Is the term "spastic" offensive?

[mac56]

I'm on the horns of a dilemma. One of my staff submitted a script for a radio ad, wherein one of the actors (portraying a young skateboarder) described his inadequate board as being "totally spastic".

I have a little trouble with this. I fear it may offend people who may have a neurological disability, or a nervous tic, or their family members. The rest of my staff are accusing me of being "too PC", watching too much Oprah, etc., etc.

I told them that I have to censor myself all the time. Often I use the term "lame" to describe something I think is inadequate, but have been told that offends people with disabilties.

So: is "spastic" offensive? Is it what the young kids on the street are saying? Is there a less troublesome alternative?

[Bossy Monkey]

1. Ok in UK. Not so much here.

There is no non-offensive alternative, since whatever word you used would still be a case of comparing a non-working skateboard to a person with a disability. How about "totally Federlined"? (K-Fed would be funnier, but would probably sound obscene to any older person in the audience.)

[Spider Jerusalem]

3. Actually, it's considered MORE offensive in the UK than the US...

see here, for instance.

[Bossy Monkey]

4. I haven't been over in decades. Back then, there were signs

(admittedly old ones) collecting for spastic kids.

[tjwmason]

11. See the comment below about Scope

I have heard it used as a medical term, but this was by a woman in her 90s and in those circumstances I don't think anybody would take offence...but due to long useage as an insult (I can remember hearing it when I was younger) I would avoid it in all cases.

[LostinVA]

2. Search the forums -- huge thread about this about 2-4 months ago

Was quite flamey.

I'm 41, and until that thread had no idea it was offensive. Then, I asked a CP colleague about it, and she didn't know either.

So... who the hell knows.

[ComerPerro]

5. I don't think young kids are saying it

they use "spaz", the shortened version, to call people, but I never really heard kids say "spastic".

EDIT: Furthermore, don't worry about being PC. Polticial Correctness was invented and perpetuated by the right wing as a way to attack "nanny-state liberals" and generate a backlash among conservatives.

[Bossy Monkey]

6. PS: "lame" would be the more usual word used in that circumstance

though people might find that offensive, too.

[Haole Girl]

7. When in doubt, don't put it on a radio ad

That would be my advice.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

8. News to me.

I had no idea "spastic" and "lame" were offensive. PC Police seem to be working overtime.


Would "erratic" be an appropriate term?

[LeftishBrit]

9. In the UK, it's extremely offensive

For a disabled person here, it's the equivalent of the N-word. It used to be OK to use it purely as a medical term; but it's been used so much as a serious insult that even this is now unacceptable. The Spastics Society changed its name to Scope for this reason.

[mark414]

10. well i can tell you that young folks these days don't use that word

so i'd change it out of "historical accuracy" i guess before i'd change it for any other reason

[Zavulon]

12. Offensive is in the eye of the beholder.

I don't find "spastic" offensive at all, and think that the case you make could be made for tons of words that most people use each day without thinking. The things I call right wingers, for instance, would offend the retarded, the drooling, the festering, etc.

I cannot and will not waste my time making sure every person in the world somehow goes through life without getting offended. You're a better person than I am for caring about this, but I truly think you're wasting your time dwelling on it. The fact that you have the presence of mind to ask the question indicates that you're probably more considerate than most and definitely more considerate than me.