• Replies 5 replies
  • Subscribers 26 subscribers
  • Views 1167 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Use of "Autism" as Derogatory Slang

D.A.LeVaughn

Hi there.

It has come to my attention recently that there's a growing use of the word 'autism' by people in a derogatory manner across the internet. Although this increasing (or fluctuating) trend can mostly be found among gaming, fandom or imageboard communities where you're bound to encounter people with varying opinions of the neurological condition; usage of this meme is not necessarily limited to those areas of the net.

And I fear this could present a potential problem in the near future.

For those who don't know a meme is an idea or notion that spreads from person to person within a culture. Internet memes are no exception and unfortunately autism-as-an-insult is one of them. Now in this day and age where the mainstream and the internet have merged together in terms of business or culture the very thought of the autism meme being used in real life among people is both infuriating and heart-breaking for me at the same time.

If said meme was set in full motion then social situations for those on the spectrum would become much more awkward they should be; leading to possible ostracisation and social isolation.

To quote Geroge Bernard Shaw: "Beware of false knowldge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." 

I'd like to read your thoughts and opinions on all of this and whether or not any of you have been effected by this.

  • I agree it's irresponsible to give people a platform for this stuff, and high profile people who are deliberately offensive seem to offer justification for others who do think that way.

    But how you go about objecting successfully is difficult. 'Outspoken' celebrities like Clarkson and Nigel Farage thrive on controversy. Every time they get a reaction, they win brownie points from their followers for apparently standing up to a repressive PC culture. In KH's case, she becomes worth more as a speaker and a columnist, because people feverishly read what she says and talk about it, albeit critically. That interest is worth a lot to any publication that features her.

    Hopefully she has fallen on her face this time, even if she'll relish the Mirror, one of her biggest enemies, having a campaign against her. Too many people from too many walks of life will be annoyed about this.

    I think it's really worth challenging more everyday use of references to autism as an insult too, if that's happening. Learning disabilities have long been the butt of jokes in younger circles, and I'd hate to think they're starting to do the same about autism.

  • KH may well be a stage act but I am sickened at how cruel society is becoming, at despite all the online outrage, how most people seem to be getting inured to such comments, to the extent the usual response is "ignore it". Nobody (yet) would say this if she was making overtly racist comments, but the poor, homeless, and disabled are fair game. 

    I see the use of autism as derogatory slang and the publishing of KH's views in a national paper, as a symptom of the rise of fascism generally. I find it hard to have any sympathy for KH, but do feel sorry for her kids, who will probably grow to hate her as the death threats and restrictions to their freedom mount. 

    Yesterday she tweeted about suicide www.mirror.co.uk/.../katie-hopkins-sparks-outrage-after-5639395 which in itself may just be tasteless, but given that when someone is threatening to jump off a building there is often a large mob filming it on their phones and shouting at them to jump, I find very disturbing. It is a very small step from this to so-called "normal" people participating in atrocities, as Milgram and Zimbardo's social experiments in the 70s demonstrated.

    OK..rant over!

  • Personally, I think Katie Hopkins is all a stage act.  The 'woman they love to hate' or the 'wicked witch' character. ;) She's made quite a career out of it.

    I'm saddened to hear that people are using 'autism' as a derogatory term, though. I find some pretty unacceptable things gain ground quickly in gaming communities and social media, and there are already some very unkind expressions in use. I'd hate to think autism could end up being renamed because of negative associations.

  • Former Member
    Former Member

    Of course, there is the alternative that Katie Hopkins is herself autistic but unaware of it! Let me see now: rigid thinking and comprehensive inability to perceive the impact of what she says on others? Yes, far more likely to be autistic than a politician who has to be pretty socially aware of what people want to here and who has the ability to change what he says according to the people he is talking to.

    Now, should we feel sorry for her or should we be judgemental about her vileness?

  • The vile Katie Hopkins did this recently on Twitter, accusing Ed Milliband of being on the spectrum. 

    www.independent.co.uk/.../katie-hopkins-accuses-ed-miliband-of-being-on-the-spectrum-following-labour-leaders-debate-performance-10154028.html

    www.theguardian.com/.../katie-hopkins-life-harder-disabled-people

    I'd like to think that it may have backfired, as she has had so much criticism online, and her association with David Cameron is not good PR for the Tories. 

    Probably not a good idea to get me started on Katie Hopkins...........