Political correctness is America's newest form of intolerance, and it is especially pernicious because it comes disguised as tolerance. It presents itself as fairness, yet attempts to restrict and control people's language with strict codes and rigid rules. I'm not sure that's the way to fight discrimination. I'm not sure silencing people or forcing them to alter their speech is the best method for solving problems that go much deeper than speech.
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These allegedly well-intentioned people have strayed so far from reality that it will not be a surprise for me to someday hear a rape victim referred to as an unwilling sperm recipient.
..
Political correctness cripples discourse, creates ugly language and is generally stupid." - Meaning and context.">
pages 69-72 of 2004 edition
 • p. 118 (2005 edition) (audio recording)
 • this has been subsequently misquoted as political correctness is fascism pretending to be manners

Political correctness is America's newest form of intolerance, and it is especially pernicious because it comes disguised as tolerance. It presents itself as fairness, yet attempts to restrict and control people's language with strict codes and rigid rules. I'm not sure that's the way to fight discrimination. I'm not sure silencing people or forcing them to alter their speech is the best method for solving problems that go much deeper than speech.
..
These allegedly well-intentioned people have strayed so far from reality that it will not be a surprise for me to someday hear a rape victim referred to as an unwilling sperm recipient.
..
Political correctness cripples discourse, creates ugly language and is generally stupid.

— George Carlin

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Political correctness is America's newest form of intolerance, and it is especially pernicious because it comes disguised as tolerance. It presents itself as fairness, yet attempts to restrict and control people's language with strict codes and rigid rules. I'm not sure that's the way to fight discrimination. I'm not sure silencing people or forcing them to alter their speech is the best method for solving problems that go much deeper than speech.
..
These allegedly well-intentioned people have strayed so far from reality that it will not be a surprise for me to someday hear a rape victim referred to as an unwilling sperm recipient.
..
Political correctness cripples discourse, creates ugly language and is generally stupid." in the context of "pages 69-72 of 2004 edition
 • p. 118 (2005 edition) (audio recording)
 • this has been subsequently misquoted as political correctness is fascism pretending to be manners" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "George Carlin" (Books, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? (2004)) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
George Carlin

About George Carlin

George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, author, singer, voice artist, and comedian, noted especially for his irreverent attitude and his observations on politics, language, psychology, and religion, as well as some taboo subjects.