Tourette’s/BAFTAs offensive language

[Lochroy]

I wasn’t watching, I’ve just read the article on BBC news. I will admit I know little of Tourette’s and therefore posting to understand.

The tics agree involuntary, and often use offensive language. But what I’m struggling to get my head around is excusing use of the N word because it was caused by the disability when it was (seemingly) only directed at black people?

Also presumably it’s learned vocab so children don’t have swear words as tics? How does this develop?

I know they can - but that’s not the fault of the Tourette’s sufferer.

I know he we in a time where we all get off on finding someone to blame, but if someone is offended by what a person with Tourette’s say when they tic, I’m afraid they have to accept that it can’t be helped, wasn’t meant, and there is no offence. That goes for women, black people, other disabled people and children. There’s no excuse to being intolerant of disabilities, that includes “but I was offended”.

The BBC has released a statement which I’d like to add as I’m afraid if we aren’t careful we’ll lose it:

“Multiple attempts to clarify the indistinct words, which were not heard by everyone in the auditorium itself, were made by staff working in a broadcasting truck outside. It was only after it was broadcast on BBC1 and following press reports that the severity of the language became known to bosses.”

Maybe he should be locked away in an institution?

If someone is harmed by what happen when his disability is at its most difficult, maybe they could learn more about living with the disability he has. I'm pretty sure the harm would be diminished. In the same way my TA friend doesn't feel harmed when she is attacked, spat at and kicked by the SEN children she cares for. Or in the same way I didn't feel harmed when an elderly patient with dementia called me a fucking old mare to and scratched my face badly.

Have the actors actually said they feel harmed, or is the outrage on this thread only on their behalf?

I know - i honestly am so shocked by how awful some of these statements are!

I think several things can be (and are) true at once:

I think Tourettes is a terrible, life afflicting disability.

I think John had no control over what he shouted in that moment.

I think the situation would have been embarrassing and disappointing for him on a night that was meant to be full of celebration.

I think the N word has caused much harm to black people through the years.

I think hearing it shouted would have been hard and hurtful in the moment, and that Michael and Delroy (and anyone else affected) are not wrong for having feelings in that instance.

I think the setting magnified everything.

I think the BBC are at fault for broadcasting it two hours later without edit.

I think it would be an amazing moment for both the anti racism movement and the Tourettes community if the three men could come together to send a positive message about how we all struggle in different ways to overcome our weaknesses, our histories and our fears.

I think this thread is illuminating in the number of people who don’t fully understand living with disabilities, AND the number of people who don’t understand fully living as a racial minority. I don’t want to be dragged into a “which is worst?” competition, which is where this thread is heading. I was just waiting for someone to ask “well if the Queen understood why can’t these two black men?” and it’s just popped up a few comments ago. That kind of breathtaking ignorance will be familiar to many on here who live with racial abuse and discrimination as a defining feature of their identities, lives and prospects - in exactly the same way as people living with, or living with people with disabilities.

I get people clamouring to be top of the list of those deserving of understanding and compassion. There isn’t enough to go around. But arguing amongst ourselves is going to achieve nothing. Zilch. There’s also room for mutual respect and understanding between the two communities: you don’t get to be the one that’s heard by obliterating other voices. That victory can only ever be temporary.

I watched the film I swear it is incredibly moving.
John Davidson is an inspiration.
He shouldnt have to apologise for his disability, although clearly he does.
There needs to he a lot more education about tourettes, which i hope the film will do. I really recommend watching it, its an amazing film and has a fantastic cast. Robert Aramayo is superb.
The organisers of the baftas should have given the people presenting the heads up, so they werent blindsided by it.
The BBC should have edited it out of tv coverage.
I guess the BBC were trying not to edit out disabilty but it backfired.

That’s like asking someone in a wheelchair to apologise for taking up space.

Same here.

Ive worked with children who’ve said cruel things about me. And disabled people who’ve done the same or called me a cunt for no reason.
TBH I’d find anyone being offended in these situations to be of a weak disposition. That includes people who think there is an offence caused by a disabled person with no control over their words

People with Tourettes are not in any way incapable of understanding that they are being abusive. They know, and hate it and absolutely cannot do anything about it. To say their access to the world should be limited is barbaric. Would you say someone in a wheelchair should be kept inside? Of course not - people with disabilities need understanding not to be kept behind closed doors. This one of the most awful things I have read

Are people asking for him to apologize? My impression today is that there should be an apology from the BBC because of how they handled it.

I think 2 things can be true - its a hurtful word that shocked and upset the presenters and the person saying it could not help it.

I haven’t seen it and I’m not going to look it up now to judge if he sounds tourettes-y enough to be honest.

It’s not about not listening to black people or telling them to man up.

No one is saying that.

People are trying to explain what Tourette’s is, how horrific a condition is it to live with and that it hurts the sufferer far more than it hurts anyone else.

There is such a high rate of suicide rate amongst those with Tourette’s.

Jamie Foxx has stated that JD meant what he said. JD is being called racist etc. This is a man whose life has been completely ruined by his disability. It’s absolutely disgusting.

Bullshit. If I accidentally bumped into you should I not apologise? It was an accident. I didn’t mean it. But I hurt you. Is it acceptable for me to tell you to get over it?

What if I had a heart attack or medical seizure while driving and ran you over or ran your child over? Should I never be apologetic because it wasn’t my fault. Shall I tell you and your family to get over your grief and stop wallowing because I couldn’t help it? I had a medical condition so I’m not sorry.

What fucking nonsense. What fucking double standards from the lot of you. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF.

The shocking thing here is not that a man with tourette's said something deeply offensive, but rather that the BBC failed to edit it out despite a 2 hour delay between the recording and the broadcasting. That was unforgivable in my view - it doesn't matter that the guy didn't mean to cause offence, people watching at home did not want to hear that.

It's also shocking that nobody bothered to speak to the two black actors who were on stage at the time - while I'm sure that they're capable of understanding the challenges for people with tourette's, it must nonetheless have been incredibly shocking and humiliating for them to hear that word in that kind of setting. They handled it incredibly professionally, but someone really should have checked afterwards that they were actually ok.

Badly handled by the BBC, sadly.

Almost as many people haunt a NVQ Level 2 in Not Understanding or Even Trying to Understand a Debilitating Horrific Disability But Instead Being Professionally Offended and Right On

Have they said how it made them feel?

I bloody hope not. He has nothing to apologise for.

Editing out a racial slur does not mean we are editing out the person.

Do you genuinely believe black people and African Americans at home should have to hear that?

I know this site has a reputation for racism, but this is really ridiculous. Common sense and a base level of human decency should tell a person that this should have been edited out because of the impact on people of colour.

Don’t be fucking ridiculous. It’s a disability - the sufferer has no control and has no intent to offend, therefore no reason apologise. Would you expect other disabled people to apologise for elements of their condition that may cause offence - no of course you wouldn’t. Grow up.

Why should he? He did nothing wrong.

A big part of his work with young people with Tourette’s is telling them they don’t have to apologise for being disabled

As I said above, if the person in the wheelchair ran over someone’s foot then YES THEY SHOULD APOLOGISE. If you hurt someone because of your disability, why should you be excused from being a decent person and apologising?

Explain your logic. I call bullshit on all of you.

Do you think he meant it?

It isn’t racism. Black people and African Americans are just as capable as anyone else of understanding disability and that offence is not meant. That’s what basic human decency is.