4 ms·

"Moron" was once considered a technical term for mental disability. Then, kids starting using it, and it became offensive. It was replaced by "mental retardati

by bloppe 4y ago

"Moron" was once considered a technical term for mental disability. Then, kids starting using it, and it became offensive. It was replaced by "mental retardation". We all know how that term evolved in kind. Many people now use "disabled" (including this list's suggestions), but that is now often seen replaced by "differently abled". If I were a betting man, I'd say that in 5 years even "differently abled" will be co-opted by the crude and become offensive. It is an endless treadmill.

bsimpson 4y ago
A euphemism treadmill, in fact https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/euphemism_treadmill https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/euphemism_treadmill
- jjav 4y ago
  The George Carlin bit on shellshocked comes to mind.
  - phist_mcgee 4y ago
    For those curious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSp8IyaKCs0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSp8IyaKCs0
- luuuzeta 4y ago
  Comic Doug Stanhope did a bit about the euphemism treadmill. For example, before "retarded" was a medical term doctors used the terms "moron" and "imbecile" which people co-opted to call someone that does something incredibly stupid. In turn, "retarded" ended up co-opted as well because it stuck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy_a2C7VSWg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy_a2C7VSWg
  - joe463369 4y ago
    What's he saying though? That connotations of words change over time? Everyone should know that. 'Retarded' used to be a medical term, now it's a 4chan term, so it needs canning.
    - luuuzeta 4y ago
      He's arguing that any term that replaces a previous one due to its offensiveness and insensitivity will most likely become the new offensive term. >'Retarded' used to be a medical term, now it's a 4chan term, so it needs canning. That's exactly Doug's point. Soon enough terms like "neurodivergent" might become offensive when it's co-opted by people in general, e.g., "you're such a neurodivergent", "you're a neury", etc
arkh 4y ago
Or using N-word, C-word, R-word as insults. I mean, this list already did a 180 on: > Instead of African-American > Consider using Black
M3L0NM4N 4y ago
I remember joking years ago that "disabled" would become a slur, after "retard" became less and less acceptable. I didn't think it would actually happen, but the endless treadmill is being proven again and again. I would also bet that "differently abled" is absolutely considered offensive by the end of this decade.
- Dig1t 4y ago
  Neurodivergent is the next one in line I think. Another poster pointed out that “non verbal, non vocal” is actually a better burn than the one it’s replacing.
ur-whale 4y ago
>"Moron" was once considered a technical term for mental disability Obligatory Louis CK reference: https://youtu.be/DXtHF0WRX64?t=197 https://youtu.be/DXtHF0WRX64?t=197
matkoniecz 4y ago
> in 5 years even "differently abled" will be co-opted by the crude and become offensive. I already encountered it in this way
fleddr 4y ago
I think you didn't stay on top of developments for 2 weeks, because the new thing is to basically call any activity "ableist". Ableist and privileged, magic words to bring anything down. You can also get more specific. For example, we all know that white people suck. When white people do a good thing, they're white saviors. Or center themselves. When they're quiet, it's white silence. When they get angry, white fragility. When they learn about other cultures, cultural appropriation. Even when being bloody on time for a meeting that's "whiteness". It's a divisive, anti-progress, hateful, cynical death cult.

by bloppe 4y ago

bsimpson 4y ago

A euphemism treadmill, in fact https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/euphemism_treadmill https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/euphemism_treadmill

jjav 4y ago
The George Carlin bit on shellshocked comes to mind.
- phist_mcgee 4y ago
  For those curious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSp8IyaKCs0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSp8IyaKCs0
luuuzeta 4y ago
Comic Doug Stanhope did a bit about the euphemism treadmill. For example, before "retarded" was a medical term doctors used the terms "moron" and "imbecile" which people co-opted to call someone that does something incredibly stupid. In turn, "retarded" ended up co-opted as well because it stuck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy_a2C7VSWg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy_a2C7VSWg
- joe463369 4y ago
  What's he saying though? That connotations of words change over time? Everyone should know that. 'Retarded' used to be a medical term, now it's a 4chan term, so it needs canning.
  - luuuzeta 4y ago
    He's arguing that any term that replaces a previous one due to its offensiveness and insensitivity will most likely become the new offensive term. >'Retarded' used to be a medical term, now it's a 4chan term, so it needs canning. That's exactly Doug's point. Soon enough terms like "neurodivergent" might become offensive when it's co-opted by people in general, e.g., "you're such a neurodivergent", "you're a neury", etc

arkh 4y ago

Or using N-word, C-word, R-word as insults. I mean, this list already did a 180 on: > Instead of African-American > Consider using Black

M3L0NM4N 4y ago

I remember joking years ago that "disabled" would become a slur, after "retard" became less and less acceptable. I didn't think it would actually happen, but the endless treadmill is being proven again and again. I would also bet that "differently abled" is absolutely considered offensive by the end of this decade.

Dig1t 4y ago
Neurodivergent is the next one in line I think. Another poster pointed out that “non verbal, non vocal” is actually a better burn than the one it’s replacing.

ur-whale 4y ago

>"Moron" was once considered a technical term for mental disability Obligatory Louis CK reference: https://youtu.be/DXtHF0WRX64?t=197 https://youtu.be/DXtHF0WRX64?t=197

matkoniecz 4y ago

> in 5 years even "differently abled" will be co-opted by the crude and become offensive. I already encountered it in this way

fleddr 4y ago

I think you didn't stay on top of developments for 2 weeks, because the new thing is to basically call any activity "ableist". Ableist and privileged, magic words to bring anything down. You can also get more specific. For example, we all know that white people suck. When white people do a good thing, they're white saviors. Or center themselves. When they're quiet, it's white silence. When they get angry, white fragility. When they learn about other cultures, cultural appropriation. Even when being bloody on time for a meeting that's "whiteness". It's a divisive, anti-progress, hateful, cynical death cult.