Did Ricky Gervais mock those with Down’s Syndrome?
Did Ricky Gervais cross the line by being his usual, I-could-care-less-what-people-think-about-me self?
The British comedian evoked online ire after posting a series of tweets referencing “mongs,” once a slur directed at people with Down’s Syndrome, and sometimes accompanying them with photos of him making silly faces. “Two mongs don’t make a right,” read one tweet. “Night night monglets,” he told his followers on Oct. 14.
Criticism came quick. Comedians and Down’s Syndrome advocacy groups have called out Gervais for reviving the word, but he claims “mong” now means something else.
“Well done everyone who pointed out that Mong USED to be a derogatory term for DS,” he wrote, referring to Down’s Syndrome. “Gay USED to mean happy. Words change. Get over it.”
Responding to a follower who asked “What is a mong?,” Gervais replied, “A div, a dozy spud headed twonk. I would NEVER use it to mean downs syndrome.” Gervais also circulated a page from InternetSlang.com decreeing that the definition of mong is “complete idiot.”
Now the “Office” creator has turned the conversation about him into a joke of its own. “The police just came round and confiscated all my awards,” he tweeted today, along with the above photo.
MadMikesAmerica thanks ABC for this story
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Ricky Gervais the liberal humanist who exploits the mentally disabled and vulnerable for commercial and comedy purposes. He thanks “God” that he is an atheist. So do we…….
That’s what that sign means? That’s what my granddaughter was signing at the tv when I had the republican debate on the other night.
Smart girl.
I do find myself more offended at slurs that use references to handicapped people more often these days as my granddaughter is a Downs Baby.
But being the sometimes tasteless jerk myself, I get over it. Besides, she’s smart as hell. Uses sign language and probably has a sign vocabulary as large as most two year olds who’ve developed oral language capabilities.
I should get her to teach me the sign for peckerhead so i can sign that at Gervais if I ever meet him.
Joe I would love to see that sign. You’re a pretty good guy…
I know the sign for asshole is the right closed fist bumped up against your head, with pinky finger side closest to your head. Don’t know peckerhead but do know you could probably use the peck sign which is right index finger pecking at your left index finger which is standing up and head is right hand on top of head and then to your chin(this one I cheated on and went and looked up the signs). Asshole I knew already from a deaf friend in high school, he used it a lot around teachers. You could probably do a combination of those things and voila yev got yer peckerhead right there. Better be careful though, you don’t want Mrs Joe to get mad at you for teaching the baby bad words in sign language.
Does this mean the eloquent posters over at Fox Nation and Free Republic can’t call me a “libtard” anymore ?