September 2021 Carnival of Aros: Just Friends
Spoiler for Shang Chi: how a relationship is described and where that relationship ends up. The September 2021 Carnival of Aros theme is LANGUAGE . A significant portion of Aros, I haven’t taken a poll, don’t appreciate the phrase “just friends” because it enforces a relationship hierarchy of romance as superior to friendship. Someone once questioned this dislike, citing that “just” can be used to clarify “this not that” and doesn’t necessarily mean a value comparison. For example, “Did you get apples and bananas from the store?” - “No, just bananas.” However, the connotation of “just” tends to be a diminishment. “What was that noise?” - “Nothing, just goofing around”. In this example, “just” is used to say the noise is nothing to be concerned about because it is less than what the person who heard it and worried thought it might have been. The same thing happens with an accusation that someone is having an affair and the defense that “we are just friends.” The same diminishing ef