Using "retard", etc.

MollyB   Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:25 am GMT
Quote:
A coalition of disability groups is launching a nationwide boycott of Ben Stiller’s new movie for the repeated use of the word “retard”.

http://www.expatica.com/es/articles/news/Disability-groups-boycott-Ben-Stiller_s-movie.html

Would you say their boycott is justifiable? Who do words belong to, if anyone?
Uriel   Tue Oct 21, 2008 12:12 am GMT
Not a Ben Stiller fan in general, but the irony here is that he used it so much in the script to *call attention* to how demeaning it is, so these people need to get off their high horse.

Anytime I see someone call for a ban or protest of a movie, book, or other work, it triggers my instinct to uphold the right of anyone to say what's on their mind or pursue their thoughts, no matter how provocative it might be. Things don't go away because you censor their expression or try to hide them away, and I think people should be exposed to what's out there, especially if it conflicts with their own views. If you expose yourself only to like-minded opinions, how will you ever expand your own horizons? By what yardstick will you be able to measure your own convictions?
Tedi   Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:13 pm GMT
<Not a Ben Stiller fan in general, but the irony here is that he used it so much in the script to *call attention* to how demeaning it is,>

Seems a lot of people didn't catch his intention.
Guest   Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:19 pm GMT
If we are taught by the politically correct stablishment that gay must not be used as an insult, really I can't understand why in films they use "retarded" with the same intention. Mentally disabled people would find it offensive
Walker's pure butter shor   Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:22 pm GMT
<<If we are taught by the politically correct stablishment that gay must not be used as an insult, really I can't understand why in films they use "retarded" with the same intention. Mentally disabled people would find it offensive >>

Exactly. The word "retard" is offensive, as is the word n!gger. In my opinion, such words should be avoided.

If people are hurt by certain words, then it is the responsibility of everyone not to use them *especially movie makers* who have a big influence on others' behaviour and use of language.

Mentally disabled people can't defend themselves as well as people without intellectual disabilities.

DON'T PICK ON VULNERABLE PEOPLE it just isn't nice.

If you really want to insult someone, choose a person who is capable of defending themselves.

Uriel, just because it's out there does NOT make it right or acceptable.

Movies can change things. This one chose to change things for the worse, NOT deliberately - it was trying to achieve the opposite but people are not sophisticated enough to see that and will definitely misunderstand and think that it's funny and acceptable to call people retards.
Walker's pure butter shor   Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:25 pm GMT
My name's, in order to avoid being confused with Guest is:

Walker's pure butter shortbread - traditional assortment

It cut it off after "Walker's pure butter shor"
Johnny   Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:15 pm GMT
Once you ban words like gay, nigger, or retard, someone will make up some new ones to replace them and all the others will pick them up in their speech.

Dude, that guy kissed another guy! What a hipsty! (= gay. Etymology unknown. First noticed in print around 2016, after the old-fashioned word "gay" was banned in 2014)

Then they will ban hipsty too, I guess. And make up a new word.

Retard is offensive, but that's the way it's supposed to be. And "gay" carries negative connotations as it is now used to mean "bad" in general, as in "Your car is gay, it sucks". But offensive words are useful, so it's ok.
Skippy   Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:09 pm GMT
It's futile.
Danni   Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:04 pm GMT
<But offensive words are useful, so it's ok.>

Why not take your argument over here?

http://www.disabilityforum.org.au/
Johnny   Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:28 pm GMT
<<Why not take your argument over here?>>

Why should I offend people with disabilities? I didn't say offensive words should be used to offend those people. I won't call a mentally disabled person a retard, but I might use as an insult to mean stupid, in general.
Danni   Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:33 pm GMT
<<<I won't call a mentally disabled person a retard, but I might use as an insult to mean stupid, in general. >>>

And again, why not take your comment over here: http://www.disabilityforum.org.au/.

We are waiting for you.
Johnny   Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:41 pm GMT
<<And again, why not take your comment over here: >>

Because I am not a troll who joins forums only to offend people and talking crap. There is no reason to go there.
1) The word retard as a generic insult is not used to refer to people with disabilities. It just means stupid, which is kind of like a paradox, since stupid people are technically somewhat mentally disabled too.
2) Some people are insensitive and don't care if they offend someone or not, so in several situations the problem is not really the word in itself, but the people.
Your name:   Fri Oct 24, 2008 2:12 am GMT
idiot - was formerly used for a medical condition, so such people would find it offensive.

stupid - many stupid people are stupid due to genes and lack of money for education, so calling someone stupid is equivalent to calling someone a 'retard' in the first case, or equivalent for insulting someone for being poor in the second.

pimp - offensive to people with pimples.

dick - offensive to transvestites who might be regretting their decision to snip.

cockmuncher - offensive to people who enjoy chicken salads and roast chicken on Christmas dinner.

whore - offensive to people who engage in the legal (in some countries, but widespread in all) profession of prostitution.

thickskull - offensive to the Elephant Man's living relatives, and all who suffer his disease. He had a highly deformed skull structure with thick bony outgrowths which deformed him massively.

fool - insulting to jesters who are often called 'fools'.

clown - insulting to the noble profession of clownery.

n00b - insulting to people who are beginners.

amateur - insulting to amateurs.

lame - insulting to people who are lame, or people who have a sore heel.

hairy - insulting to people with excessive body hair

slimy - insulting to people whose skin efuses excessive fluids

horny - insulting to people who have bony outgrowths on their heads, a real medical condition

douchebag - insulting to people who utilise douchebags for their own health benefits

theif - insulting to criminals, let the law deal with them, we don't need to add insult to injury

I could go on for a century, but I shall stop.
Another Guest   Fri Oct 24, 2008 4:00 am GMT
First of all, "retard" is different from "retarded". "Retard", when used as a noun, is offensive. "Retarded", when used to mean criticizing someone's intelligence, associates low intelligence with retarded people, which is an accurate association. Using "gay" to mean "bad" associates gay people with badness, which is offensive. Yes, offensive words are useful, but if you wish to insult a person, you should insult that person. You shouldn't associate them with a totally unrelated group, and thus offend them as well.

And if you have a problem with what someone says on this forum, either respond to it on the is forum or don't respond at all. Badgering them to go to your favorite website is quite immature.
Your name:   Fri Oct 24, 2008 4:35 am GMT
<<Yes, offensive words are useful, but if you wish to insult a person, you should insult that person.>>

This is exactly the problem! If you can't use words like 'retard' how can you insult them??