The "R" word again
Forbidden even when there is some factual basis for it!
"An outspoken New Zealand television presenter has been forced to apologise for describing Susan Boyle as "retarded" during his morning show. In November Paul Henry, a breakfast show host on Television New Zealand, had laughed as he read a magazine article which mentioned that the Scottish singing star was starved of oxygen at birth and suffered a mild intellectual disability. "Here's the really interesting revelation — she is in fact retarded," he said. "And if you look at her carefully, you can make it out."
After his employer upheld complaints about his comments, Mr Henry said today: "It upsets me greatly that anyone would imagine I had intended to cause offence or hurt over this or any issue. "I am sorry that some people have taken what I said in a way that I never intended," he added in a statement.
His tasteless comments about Ms Boyle, whose debut album I Dreamed a Dream went straight to No 1 last month, provoked a flood of complaints to New Zealand's Human Rights Commission.
David Rutherford, the chairman of Special Olympics New Zealand said using "retard" to describe intellectually disabled people was as hurtful as racial slurs such as "n*gger" and "k*ke".
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12 comments:
"Political correctness is a far greater danger to our freedom than is terrorism"
"Never give a sucker an even break." -- W.C. Fields
David Rutherford is an idiot. The word "Retarded" is a medical term and is not remotely similar to the "N" or "K" words.
Wait till people turn the phrase "Intellectually Disabled People" into the acronym IDP, which then people will bastardize into "IDiot People". This political correctness feeds itself creating new words of hate to justify its existence.
3:48 AM I like that, it's funny and amusing. I'm going to start using IDP now!
"Political correctness is a far greater danger to our freedom than is terrorism"
Both are rooted in narcissism.
While the woman may not be clinically retarded she certainly acts that way. Susay Boyle reminds me of the Rain Man character, a genious but difficult to control.
I didn't think K*ke was racial but a religious slur...
As for retarded, the word is a legitimate one when properly used.
Retarded people are a race now?
PC at it's finest.
Funny, have you noticed how racism is use a LOT by the left to shield them from criticism?
Every comment by normal people, especially those on the right is called racism but they can call anyone on the right any of the words they jump on us for saying without any rebuke.
Racism, no! Hypocrisy, YES!
It's truly amazing, the things we create. And all for the purpose of avoiding reality. If that's not a sign of a weak and dying culture, nothing is.
Mr. TV personality used an insulting term. I wouldn't like be called a retard on national television. I wouldn't like to be called fat or obese either even if I was fat and there's nothing wrong with those terms. People have the right to be insulted etc. but that doesn't mean words should be censored. If however the TV station feels they need to react and appease the public it's up to them. Nothing wrong in apologizing even when you don't really mean it. It's called good PR.
how brilliant...
Wait till people turn the phrase "Intellectually Disabled People" into the acronym IDP, which then people will bastardize into "IDiot People".
Alternately, the phrase could be changed around to "Disabled-Intellectually People", with the handy acronym of "DIP". Handy for the phrase, "What a dip!"
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