“Retards protest use of word ‘retard’” should be the headline for this news item. Apparently, mentally challenged supporters of the mentally challanged are up in arms because the film “Tropic Thunder” uses “the liberal usage of a disparaging term used to describe the mentally disabled.”
A couple things here:
- For those of you not familiar with the film, it features Robert Downey Jr. in blackface. It warms my heart that a movie that brings back the most racist film device of all time is being attacked for completely unrelated reasons.
- Although you wouldn’t know from their cause, there is little proof that the protestors are actually retarded. I find it insulting that these protestors would attempt to pass themselves off as retards to the unsuspecting public. I demand to see some I.Q. tests before I trust that you have the best intents for the retard-community.
- The film is directed by Ben Stiller. You do realize that this blog represents the largest publicity campaign the movie is likely to generate, don’t you? Your public out-cry represents the answer to the question, “if you demean mentally challenged people in the woods in a Ben Stiller film, will anyone except retards pay $12 to see it?”
- The film co-stars Ben Stiller. Asking him to play mentally retarded is like asking Ian McKellan to play queer.
- From what I gather, the uproar regarding this word is that it implies that being mentally challenged is a bad thing. Umm…do I really even need to address this? Let me be the one to break it to you: even if you changed the condition to “Super-happy-funtime–brain-relax” pregnant mothers won’t be lining up to chug pints of Everclear. Now please, put down the signs, pick up your helmets and drool-cups, and return to the basement.
OK, that was wrong of me. But I guess I have an issue with people protesting and getting up in arms over a word. I side squarely with George Carlin who said, “There are no bad words. There are bad thoughts, bad intentions, but there are no bad words.”
So if you’re pro-retard, I’d have to ask you, “Really? There’s nothing better you can be doing to improve the life of a mentally handicapped person right now?” I’m assuming you took time off from work. It wouldn’t be better to just mail your day’s check to a center that trains functionally retarded people to become valued members of society?
I guess the whole point is that we, as a society of haters, need to be FOR more things. And by the way, I’m aware that this whole post, as a protest of a protest, lumps me squarely in a group with those I just denounced. Which, I guess, makes me retarded.
2 comments:
But you are *OUR* retard! <3
When I worked at the hospital last year, we called them "Developmentally Delayed". I say it's time they reclaim the word "retard" the same way some black people have reclaimed the "n word". That would be best for everybody.
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