The movie Tropic Thunder (2008) has become notorious after the use of a phrase, never go full retarded, and it has been debated, criticized, and even analyzed due to the extremity of the phrase used. First appearing in the comedic setting, the phrase soon entered the mass culture and everyday language. But beyond the joke is a dark implication that continues perpetuation of harmful stereotypes and stigmas of people with intellectual disabilities. This blog will discuss the origin of this phrase and its meaning as well as the importance of reconsidering our language usage in an inclusive, sensitive manner.
The Popular Culture of the Origins of Never Go Full Retard
The supplement Tropic Thunder uses the phrase never go full retard coined by the film character Les Grossman played by Tom Cruise. Grossman in the latter part of the movie is advising actor Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.) on how to play a role of a person with an intellectual disability in a film. It is a comic line about the ridiculousness of the use of exaggeration in the role that demands certain delicacy and the touch.
Although composed with comedic purposes in mind, the phrase soon became widely popular, and has entered the meme life of many online communities. It started to be used by people as an abbreviation of wild, absurd or excessive conduct. The issue though, lies in the fact that even the word retard is a highly offensive term to most people and groups. It mocks the fears and tribulations of the intellectually disabled and it degrades their multi-faceted lives into a joke.
Dangers of the word Retard in contemporary use of language.
Ableism is one of the prime concerns with the phrase, never go full retard. Ableism is the discrimination of persons with disabilities and prejudice. By merely referring to those with disabilities as retard and using the term as a means of telling a person that they are being irrational or playing up, society makes a clear statement that people with disability are in some way inferior to or lesser than the rest.
As a matter of fact, studies have revealed that dehumanizing terms such as retard can be one of the reasons that people have to develop negative attitude about individuals with intellectual disability. The language that we speak helps us to think a certain way about the world, according to Dr. David Perry, an expert in disability studies. Our derogatory language is taken as a sign that people with disabilities are less worth something or less deserving of respect when we refer to them, in such a manner.”
There are also detrimental effects of such language that may occur in the real-life contexts causally used. It can be a cause of bullying and marginalization of intellectually impaired people at schools and in work places. Indicatively, research has established that people with disabilities tend to be more exposed to bullying and ostracisation, and pejorative terminologies such as an insultant label, retard, can intensify the situation.
Linguistic changes and their contribution to the promotion of inclusivity
This has been a deliberate attempt by authorities in the society to alter the image of people with disabilities over the years. The development of language has been one of the main aspects of this transformation. Insensitive labels such as retard are progressively being substituted with more respectful ones, including individuals with intellectual disabilities or people with developmental disabilities. This change does not merely concern political correctness, it is about making our society more inclusive and welcoming to everyone with or without abilities, who should be treated decently and respectfully.
Such a change towards language is in connection with larger social movements towards social justice and equality. The more we realize the influence we have with our words, the more we realize the strength language has of creating attitudes towards the marginalized group. We can all contribute by using words that empower and include we can gradually destroy the stereotypes and the prejudice that have ever been associated with being disabled.
Media and its role in the formulation of disability perception
The issue of media has been also vital in streamlining the views of the populations on some social issues such as disability. The portrayal of the disabled in the movies and television programs and other media have always been an issue. The stigmatization of people with disabilities in the past images them as either pathetic or evil, two similar but also different evil sides of a coin.
Nonetheless, in the last several decades, there has been an increasing movement towards greater and more realistic representation of individuals with disabilities in the media. The movies such as The Theory of Everything (2014) about the biography of physicist Stephen Hawking or the TV series Atypical (2017) dedicated to the life of a teenager with autism spectrum disorder serve to depict people with disabilities in light of their multi-faceted lives and reduce the stigmatization around them.
Although such endeavors are, predictably, positive, it lies not in their final stage yet. The fact that Hollywood is still willing to employ stereotypes as a funny trope (see the never go full retard in Tropic Thunder) is not helping ridding the world of harmful attitudes involving people with mental disabilities. I think designers of the media should pay closer attention to how they play with characters with disabilities and show it in the manner to which it is not a matter of derision or a laughing stock.
Empathy in Language Use: its Importance
Things are changing in the sense that we are becoming a more inclusive society so all of us need to get more responsible with our words. This implies that we should really watch the words we use and the effects it can cause to others. In one instance, one might think that the phrase never go full retard is just a mere harmless joke, but in actuality, it is a hurtful jab to the intellectually-disabled people and their families due to the prejudices and discrimination they have to deal with.
It is true that empathy is central in appreciating the experiences of persons with disabilities as Dr. Perry points it out. By taking time to reflect on the value of what we say to others, we will have a chance to create a more respectful and caring society.” Such word choices and non-destructive language can be effective to build the world where everybody despite the abilities is valued and respected.
Summing it up: On Reconsideration of using Never Go Full Retard
To sum up, although the phrase, never go full retard possibly appeared in the context of a light comedy, its existence in mainstream culture has an extensive impact. The informal application of the term ableist language helps in making the disabled feel like outsiders and less human. It is on the society to consider changing language and strive to use more inclusive and respectful words that empower the society rather than instill a sense of inferiority. Through this, we will be able to create a more diverse world in which everyone can take part in, no matter his/her abilities.
Change is the only way forward and the language must be revised to realize this. We can participate in a culture that is more considerate, inclusive, and respectful to all by being more responsible in the language we use.