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Why is "Pause" being used?

The Watcher

The Watcher

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,364
IIRC, the phrase No Homo was considered kinda homophobic, even at the old forum that I won't name. Basically taking certain words and actions as being queer-like or unmanly. Currently, I don't know a lot of people who use the former, but now ⏸️ is a thing and I'm curious why since they both essentially have the same effect. Granted pause is used to more comedic effect, but I personally don't understand why one is used when both flirt with negative connotations about turn of phrases and habits that could be associated with gays (especially gay men) and imo contributes towards othering individuals who are not part of joke. Am I missing the mark?

**I know that neither word is "new", but specifically mentioned pause as a replacement for the former. It's currently very popular in online spaces and other media, enough so that I wonder why no one is really pushing back against its blatant homophobic origins.
 
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scare_crow

scare_crow

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,351
I'm old and out of the loop, but "no homo" and a pause button emoji seem pretty different to me.

And "kinda homophobic"?
 
HylianSeven

HylianSeven

Shin Megami TC - Community Resetter
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,400
"No homo" isn't "considered" homophobic, it IS homophobic.

I have never heard "Pause" used as a replacement for this before. I have heard it used (and used it myself) if I need some one to temporarily stop saying something so I can get a particularly important point that's relevant, but that's about it.
 
Viewt

Viewt

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,848
Chicago, IL
"Pause" is extremely old. Like, people were saying "pause" when I was in high school, and I graduated in 2007.

EDIT: On topic, yeah, both are super homophobic - they're both rooted in the idea that it would be terrible for you to be temporarily mistaken to be gay, so you better pause the conversation and/or call out that you're not one-a-them.
 
smisk

smisk

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,036
Maybe I'm out of touch but I have no idea what usage of "pause" you're referencing. Can anyone give an example?
 

SasaBassa

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,194
Pause has been around at least since late 90s

Both that and no homo are def childish though, Ain't really an excuse to still be saying it

I think the "new" version is ayoooooo or HUH, which is for anything sexual but more often used in a mildly homophobic way in my experience. Just don't be a dick should be the move
 
hodayathink

hodayathink

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,073
I'm 40 and I've been hearing "pause" for a good 15 years at least. If anything, it's the "old" no-homo being repackaged by the "youths".
 
Lulu

Lulu

Saw the truth behind the copied door
Member
Oct 25, 2017
27,156
Pause been around since I was in elementary school... in like the late 90s.
 
HeartlessNobody2134

HeartlessNobody2134

Member
May 10, 2018
5,798
Nah, "Pause" has been around for a long time.

The other phrase was so blatant that it's just not as prevalent anymore but "Pause" has been around just as long.
 
OP
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The Watcher

The Watcher

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,364
For the record, I know that neither word is *new*, but one has gained more popularity lately and is being used. Like...a lot. No one is saying anything against it tho.
 
DarthKamen

DarthKamen

Keeper of the White Materia
Member
Jun 22, 2023
1,467
I've never heard "pause" used in the same context that "no homo" would be used.

I've only used pause in a "hold up, what?" context. Am I missing something?
 
105-Shake

105-Shake

Member
Aug 13, 2020
1,963
The Watcher said:
For the record, I know that neither word is *new*, but one has gained more popularity lately and is being used. Like...a lot. No one is saying anything against it tho.
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What do you mean by gained more popularity? Is this anecdotal among your peers or on recent online content? I haven't heard it being used in a while, but it was everywhere on podcasts I used to listen to years back.
 
julia crawford

julia crawford

Took the red AND the blue pills
Member
Oct 27, 2017
35,907
"no homo" is like homphobic in principle, there's no way around it

"pause" i have to admit i'm not familiar with but that's probably because i don't live in the US
 
Shemhazai

Shemhazai

Member
Aug 13, 2020
6,686
The pause thing doesn't sound anywhere near as egregious. It's just acknowledging the fact that you said something that unintentionally sounds erotic. Far better that than actually saying "I'm not gay" since it doesn't really make a value call on homosexuality.
 
OP
OP
The Watcher

The Watcher

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,364
105-Shake said:
What do you mean by gained more popularity? Is this anecdotal among your peers or on recent online content? I haven't heard it being used in a while, but it was everywhere on podcasts I used to listen to years back.
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Yeah, it feels like it gained traction again in a lot of YouTube, Twitch, and podcasts discourse. Now the thing is "No Diddy", which I find kinda funny, but I'm sure it's equally distasteful for the same reasons...
 
valuv

valuv

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,617
The Watcher said:
For the record, I know that neither word is *new*, but one has gained more popularity lately and is being used. Like...a lot. No one is saying anything against it tho.
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I can appreciate what you're trying to say and you'll get a lot of people rushing in to just say it's not new without trying to understand the context of your question, but honestly Pause has been about as consistently used now as it has been for the last like 14 years or so. Maybe you're just personally being more exposed to it but I'd say it's been pretty consistent for a long time
 
Elegant Weapon

Elegant Weapon

Member
Oct 31, 2017
6,755
White kids are just now "discovering" the pause game, basically?

Probably because of clips of Cam & Mase podcast.
 
DaToonie

DaToonie

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,139
*stares in Black person*

...New??

But also, all that "no homo" and "pause" shit always been lame af to me. The recent pushing of "no Diddy" (even if it made me gut laugh when I first heard it) is so tone deaf to the implications of what that actually means. But also gay still = bad in a lot of peoples' minds/lexicons, so RIP to any improvements there, I guess.
 
krazen

krazen

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,427
Gentrified Brooklyn
It's so old I saw it get popular in the 90's, get some pushback, fall out of fashion, and come back again.

It's terrible and hopefully will fall out of fashion sooner than later like 'rizz'
 
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