Is Ricky Gervais a 'mong'?

[EEVILMURRAY]

Did Ricky Gervais ever actually say that she looks like a mong?

 

I don't really remember that to be honest.

 

Taken from that Sun link:

And he once referred to singer Susan Boyle as "looking like a mong".

 

May check other news sites for confirmation.

[Sheikah]

Yes, she does look like a mong, because she is a sufferer of mongolism (Down's Syndrome). It's a pretty inappropriate comment, no matter how you look at it

 

No she does not have Down's Syndrome! Just as when you call people a retard when they're not retarded, it shouldn't be offensive. People get offended way too easily, words can have more than one meaning.

[The Peeps]

Google says she was born with learning difficulties due to oxygen deprivation at birth, but she doesn't have Down's Syndrome. Harsh Roadkill

 

Whatever the origin of the word 'mong', people these days don't use it in that sense. Like when people say something is gay to mean lame.

[chairdriver]

Whatever the origin of the word 'mong', people these days don't use it in that sense. Like when people say something is gay to mean lame.

 

(Except that using gay to mean lame is unacceptable, really, and anyone who uses it should be made aware that they're a lesser person.)

[The Peeps]

I'm just saying it's a slang word to begin with. Gay is a slang word and the meaning is considered to have changed by some and it's the same with the word mong.

 

Any words that originate as slang quite often end up with changed meanings.

[MoogleViper]

(Except that using gay to mean lame is unacceptable, really, and anyone who uses it should be made aware that they're a lesser person.)

 

I hate it when people use that word like that. Seriously, who actually uses lame like that any more? That word is so gay.

[Sheikah]

(Except that using gay to mean lame is unacceptable, really, and anyone who uses it should be made aware that they're a lesser person.)

 

Don't talk daft.

 

Why can't it mean lame? It means happy and homosexual, someone came up with those meanings. Why can't we come up with a another meaning for a word just because you happen to be gay?

 

I mean gay meaning lame isn't my favourite thing, but it's one of those things that people shouldn't take seriously.

[Wesley]

Taken from that Sun link:

And he once referred to singer Susan Boyle as "looking like a mong".

 

May check other news sites for confirmation.

 

Well The Sun also said that his "Tweet that" picture was his "mong face"...

 

So...

 

Also I meant the actual source... you know, like a clip of him saying the words.

 

Not just another news site that says incorrect information.

 

I just can't actually remember him saying that.

 

(Except that using gay to mean lame is unacceptable, really, and anyone who uses it should be made aware that they're a lesser person.)

 

I've just told my nephew that he's a cunt.

 

Him and his 9 year old friends say it all the time.

 

What a mong.

[EEVILMURRAY]

Well The Sun also said that his "Tweet that" picture was his "mong face"...

 

So...

 

Also I meant the actual source... you know, like a clip of him saying the words.

 

Not just another news site that says incorrect information.

 

I just can't actually remember him saying that.

I did address that the first time you brought it up.

That's true.

 

He posts snaps of himself in what he calls "monged-up" poses, with captions like: "My favourite drink is toilet."

 

Gotta give them credit for being close though.

 

But you wanted the actual source now, which I assume is why you ignored it.

 

 

But having a look through his Twitter, his meaning of mong is explained:

"A div, a dozy spud headed twonk. I would NEVER use it to mean downs syndrome"

 

So it sounds he's just referring to the mentally retarded community in general.

[Sheikah]

No he's using it to refer to stupid people. Case closed.

[Grazza]

As the late, great Frankie Howerd used to say, "Don't mock the afflicted". Ricky Gervais could learn a great deal from Frankie Howerd, as he was 100x the comedian he'll ever be.

[ipaul]

Don't talk daft.

 

You actually quoted Chair...

 

 

 

I am going to hell.

[Wesley]

I did address that the first time you brought it up.

 

 

But you wanted the actual source now, which I assume is why you ignored it.

 

 

But having a look through his Twitter, his meaning of mong is explained:

"A div, a dozy spud headed twonk. I would NEVER use it to mean downs syndrome"

 

So it sounds he's just referring to the mentally retarded community in general.

