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?

Because people with Tourette’s Syndrome literally cannot help what they say as a result of their tics.

Watch the film or one of John Davidson’s documentaries. His tics are involuntary and have got him into lots of unpleasant and scary situations - he was once beaten within an inch of his life because of a tic. He has attempted suicide because of the stress of having Tourette’s Syndrome. I think if it was possible for him to control the tics, he would.

Who do you think it's harder for? The black person or the person with Tourettes? I assure you it's almost certainly going to be the person with Tourettes.

Words are only slurs if they have intent behind them.

I don't think this is true @TheEdenSide Usally the gauge for whether something is offensive is if the person it is aimed at is upset or feels targeted. Many racist incidents in schools are just repetitions of words but are taken seriously. Calling a child a N or an asshole may be said with the same level of intent but one will be treated much more seriously than the other.

That's what is worrying me- the pic of him on the red carpet before- he looked so proud. Now this is happening, and it's frightful for everyone, but it potentially puts him in real danger.

I feel really angry with the BBC- they have a delayed feed FFS. They could have edited it out.

As people have outlined, tourettes usually works by 'forcing' the individual to say the most offensive possible thing in that situation. It does not mean they are racist, they may say homophobic shuts, ageist remarks, jibes about weight and so on, it does not mean that they believe any of it.
It's a bit like when somebody says 'Don't think of pink elephants' and that's naturally the first thing your brain goes to. They struggle to control these outbursts.

Where some people insist that he should have apologised for doing it - at the time or afterwards - that shows how there can be different views of what an apology is for. Is an apology about salving the feelings of other people who were hurt or offended? Or is it about the person demonstrating remorse? Because if the latter, there's no point in an apology from someone who didn't actually intend to cause harm. While the former, you can insist that someone apologises even if they don't actually mean it and that still serves a purpose as the people who feel hurt get some comfort from it.

If someone with tourettes shouted something offensive at me - called me a fat cunt or something - I would feel shocked, and hurt, but if I knew the context I would then understand, and appreciate that there is no point in demanding the person apologise, as it was involuntary. And the poor disabled person would spend literally their entire life constantly grovelling and apologising for things outside their control.

And would "I'm sorry" really make any difference? Compared with being told he literally has no control in doing that.

I don’t agree when it comes to Tourette’s. The syndrome causes the brain to think “what’s the worst thing I could say?” And this is the word that comes out as a tic.

I’ve seen John in one of his documentaries shout “I’m a rapist” in a supermarket and “I’ve got a bomb” at a tourist attraction in France. Clearly there’s no truth behind those things - that’s what makes the condition so mortifying and painful to live with for the sufferer.

I entirely blame the BBC for this. If they used the available edit function they used for other things, John Davidson wouldn't be vilified as he is being and Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo wouldn't be included in horrible racist memes based on the incident. Absolute shitshow and entirely avoidable.

Please please can we not turn this into a witch hunt? If you see the film you will understand what John Davidson has already been through due to his disorder. People assigning some form of ill intent are misinformed and making a very sad situation worse. The film has just been released in the US and will now likely tank due to the SM backlash over there from people not understanding the context, whilst John himself left the Baftas half way through due to his shame and embarrassment. If anyone should apologise it's the BBC who had a delay button but chose not to use it to protect John.

There was a very interesting post on Threads from a Black speech language pathologist who specialises in working with people with Tourettes and other conditions involving vocal tics and stimming. She highlighted that Tourette’s is often comorbid with OCD and intrusive thoughts and many people with the coprolalic form of the condition will make context-dependent vocal tics because they are hyper-focusing on suppressing themselves from saying what their intrusive thoughts are obsessively reminding them are the most inappropriate things, which can lead to those things being the vocalised tics, despite them not believing those things to be true at all or being racist or bigoted.

I’m not explaining it anywhere near as well as she did, but can’t find a way to link to her. And yes, there’s a time lag on broadcasting and the producers should absolutely have edited it out just as they can with other things which shouldn’t be publicised on TV.

Absolutely nuts. The man has tourettes. It's a disability. He was there due to his film, about having tourettes. People being outraged at this poor man's tics, saying he should apologise and that he was abusing people. I cannot believe in 2026 the level of ignorance and ablism.

AfternoonTeaAddict I hope he still is proud. He has done an awful lot to help others suffering with Tourette’s and as a consequence of his activism there is more understanding for younger generations who are newly diagnosed so they hopefully don’t have to go through what he’s been through.
It’s also a great film that deserved the BAFTA wins.

John Davidson didn’t do anything wrong and absolutely should not have to apologise for symptoms of his disability .
I do agree the N word should have been edited out.

I have met JD in real life, like all of us he knows what not to say but something that isn't wired up correctly in his brain, makes him involuntarily shout out the very word he's absolutely knows is wrong.

E.g he had a habit of shouting "big tits" to any young female (including me) he interacted with in his home town of Galashiels.

If he was speaking to someone who was very over weight, chances are he would shout "fat c*" but continue on with friendly chitchat like it never happened.

When his parents weren't getting on he kept shouting "divorce" at them.

I don't for a second think this was an intentional rascist slur. Similar to an ADHD kid having a violent meltdown, he has no control over it.

There’s another thread on it which is quite interesting.

i think it’s just one of those situations where it’s horrible for everyone. JD has a disability that leads to involuntary outbursts but it was so awful to hear that word shouted out like that, I can’t imagine how the two black actors felt, of course they shouldn’t hear that.

As for the words well most parents don’t use bad language round their kids but as they grow up in society they still pick up which are offensive. I’ve never in my life heard my parents use the N word but I know it and know it’s offensive

He needs to apologise. Involuntary or not, it’s entirely unacceptable.

I am so incredibly upset by what is playing out in the media right now! Yes the BBC should have edited it out BUT to protect John from the kind of abuse and bad press he is now facing, not to protect the sensitivities of people who cannot see beyond their own egos. Yes it was not great to use the N word but as previously said, there is no malicious intent and it is simply the Tourette’s saying the worst thing possible in a given situation.

The presenter should not have made an apology at any point when talking to the audience about potential for the bad language/ comments - there is nothing to apologise for. This just reinforced the negative press that is now playing out.

the only person I feel deserves an apology is John himself, who was made to feel he had to leave and was not able to share in the celebration of his incredible story.

those who say there is no excuse, watch the film and reconsider your views. Shame on you for your lack of empathy and tolerance and for denying people like John their dignity and the respect he so thoroughly deserves.

I’m getting pretty angry at the lack of understanding being given to someone with a disability. He literally can’t help it.

If I accidentally did something - say I bumped into someone, I’d apologise.

I never said it wasn’t.
i said ‘yes that’s true’ to the poster who said it would still be hard for a black person to hear a slur that bad. I agreed it would be hard for them.
Tourette’s is a horrible affliction

I don’t believe that abuse is only abuse if there is intent. I’m not proposing anything so don’t try to provoke an argument. But if someone is incapable of understanding that they are being abusive then I believe their access to the world should be limited. This is obviously an emotive subject.

Are you on crack? Would you expect a gushing apology from someone with epilepsy who whacked you during a seizure? Whacking people is unacceptable after all.

Would you apologise for something you literally can’t help though?
Because you could help bumping into someone. You could be more careful or look where you’re going. But you can’t help having a disability. For instance in this metaphor, no one would expect a blind person to apologise for bumping into someone.

So you want to segregate people with disabilities away so they don’t cause offence. How backwards.