Baby as a term of endearment

Alkthash

Like seriously, how did this get to be a way of expressing to a loved one that you like them? I mean calling them baby brings up the whole infant association, so it's like you're calling them a whiny helpless person. Or at best cute, but why not just call them cute without using a word that doesn't bring over a creepy infantalization implication?

Gelzo

┻━┻ ︵ ヽ(`Д´）╯︵ ┻━┻

I was more under the impression that it was speaking to someone you wanted to have a child with.

I suppose it's used a lot of the time for other purposes though, seemingly.

Chagen

I really don't mind it.

But then again, I gain pleasure from acting like a baby, so I'm not represenative of most people.

Gelzo

It's best not to concern yourself much with the literal meanings of idioms.

^

TheConductor

I think it's used to show unconditional love.

Alkthash

Unconditional love huh? That makes it even worse, associating that horribly frightening concept with the word.

TheConductor

Some people LIKE being so in love with someone that there isn't a thing that can change that.

(Course, having actually spelled that out, it does seem quite scary! Though I suppose if it's two way unconditional love then it isn't so bad.)

Schitzo

INB4 Daddy

INB4 Stick it in me daddy

Central Avenue

I really don't mind it.

But then again, I gain pleasure from acting like a baby, so I'm not represenative of most people.

Alkthash

What pleasure is there to be found in being helpless and at mercy to the whims of people vastly above you?

Gelzo

Ask a Christian?

TheConductor

ZING!

MadassAlex

Crake, I'm noticing that one of your things is resilience towards the concept of subjectivity. Sorry I couldn't work that better, because I'm not meaning to be inflammatory or mean or anything, but it's like you've got an idea about some things and you consider it a personal challenge when others have come to different conclusions.

Alkthash

Well duh. I'm just not content to go "Well people differ from me, time to stop asking questions." I want people to explain some of the appeal to me at least.

AHR

I dislike most things that remind me of children, so I never got this either. I don't have any problem with other couples using them though. 

Same thing with "Babe"

Vivi

Babies are cute.

/thread

InsanityAddict

*gets remind of Mai-Chan's Daily Life*

Anyhow, I find the term a tad cheesy through overuse, making it always sound insincere when someone uses it.

AHR

And, this probably has not helped the term:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kffacxfA7G4

Chagen

"What pleasure is there to be found in being helpless and at mercy to the whims of people vastly above you? "

....Have you never heard of BDSM?

RedEyedAbyss

It mostly bugs me in its overuse in shitty pop songs. At one point I contemplated having the word banned. Then I remembered that would exclude Bohemian Rhapsody.

glennmagusharvey

IJBM: "baby" appearing everywhere in pop songs

no, actually...
IJBM: "babeh"

You don't know how annoying that word is.  Not "baby", but "babeh".

Incidentally...
IJBM: People complain about lolicon but don't have an objection to calling attractive women or women who are the object of romantic interest "baby" or "babe".

Wicked223

....Have you never heard of BDSM?

It's a highly obscure sexual subculture that appeals to a group of people with very, very specific turn-ons that is generally a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad thing to use a model for relationships, unless both parties are getting off on it.

glennmagusharvey

It's probably among the least obscure of fetishes, along with foot fetishism.

I would count breast fetishism as even less obscure but unfortunately most people don't even see it as a fetish.

Alkthash

Babies are cute.

/thread

Yes but you don't want to fuck them.


....Have you never heard of BDSM?

Yeah chummer. It's like the go to gag fetish for easy deviancy in mainstream media. I just think the whole domination/submission aspects of it are really silly and don't get the appeal.

Gelzo

"Yes but you don't want to fuck them."