not be a good idea.

Don't talk about what you think is important; talk about what I think is important.
posted by Faint of Butt at 11:02 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

When I hear someone use the word 'problematic' I always want to scream "USE YOUR WORDS!!!"
posted by acidic at 11:03 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]

Your mom is problematic.
posted by entropicamericana at 11:04 AM on March 19, 2015