 

What?

 

That's mong logic right there.

[EEVILMURRAY]

It's all going to come down again to personal/regional interpretation of words. Ask your mom mum.

[Wesley]

 

You leave my mum out of this man!

[Raining_again]

by saying lame aren't you offending people who are affected by that particular condition as well? Just sayin...

[The Peeps]

by saying lame aren't you offending people who are affected by that particular condition as well? Just sayin...

 

lame

1. crippled or physically disabled, especially in the foot or leg so as to limp or walk with difficulty.

2. impaired or disabled through defect or injury: a lame arm.

3. weak; inadequate; unsatisfactory; clumsy: a lame excuse.

4. Slang. out of touch with modern fads or trends; unsophisticated.

 

lame

1. (Medicine / Pathology) disabled or crippled in the legs or feet

2. painful or weak a lame back

3. weak; unconvincing a lame excuse

4. not effective or enthusiastic a lame try

5. US slang conventional or uninspiring

 

Lame is a good example of how words become slang and have their meaning changed. I don't think anyone even thinks of it in its original sense anymore, certainly not the majority of people anyway.

[Magnus]

Lame is a good example of how words become slang and have their meaning changed. I don't think anyone even thinks of it in its original sense anymore, certainly not the majority of people anyway.

It's called ableist language and it's very much a Real Thing in certain circles.

 

Also ableist: using the word 'stupid'.

 

No, seriously.

[The Peeps]

It's called ableist language and it's very much a Real Thing in certain circles.

 

Also ableist: using the word 'stupid'.

 

No, seriously.

 

That's so black.

[Magnus]

That's so black.

I don't think ableist language concerns itself with racism, so I think you're good.

[Rummy]

I cannot believe Roadkill actually just called Susan Boyle a mong, that's probably more offensive than any of this stuff! Shame on you, man.

 

I don't think it holds the same weight that the word retard seems to hold now. I mean I work with children with learning dificulties and the word retard is just never used. Mong seems to have a much more "casual status" I'd still be pretty shocked if I heard someone say it within my work context yet using the word as a almost heightened version of idiot or something seems to become acceptable.

 

Seems to become acceptable in that context, how do you feel about it having more of a link with actual sufferers of various LD?

 

 

For the record, his calling SuBo a mong and also making similar comments about the word not meaning what it used to was in his Science standup, I believe. Which I'm sure was long before this twitter affair, which is why I'm confused people are only getting offended now.

[Wesley]

It's because he's gone on Twitter.

 

And that's all the papers write about now.

 

Got to keep people up-to-date with a service that's... instant in its up-to-date...ness.

 

*shrug*

[jayseven]

He posted a picture of himself looking like an idiot/moron/stupid, and said "share this with all the mongs you know".

 

The point is that idiot/moron/whatever is a part of our language that has no power to directly offend any party at all. however, 'mong' is still a word that is in limbo. Generally speaking, nobody has used the world for nearly a decade, so while he argues that his use is similar to 'moron', the fact is that the last popular use of the word was still derogative, while words like imbecile, idiot, moron, etc have made the transition from an actual labelling term to a floundering word for mindlessness in some form or another.

 

Gervais is actually arguing that the word is already without any negative meaning. He refuses to accept that it may still have some root in offense.

 

Generally I believe that offense is something often felt but rarely intended, however there is an element of sensitivity about offense, and I do just think that Gervais has misunderstood just how word meanings change. Just because a word hasn't been used for a decade does not mean it immediately shifts to an inoffensive term.

 

Too bleh to communicate effectively. ultiamtely I think Gervais did not explain himself properly, did not show proper understanding of the shifting meaning of words/ Bleh.

[bryanee]

This reminds me of that episode of South Park in which the meaning of faggot is changed and is no longer used as an insult for gay people but to insult bikers.

[EEVILMURRAY]

This reminds me of that episode of South Park in which the meaning of faggot is changed and is no longer used as an insult for gay people but to insult bikers.

I've watched that episode so many times over the past couple of days.

 

You leave my mum out of this man!

 

"BARRROWWMAAAAAHHHNN!!"