She's sexy and I know it. Oops!

So now it's official - the world has gone completely bonkers. No, wait, I mean the world has gone, er, void of logic - or something.

Our desire to be politically correct at all times has taken a crazy turn and because of this, it feels like every other day another person or group cries foul over a supposedly offensive remark or gesture.

The president of the United States just last week was forced to apologise to attorney general of California, Kamala Harris, for, of all things, saying that she was the best-looking attorney general in the country. The president made the comment only after pointing out that she was hard-working, tough, brilliant and extremely committed to her job.

The outcry was immediate. It was a sexist remark, detractors said, that did nothing more than demean a female professional, reducing her to an object of beauty.

BARACK'S BACKTRACK

Now this has to be one of the most ridiculous moments of Obama's tenure in the top job so far. That he was so quick to give in to the pressure being imposed by a misguided lot who appear to have little else to do but referee other people's conduct is disappointing.

Harris, for all we can tell, had no issue with Obama's remark. She's known and been close to the president for years. Yet because some people thought it was an offensive comment, these two had to sit through what must have been a very awkward phone call. "Hello, Kamala? Barack here. Listen, I'm retracting my comment about you being good-looking. I have reviewed the matter and have concluded that you are, in fact, quite repulsive."

I suppose the critics are pleased that they got the president to apologise. I wonder, though, why nobody raised this issue on any of the several occasions that Obama called men 'good-looking'. And there have been quite a few. CNN showed clips of at least five major speeches made in recent months in which Obama mentioned, in a friendly way, the good-looking men in the crowd or on stage with him. Should these men have been offended? Why wasn't the president pressured to apologise then?

The only thing offensive about Obama saying the attorney general of California was good-looking was that he apologised for it afterwards. There are too many instances in which women are legitimately stereotyped and undermined, for non-issues like this one, to be made into something they are not.

Obama has a fairly solid record on gender equality, and with championing the cause of minorities. Preaching to the converted is a waste of time, which is particularly egregious when there are so many others who are yet to receive salvation.

HYPERSENSITIVE

Sexism is real, and it is pervasive. There is no room for it in the modern world. But being hypersensitive and too keen to insist on staunch political correctness leads to absurdity, and the whole matter ends up becoming a veritable circus act. Now that is offensive.

You wonder in, say, 10 years, what this world will be like if we continue down this path of ridiculous political correctness. No more mentions of 'lady driven' in the classifieds? A ban on 'ladies free' parties, perhaps?

Gender roles are hardly the only target of the PC police. A major clothing store had to pull a dress from its website last week because the colour was described as 'manatee black'. The complaint was that this was offensive to people who are overweight.

In Jamaica, there is great irony in the term 'political correctness', since there is very little correct in the way we do politics. But it won't be long before things get equally ludicrous here, if it hasn't already.

We, however, appear to have no trouble with stereotypes, as long as they flatter us. So we relish being declared the 'fastest people on earth' but would be ready to go to war over being classed an island of con men (and con women!), even though there are perhaps more connivers here than people who run fast.

So as we wait to see what's coming up next on this parade of lunacy, I guess all we can do is try our best not to offend or be too quick to take offence. As with most things in life, a little extra thought will help us decide if matters at hand are really as serious as they might first appear.

Robert Lalah is assistant editor - features, and author of the popular 'Roving with Lalah' published every Tuesday. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com.