to be annoyed that yet again eastenders used the expresion"epi"

[2shoes]

bianca was telling her dd of and used the expresion and roxy used it the other week.
can't the scrip writers think of a better word to use??
dd has epilepsy and so does dh. and I can assure you it is no laughing matter.

Bianca and Roxy are hardly the most um..... educated people are they now. I guess the script writers think that RL people such as these would talk this way.

DS1 has had night time epilepsy (my first ever mumsnet post was asking for advice on this) so I know it is no joke.

How is "epi" a joke? I don't think it's the scripwriters'intention of making it sound funny or derogative, they just try to make words sound conversational IYSWIM, but then again I don't watch Eastenders so I may be wrong!

I have heard this used by another parent at DS' school and he used it in the context of having an Epi meaning 'episode' which I perhaps naively thought just meant an episode of tantrummy behaviour

is the term episode used in terms of epilepsy? are they using Epi as in 'Stop having a fit?'

I guess so, Honoria - lol at you using 'falling down' in that post.

Didn't see it so not sure if it would have bothered me, as a person who has epilepsy.

Pretty sure Bianca used the word 'epi' in the same sentence as 'fit', to mean tantrum. I suppose it reflects her trashy character, but if it bothers you (and I can see why it does), why don't you complain?

for gods sake it is a tv show - I don't think it reflects good or bad - that is just the way people talk, and it is a good writer than can reflect that.

I know, as soon as I pressed 'post message' I thought NO NO FGS NO

LOL

I saw this too,Bianca said something like: "No need to have an epi, don't have a fit over it"
As an epileptic I do find it offensive, as epileptics can't choose to "have an epi"and it certainly isn't a kind of tantrum that they are making it out to be

They are making it a more acceptable term to use

thank god for wisp

No way - I really did not think someone could be so Precious over it - that is how people talk in the real world and a screen writer needs to capture that.

yanbu. If it had just been the word "epi" rather than fit I might have given benefit of doubt - as it wasn't until MN that I realised what "epi" actually meant. But coupled together with fit looks kind of deliberate.

Not really, people say all sorts of offensive stuff in the real world, but it doesn't have to be repeated and normalised on TV. What if she had used an expression that was racist, sexist or offensive for other reasons? Would that be OK because it is how some people in the real world speak?

yes it is a tv show and a shite one at that.

However, how often are we told that soaps are used to portray real life situations? ie stillbirth/cot death/the storyline where someone had a baby with ds/domestic violence/drug/alcohol problems and the list goes on.

It's a saf fact that there are some sad sad sad people out there who live their lives by this crap. so when these terms are used, it just reiterates to the thoughtfully stunted members of society that "it's alright to use these terms ain't it coz I saw it on eastenda so it must be oright!. .

I ignore it most of the time. but the whole scene was imo a pisstake. I couldn't remember her next line though.
(how strage that people can find "stupid" offensive but "epi" ok)

(The 'not really' was aimed at the comment that screenwriters need to capture that way of talking.)

But twice in a couple of weeks?
I've complained. They would be shot down to pieces if they referred to someone as "don't have a spazzy" or similar.
People might use it in real life, but doesn't means it's correct.

some people are incapable of thinking outside their own little box though 2shoes. So something is only offensive if it offends them personally. so maybe they find the word stupid offensive because ... well... .

not unreasonable. Really annoys me too. Sure it might well be how people talk in the real world (and yes, people do), but a lot of people out here in the real world use language which is racist, sexist, or full of profanities. Scriptwriters can avoid using those words and still get the message across; what makes it ok to use language which is offensive to disabled people?

And racist or offensive is on the tv all the time - watch this is England tonight and see what you think then

omg i had never thought of it that way i used to say my mums dog was having an epi when she she just suddenly took to running all round the house as fast as she could then she would stop just as quick as she had started. I had never thought it could be thought of any thing other than a funny episode.
I promise not to use it again.

Oh I have just realised something -

Could the record please show that I do not watch that shite!!!

kidsrus maybe it was having one

To have an 'eppy' in these parts means to have a temper tantrum, or an episode of unreasonable/silly behaviour. There is no relationship to epilepsy at all. Two side to every saying and all that?

i completly agree with you, my dd 8 months hold has ehad epilepsy since she was 4 months and has een terribe time for her, our kids watch this and well the public do so what are they ptting in tere head that it ok to make fun of people with epilepsy as its disgusting as its a very poorly and terrifying illness