Disablist terms used in the new George Clooney film, The Descendants

[TheyShootHorses]

Just seen the new George Clooney film, The Descendants.

In the film his eldest daughter calls the youngest 'such a spaz'. They showed this clip at the Bafta's last night.

Later George calls her boyfriend a retard. He says ' don't use the word retard in a derogatory way, my little brother is retarded - JOKE!'

I really didn't find this funny, and I was shocked that these words were used. I haven't heard Spaz as an insult since I was at school in the 80's.

AIBU?

jam there are words that are definitely not acceptable but in UK films as well.

I think they are awful words. Remember Ricky Gervias's 'campaign' to make the word Mong acceptable? I was hoping that would have finished him off but alas not.

One good thing about the words - you know the person using them is a twat.

use of words in another country isnt the same as ours and it's an age old debate

What she said.

Hmm if it's fine in America - then why do I keep coming across The R word campaign?

Americans are a little more plain speaking than we are. They say it as it is and really don't give a shit if they offend anyone

I really don't think this is true. Try using the word 'Oriental' instead of 'Asian' in America and see what happens.

And politically correct terms like 'African-American' have been used in America for well over a decade and are now common parlance.

It's just that, as per usual, disablist terms are the last to ever be dealt with, and the last prejudiced insults to remain acceptable.

It's very sad

YABU

The children in the film speak as children/teenagers do - to shock, to vent, for a cheap laugh or simply in an unthinking outburst. Using words like spaz and retard is how many kids talk- it's an unpalatable fact. If films were censored of every offensive word, they would not reflect reality.

Americans are a little more plain speaking than we are. They say it as it is and really don't give a shit if they offend anyone

It's more that they are offended by different things/have different euphemisms, and the same word has different meanings so you can't translate directly - take fanny or fag for clear examples, but other words have different shades of meaning.

Besides, they will be trying to imply the background of the people in the movie so will try and portray speech as it would be used by those sort of people.

Also the US is large, c 350m people, so there are a lot of different subcultures with different views of what is and isn't acceptable. PC has gorn made in parts of US life, and other parts are still living in the 1940's..

Thats a good point about Mong being from Australia and from Mongrol. You're right, I can hear Joe Mangel saying it now.

I still wouldn't use it btw.

Of course they are offensive words, but the film is meant to reflect the way people actually talk, not the way they should talk.

It's a film.

well anyone who uses them here is clearly an ignorant wanker.
YANBU

YANBU. Those words are offensive. Even if they are excepted in America it still isn't right.

A word gaining popularity in DS's school is Spactard

the black eyes peas song had to be changed for european market .... it used to be "lets get retarded ... lets get retarded in here" to "lets get it started .. lets get it started in here". they figured it was an innocent way of saying crazy partying.

You can't judge others by your own standards. I don't like those words but it is not for us to say what is wrong or right in America, that is for them to decide.

You would think that as the Baftas are British, actors would be better briefed before they were given the chance to offend a nation.

What exactly does spaz mean though?
It's a type of paralysis, commonly associated with cerebral palsy and also in the rare and progressive genetic condition which exists in my family. This is called Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia. You are welcome to google if you like and make your mind up about whether this provokes a fond hilarity.
UK or USA, why would anyone find progressive paralysis funny? Is it a fear thing? I genuinely don't know, but when my muscles tighten up against my wishes, I promise you that I rarely find myself sniggering. When I see family members losing their speach and mobility my first thought is not 'how funny'.

dd has spastic cerebral palsy. Funnily enough she doesnt find the botox injections or contractures or surgeries hilarious at all. Or the muscle spasms, the complete inabilaity to move a stiff tight muscled limb.
Anyone says the word 'spaz' around her and they might be taking their teeth home in a bag.

And that includes Mr Clooney

We've probably got as much chance of making people in US realise that 'can I bum a fag?" is a request for a cigarette not a sexual practice, or that a fanny isn't a bottom, as we would have in changing their usage of these terms.

It can only change from within US.

And to avoid broadcast in UK, I was wondering if action might be possible via BBFC in requiring changes to British released versions of films and TV stations for programmes. Anyone know if that might work?

Hmm in USA the word retard is becoming much less acceptable and is not used by professionals and is disliked by a lot

LOL at children calling each other 'paedos'.

Also LOL at Americans being 'plain speaking'. Yes, maybe in Deadwood c. 1860.

Yes handicapped is still used but I find that less offensive than retarded or retard