What It Means to Be C.R.A.S.S.

     You've been around them. Those people who make off-colored remarks, foul comments, crude statements without care or concern for whom they may be offending. You know--generally acting like the last three letters in the word crass. Which is how they are behaving. Most think they're being witty. Others are trying to get a rise out of those around them. The immature think it makes them look bigger, badder, superior in some way to denigrate somebody else. Men might refer to a woman's most intimate parts in mixed company to disrespect, intimidate or demean women. Women might do the same thing for the same reasons except they are targeting one female in particular. Or maybe they're just stupid and don't know it. Whatever the motivation, being crass in communication doesn't work for anybody. It serves absolutely no purpose other than to make the speaker look foolish.
    So what does it mean to be crass? I use this acronym: Communicating Repulsively Amid Sensitive/Sensible Situations. For example, a sensible situation would be when a female salesperson, after receiving repeated unclear objections from a male prospect on not purchasing her product, finally asks, "After answering all your objections satisfactorily, what exactly do you need from us to get you to say yes?" His crass response with a big smile: "You can get on your knees, and b--w me." Yep, I got that response once. Or a female rapper--who shall remain nameless--on a major awards show telling male rappers to "d--k up" (whatever that means) in her acceptance speech. So unnecessary. So obnoxious. So crass.
   If this is the way you communicate, then let me be crass--your way is as intelligent as trying to explain that in a "legitimate rape" a woman's body can prevent pregnancy. Yeah, about that intelligent.

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