Everyone likes a joke. Comedians make money from their witty banter and one liners.
The average man down the pub can feel like a king when he has people in stitches over his comedy repartee. That text message joke sent on and on to all and sundry that eventually ends up being sent to you.
But, when does comedy about disabilities and the use of slang words for disablities become unfunny and even offensive?
We all have our own personal limits of taste and decency and what one finds hilarious another finds distasteful.
But, there is one thing I can not abide and that is the use of abusive words for children or adults with a disability.
Why do some love to flip the word 'retard' around so matter of fact? I have a family member who regularly uses this word on Facebook and I wonder if any thought or respect has been given to how offensive I may find it?
Perhaps I have missed something? Is it me that has the problem with a word being used in a defamatory manner? Should I chuckle along with the others? Well, if using a word randomly thrown into a sentence to be descriptive of a person (who by all accounts does not have a mental disability with whom said instigator is writing about) who has behaved foolishly, with which bears no purpose but to appear cool or witty, then no, I shall not laugh along, I shall take offence at the lack of morals and the lack of judgement to what my situation resembles.
I will add that I dislike any use of a word with which the intent is to be offensive in retrospect of a persons colour, religion, race, sexual preference or disability.
I can take swear words. Blimey I say a fair few myself, but they are muttered to myself and not tossed into a perfectly penned paragraph for the sheer effect or coolness certain younger people feel is needed to feel validated amongst their 700+ friends on their Facebook/Myspace/ Twittery tweety account.
One Frankie Boyle caused outrage when he started a joke about Downs Syndrome at one of his tours. What actually riled me was his verbal abuse of the mother he took umbridge over (who was not laughing and with whom he singled out in the crowd). She explained (after being heckled by him) she had a child with DS and he then, instead of back tracking and moving on (perhaps even with a gentlmanly apology), choose to mock her and her child, bullying her with sterotypyical views on DS and thinking this was comedy.
Now, Boyle has made me laugh in the past. And yes it was near the knuckle stuff, but to actually attack a paying audience member about their disabled child, purely for the comedy, shows a severe lack of judgement and since then he has'nt really produced much to laugh home about ( Tramadol Nights anyone?).
Of course he is not the first comedian to stir the hornets nest of controversy over disabilities and he won't be the last.
I can think of another comedian who joked about wounded soldiers and the paralympics, and the press had a field day berating him over it.
I concur that jokes like these do bring disabilites to the fore, whether for the right reasons or not, and that getting people to acknowledge that it does cause offence, and it does hurt, can bring about changes in attitudes, but it seems that there are a lot out there who, until they have a personal experience of a disability will continue to titter and snigger at their comedic wit and lazy offensive slang, along with their equally amusing aquaintances.
