It's very difficult to use the word 'stupid' in such a way as to make it
clear that you do not intend it to be degrading and emotive; which means it
would be difficult to change its connotations by usage alone.
Compare this to the reclaiming of 'queer' by the gay community: they have
been able to do this by using the word to describe _themselves_.
I can see how 'stupid' might become emotionally-neutral if people who
considered themselves stupid called _themselves_ stupid, but not if others
call them stupid. Even if those others were careful to qualify their
statements, I believe it would smack of sentences which begin "I'm not
homophobic but...", etc. and still not achieve anything.
Sarah
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sarah Kathryn Marr
sarah.marr@dial.pipex.com http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/sarah.marr/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------