Renee Martin
June 17, 2011 at 5:02 am
I fully agree that people need to stop saying the R word but as a disabled person I think that this is simply not enough to end disableism. My problem with this PSA and the recent drive to encourage people to change their language is that it does not include words like lame, idiot, or even crazy used as a negative descriptor.
It also fails to tackle issues of access, the high rate of poverty for disabled people,etc.,
Reply
The R-word is a euphemism for retard and retarded, words that are considered offensive and disrespectful when used to describe or insult individuals with intellectual disabilities or to insult people, places, and things by comparing them to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Learn more about why the use of the R-word is unkind, upsetting, and discriminatory—and needs to stop.
The campaign against the R-word comes at a time when the term mental retardation is also falling out of use, increasingly replaced by intellectual disabilities or cognitive disabilities in medical and legal language.
Origins of the R-Word
The verb «retard» means to hinder or to make something slow. «Mental retardation» was introduced as a medical term for people with intellectual impairments, replacing terms that were considered to be more offensive.
It was introduced as a neutral term by the American Association on Mental Retardation in 1961 and was adopted by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM).
Over time, the word «retard» came to be used as an insult, tossed around the playground as a synonym for «stupid» or «idiot.» It was not respectful of those with intellectual disabilities to have the word used in that way, even if the taunter wasn’t aiming the insult at that group.
Eliminating the R-Word
As advocates began to work at changing the medical terminology, Rosa’s Law was passed in 2010. The law eliminated all references to mental retardation in U.S. federal law, replacing it with the term «mental disability» and «an individual with an intellectual disability.»
New terminology was also adopted for the DSM-5 in 2013 and in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) in 2015, replacing mental retardation with intellectual developmental disorders and intellectual disability. People may object when use the older term in a medical or legal sense without meaning it as an offense.
Protesting Its Use
Protests over the use of the R-word in the movie Tropic Thunder in 2008 grew into a movement to remove those words from common speech. A website was set up to offers resources for those who wish to encourage others to take a pledge.
Special Olympics started a campaign at r-word.org (now spreadtheword.global) asking people to pledge to stop using the R-word, with a particular push in March of every year to «Spread the Word to End the Word.»
Lauren Potter, an actress with Down syndrome who played cheerleader Becky on Glee, made a PSA denouncing the R-word that can be seen along with many other videos on R-word.org’s YouTube channel.
A Word From Verywell
Though many folks who defend the use of the R-word claim that such efforts mean «you can’t say anything anymore,» there are in fact many less-offensive words that work as substitutions. Make your speech more varied and less hurtful.
As you teach your children what is proper to say, coach them not to use the R-word, just as you would stop them from using a racial or ethnic slur. If you hear a child or adult using it, consider it a teachable moment and update them that is no longer an acceptable term.
By Terri Mauro
Terri Mauro is the author of «50 Ways to Support Your Child’s Special Education» and contributor to the Parenting Roundabout podcast.
Thanks for your feedback!
“It’s not acceptable to call me a nigger.
It’s not acceptable to call me a spic.
To call me a chink.
To call me a fag.
It’s not acceptable to call me a kike.
And it’s not acceptable to call me a retard, or call yourself or your friends retarded when they do something foolish.
The R-word is the same as every minority slur. Treat it that way, and don’t use it.”
“Not Acceptable” is a powerful and compelling 30 second television PSA which gives voice to a variety of diverse communities each of whom expresses that it is not acceptable to call them by what were once common words, but are now recognized as offensive slurs. It culminates in actress and self-advocate Lauren Potter from “Glee” stating that it is not acceptable to use the word ‘retard’ and she and “Glee” co-star Jane Lynch make a call to action to stop using the word and to promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and to make their pledge online at http://r-word.org.
The PSA was launched by the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, an on-going initiative from Special Olympics and Best Buddies to eradicate the derogatory use of the word “retard(ed)” from everyday use and promote the inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“Not Acceptable” was executive produced by Jim Serpico and Tom Sellitti of New York based Apostle, and shot, produced and edited by Spot On Productions from City Island, NY.
The PSA is supported by several national advocacy organization including the Anti-Defamation League, Special Olympics, Best Buddies, GLAAD, The Hispanic Federation, National Puerto Rican Coalition, The Asian-American Foundation, AbilityPath.org and the NAACP.
The term “retarded” is no longer politically correct. The correct term for referring to people with Down syndrome is intellectual disability. Many people argue that when they use the word they don’t use it to refer to people with Down syndrome. However consider this, when you use the “r” word to mean something is stupid or dumb, you are using a word that used to describe people with disabilities. Therefore even though you don’t think you mean it that way, you are associating the two. Please take the time to consider how often you use the “r” word and consider removing it from your vocabulary. Also point out when your friends and family use the word and explain to them why this word is offensive. Spread the word to end the word.
Screen grab from “Spread the Word to End the Word” YouTube PSA.
While Tuesday night’s “Glee” finale was fairly predictable and boring, a public service announcement that aired during the Fox show’s final 15 minutes was completely the opposite.
The “Not Acceptable” PSA, created by the “Spread the Word to End the Word”campaign, which aims to end the use of the term “retard, ” began with an African-American man saying, “It is not all right to call me a [N-word.]” Except the actor didn’t say “N-word”; he used the actual noun. Other actors then chimed in with other slurs associated with their race, religion or sexual orientation. Needless to say, it was pretty shocking to hear language like this during a teen-focused dramedy about a show choir.
“Glee” actors Jane Lynch and Lauren Potter appeared at the end of the PSA to say that it’s not acceptable to use the “R-word,” either to describe the intellectually disabled or in casual conversation, just as it’s not okay to use any other demeaning words. Potter is intellectually disabled, as was the sister of Lynch’s character, Sue Sylvester. The character Jean Sylvester, played by Robin Trocki, passed away on a recent episode of “Glee.”
In addition to airing on Fox, the PSA will be shown on “a majority of their cable channels and regional sports networks, MTV, USA Network, Oxygen Network and Turner networks including TNT, TBS, truTV and CNN,” according to the campaign’s Web site.
R-word.org is run by the Special Olympics and Best Buddies International; the ad was previewed and approved by numerous groups, including the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP and others. You can read the support statements here.
The debate over the R-word drew particular attention last year, when former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel apologized for using it at a private meeting in 2009. He pledged his support to the Web site behind the campaign and PSA.
What do you think of the PSA’s use of shocking language? Was it appropriate to show this ad during “Glee”? Watch the video, which, again, contains NSFW language, and let us know.