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?

Do I look like a slave? Pick your own fucking examples.

Sure.

Not agreeing that a disabled man is racist, isn’t racism.

I understand how his tic was hurtful.

I understand that the two actors would have been affected by it.

But there is none more affected by his disability than John himself.

Acknowledging that isn’t racism.

Is Tourette's responsible for the racism on this thread?

Nobody is insisting that ableism is the only issue. On the contrary, many here are insisting that racism is the only issue. And nobody is denying the impact of the slurs. But intent matters, and here there was none.

Again - examples ? Disagreeing with someone’s point of view is not racism.

Hear, hear.

The best reply on this mad thread 👏🏻

But there is none more affected by his disability than John himself.

And there is none more affected by racism than a Black or Brown person.

Intention does not eliminate impact.

Absolutely this. Well said.

Just checking - do you think you’re immune to being called out for your own prejudices and total nastiness because you’re black? Because none of that comment was racist. It just wasn’t complimentary (then again you’ve shown yourself to be a rather unkind person so that’s no surprise)

If there is racism on this thread, please report it and get it deleted, that's clearly not acceptable.

Of course intent doesn’t eliminate impact, But there are plenty saying that intent, or lack of it is irrelevant. And just as there is none more impacted by racism than a black or brown person, there is none more impacted by ableism than a disabled person.

This is it entirely. I think it's absolutely paramount to acknowledge the key part of it is the impact of Tourette on John.

As Michael J Fox said about anything medical, the experts are the patients... they're the best people who we can learn from.

This. All of it

You’re the one saying the thread is racist, not me, so how am I supposed to know what you do or don’t consider racism ?

And he's not a man from a privileged background either, he's a working-class man who lives a materially modest life.

Can people try to imagine for a moment what it's like to have tourettes and coprolalia?

You can't go to the supermarket because if you see anyone of an ethnic minority, or a woman, or any other minority then you know you will probably shout racist, sexist etc slurs at them. It's the last thing you want to do but it is totally out of your control.

You can't go on a train for the same reason. Or to a pub for a quiet drink. Or on a plane, as you might start shouting about bombs.

So many careers are unavailable to you. You can't easily study at university as you wouldn't be able to stay quiet during lectures. You can't imagine yourself being a doctor or a lawyer or any profession where you have to remain professional in public.

There are very few places you can go without offending people and you hate offending people. You are constantly apologising to people who don't believe your apologies. So you grow up hating yourself and wishing you could be different. You remain isolated, stuck at home because there is nowhere where it's acceptable for you to be.

I understand that experiencing racism constantly throughout life must be terrible too, and that it affects every aspect of life. But the small number of people who suffer from tourettes are not the problem, they are also suffering a life of constant discrimination and misunderstanding.

You think disabled people are twats purely because of their disability

We get it

I do enjoy a dose of irony.

Because he owes nobody an apology

What part was bullshit exactly?

When my child was 10 they shouted FUCKSHITFUCK so loudly and consistently that they wrecked their throat. When I came home from work I could hear them in the car from the bedroom at the back of the house.

Do tell me about this pinch of salt though. You’re doing a lot of guess work in a very arch tone for someone who knows the square root of fuck all.

This. The attempts at top trumps on the thread are something to behold.

I actually watched I Swear with teen DD tonight, inspired to watch it again after the bafta win. One of her teachers has Tourettes. I was completely beaming with pride at her compassion and understanding for John. She’s 13 and she gets it. She was horrified when he got so badly beaten he ended up in intensive care because he shouted “slut” near a woman. His tics were so bad in intensive care it added to his immense physical pain. This really happened to him BTW. DD was furious that anyone would treat someone that way. But it seems that many people actually support this kind of thing happening.

Thank god my DD has more compassion and understanding than many adults on here.

John Davidson's statement made me sad "I appreciated the announcement to the auditorium in advance of the recording, warning everyone that my tics are involuntary and are not a reflection of my personal beliefs. I was heartened by the round of applause that followed this announcement and felt welcomed and understood in an environment that would normally be impossible for me."

But no, he wasn't welcomed and the environment was impossible for him and now the internet is busy saying he must be racist. How disappointing. And I think that is a failing on the part of BAFTA in preparing adequately for that situation and the BBC for broadcasting it.

I watched the one when he was 16, and a few years later, it really stayed with me. Imagine never having a normal day out and always being on edge when you have something take over your body. Even the biggest white male privilege would hinder overcoming that