‘N word’ at the BAFTAs

If you see the book Biscuit buy it. It’s hilarious 🤣
Biscuit is one of the authors trigger words.

Fuss about nothing. The guy has a condition: some sort of outburst was pretty predictable, surely?

Tourettes sufferers have no control over the content of their tics, which don't in any way reflect their thoughts or opinions.

I don't know how anyone could possibly be offended by it.

Maremia

I know we don't always manage to edit our posts on GN, but the BBC has a professional editing team, and I think had two hours to get the broadcast up to standard.

The two people who were there were outraged as it was shouted when they were on the stage. They were bound to be upset but, as had just been made evident from his film and his award, he could not help it.
That is why the film I Swear won awards - to explain to a wider public that it is not deliberate, it's involuntary.

ViceVersa

Tuliptree

And I do wonder what the reaction would have been if it had been an anti-Semitic phrase.

You do realise that he can't help it, right? Even if he had said something anti-Semitic, I would hope people would realise that. Put it this way, if he saw me in the street, he might well call me a 'fat c&nt' - would I take offence? No, because I know it's an involuntary tic - part of his condition.

ViceVersa I admit I know very little about Tourette's. Up till now I thought the sufferer involuntarily said inappropriate comments and swear words completely at random. Your post makes me wonder if they react to a certain situation and come out with something that shocks but is relevant.
Jamie Foxx asked why of all the words he could have come out with did it have to be that one. Almost making it sound as if he was deliberately choosing that word when 2 black actors were presenting an award.
Many of us may think inappropriate things at times but do Tourette's sufferers have no filter and just say what they think?

Thanks Allira, and I don't think anyone on this Thread is criticising the shouter.

Sarnia, could it be a bit like Fawlty Towers and 'don't mention the war'?
You are thinking 'Don't say, don't say'.
Only it is much worse if you have the condition?

Maremia

Sarnia, could it be a bit like Fawlty Towers and 'don't mention the war'?
You are thinking 'Don't say, don't say'.
Only it is much worse if you have the condition?

It could be. People with Tourette's perhaps come out with what many are thinking but don't say. When he shouted that word it made me think that they cannot help but say what was on his mind when he saw 2 black presenters. I will read up on it, I think.

Sarnia

ViceVersa

Tuliptree

And I do wonder what the reaction would have been if it had been an anti-Semitic phrase.

You do realise that he can't help it, right? Even if he had said something anti-Semitic, I would hope people would realise that. Put it this way, if he saw me in the street, he might well call me a 'fat c&nt' - would I take offence? No, because I know it's an involuntary tic - part of his condition.

ViceVersa I admit I know very little about Tourette's. Up till now I thought the sufferer involuntarily said inappropriate comments and swear words completely at random. Your post makes me wonder if they react to a certain situation and come out with something that shocks but is relevant.
Jamie Foxx asked why of all the words he could have come out with did it have to be that one. Almost making it sound as if he was deliberately choosing that word when 2 black actors were presenting an award.
Many of us may think inappropriate things at times but do Tourette's sufferers have no filter and just say what they think?

I'm going by what my friend, who has known and worked with John for many years, said and how he explained it to me. He said that in John's case, it's like thinking of the worst possible thing you could say in any given situation - and then being compelled to blurt that out.
For example, he's said 'I've got a bomb' when at the airport, and when he was being presented with his MBE, said 'F*ck the Queen' in front of her Majesty.
He said it was like you or I perhaps seeing someone and thinking 'gosh, that person's really fat (or tall, or ugly, or smelly etc' and while we wouldn't say that to their face, John can't help himself.

Maremia

Thanks Allira, and I don't think anyone on this Thread is criticising the shouter.

🤔

Well, thinking John was given a free pass and was absolved of all responsibility does rather seem like condemning someone for their disability ie the inability to control their body and their speech.

ViceVersa

Sarnia

ViceVersa

Tuliptree

And I do wonder what the reaction would have been if it had been an anti-Semitic phrase.

You do realise that he can't help it, right? Even if he had said something anti-Semitic, I would hope people would realise that. Put it this way, if he saw me in the street, he might well call me a 'fat c&nt' - would I take offence? No, because I know it's an involuntary tic - part of his condition.

ViceVersa I admit I know very little about Tourette's. Up till now I thought the sufferer involuntarily said inappropriate comments and swear words completely at random. Your post makes me wonder if they react to a certain situation and come out with something that shocks but is relevant.
Jamie Foxx asked why of all the words he could have come out with did it have to be that one. Almost making it sound as if he was deliberately choosing that word when 2 black actors were presenting an award.
Many of us may think inappropriate things at times but do Tourette's sufferers have no filter and just say what they think?

I'm going by what my friend, who has known and worked with John for many years, said and how he explained it to me. He said that in John's case, it's like thinking of the worst possible thing you could say in any given situation - and then being compelled to blurt that out.
For example, he's said 'I've got a bomb' when at the airport, and when he was being presented with his MBE, said 'F*ck the Queen' in front of her Majesty.
He said it was like you or I perhaps seeing someone and thinking 'gosh, that person's really fat (or tall, or ugly, or smelly etc' and while we wouldn't say that to their face, John can't help himself.

Thank you for that. I didn't have that understanding of the condition before.