2008 Woodie Awards
Not all offensive words are created equal
Jeremy Johnson
Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: Opinion
A couple of years ago, Tiger Woods told a reporter for the BBC that he had played one green like "a spaz," a word that most Americans would not find too much fault with. However, in the United Kingdom, there was an uproar about his use of offensive language in an interview. So much of an uproar, in fact, that he was forced to apologize many times.
In the United Kingdom, "spaz" is one of the most offensive terms you can call someone, even when referring to yourself. "Spaz" is a shortened form of "spastic," which refers to someone with cerebral palsy. It used to be the technical term to describe the condition, but has since receded in its use in that capacity. It remains, however, an offensive term for someone who is physically clumsy, or even someone who is just plain incompetent.
A similar situation exists in the United States in regard to use of the words "retarded" and "gay."
These words are not normally thought of as offensive, and as such, are not generally considered to be on the same level as, say, the "F word" or most of the other four-letter expletives.
If a choice were given between two statements on the absurdity of a situation, "That's f---ing ridiculous," and, "That's retarded," which one would more people choose? It should be obvious which one is more socially acceptable - half of one of the words is replaced with dashes because it can't be printed.
But what makes "retarded" or "gay" less extreme, or "better," as one might say? A value judgment is made in choosing one word over the other, and the choice is not merely a difference in taste or preference. Whereas the "F word" has no other connotations than the word itself - it speaks to no one person, situation or group of people - "retarded" and "gay" are both tied directly to specific groups of people with specific characteristics. Since culture in the United States views homosexuality and mental deficiency as negative qualities, the terms associated with them are reduced to adjectives with negative connotations. It is now appropriate to respond with "that's retarded" when the $700 billion bailout passes, or, "that's gay" when you find out someone stole your toaster, even though those situations have absolutely nothing to do with homosexuality or lower-than-average mental capacity.
In the United Kingdom, "spaz" is one of the most offensive terms you can call someone, even when referring to yourself. "Spaz" is a shortened form of "spastic," which refers to someone with cerebral palsy. It used to be the technical term to describe the condition, but has since receded in its use in that capacity. It remains, however, an offensive term for someone who is physically clumsy, or even someone who is just plain incompetent.
A similar situation exists in the United States in regard to use of the words "retarded" and "gay."
These words are not normally thought of as offensive, and as such, are not generally considered to be on the same level as, say, the "F word" or most of the other four-letter expletives.
If a choice were given between two statements on the absurdity of a situation, "That's f---ing ridiculous," and, "That's retarded," which one would more people choose? It should be obvious which one is more socially acceptable - half of one of the words is replaced with dashes because it can't be printed.
But what makes "retarded" or "gay" less extreme, or "better," as one might say? A value judgment is made in choosing one word over the other, and the choice is not merely a difference in taste or preference. Whereas the "F word" has no other connotations than the word itself - it speaks to no one person, situation or group of people - "retarded" and "gay" are both tied directly to specific groups of people with specific characteristics. Since culture in the United States views homosexuality and mental deficiency as negative qualities, the terms associated with them are reduced to adjectives with negative connotations. It is now appropriate to respond with "that's retarded" when the $700 billion bailout passes, or, "that's gay" when you find out someone stole your toaster, even though those situations have absolutely nothing to do with homosexuality or lower-than-average mental capacity.
Be the first to comment on this story