oracle Report post Posted December 19, 2005 Regarding the word autistic being used and an adjective my eldest son had just given me a copy of the latest Zoo Mag ( a girly mag ) that was given to him by someone he works with as a DJ. On page 110 there is a banner headline 'Oi, Rain Man! Our verging-on-autistic sport quiz My sons friend, who now knows both of my ASD sons, was so shocked by this that he decided to bring it to work with him just so he could show my son who has given it to me. Brave for both of them as it is a girly mag. Are the disabled the new target for these kinds of comments? If it is not acceptable to be racist (it's not) or if it's not allowed for us to celebrate Christmas ( it's now a Winter Festival) why is it acceptable to 'use' a disability in this way? My blood is boiling about this now. Carole Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Suze Report post Posted December 19, 2005 Ignorance........pure and simple.Can,t say much more.......... moderators about . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zemanski Report post Posted December 19, 2005 remember they did it to the word spastic and we don't use that word now! one thing though - when a word is taken into general use this way (even though it's the wrong way) it does mean that it is becoming known. it makes me angry but I'm strangely interested to see what comes of it Zemanski Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DiabolicalSpoon Report post Posted December 19, 2005 why is it acceptable to 'use' a disability in this way? Because of the recent rise in public awareness of Autism it's risen to pop-culture status making a faux-pas like that more acceptable. Such is the way of the world, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Personally I've been expecting this to happen since TV documentaries about Autism started to appear a few years ago.. But there's no sense in getting caught up on the things you can't change. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TuX Report post Posted December 19, 2005 remember they did it to the word spastic and we don't use that word now! one thing though - when a word is taken into general use this way (even though it's the wrong way) it does mean that it is becoming known. it makes me angry but I'm strangely interested to see what comes of it Zemanski Zemanski,by coincidence,there is a topic going on,on the BBCs' disability forum about the use of 'spastic' : http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbouch/F2322273?thread=1730914 It's still being used,but I think 'retard' has overtaken as the most popular disability related insult. Re.original topic. Writers/journalists (or even comedians etc) always use words they can still get away with, they need to be shown how wrong+hypocritical they are being by protecting one minority group but not another. Not surprising that it was from Zoo though,it's a dumbed down trashy tabloid magazine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lorryw Report post Posted December 19, 2005 Carole, I find it upsetting. As you say, autism is a disability not a life style choice. Since when did it become okay to use the word so flippantly to describe someone as obsessional. Lorainex Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
