Comments on: Ableist Word Profile: Mongoloid

By: urocyon

urocyon — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:16:25 +0000

Interesting. I did not know that John Langdon Down specifically described things in terms of “regression”. This view was implicit in the Carrie Buck case; I’ve linked to that more than once on my blog, because very few people are aware of some of the issues (nor think it’s relevant, argh).

I just ran across this blog yesterday, and have been enjoying this series!
urocyon´s last blog ..Some things I’ve been reading

By: meloukhia

meloukhia — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:13:09 +0000

In the course of my Glee linkspam, I forgot to include this post by Karen Healey talking about the hinky stuff in the show and how different folks are viewing it. Here's a teaser quote: "The thing I have noticed about Glee responses in the circles I frequent is that they seem to be divided into the people who see the hinky stuff and can't stand the show because of it, but acknowledge that it also has fun and music and dancing, and the people who love the fun and music and dancing but acknowledge that there are hinky issues."

By: Rosemary

Rosemary — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:06:04 +0000

I look forward to checking out the links and definitely to reading the series of posts here about it! I admit, I love the show. I can’t help it. I love musicals and teen shows and camp so much. But there is an awful lot of problematic crap in the show that makes me cringe. Sometimes it makes watching a show more enjoyable to watch it critically, and sometimes I want to brush away the critical lens and just enjoy it. I haven’t decided which way I’m watching Glee yet.
Rosemary´s last blog ..Feminism and Disability stuff

By: Tera

Tera — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:04:04 +0000

Hi, Rosemary!

Along with the resources meloukhia offered, Sarah of Cat in a Dog’s World has a post on Glee as well.
Tera´s last blog ..*Squeak!* It’s open thread time!

By: meloukhia

meloukhia — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:00:16 +0000

It was in fact that very episode of Glee which spurred me to write this post! And there will be some serious discussions about that show soon (to tide you over, Anna has a number of analyses of various episodes up on her website, and I have a number up at this ain't livin' as well). ETA: Added links. Silly me.

By: abby jean

abby jean — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:22:56 +0000

rosemary – several of us watch glee and i believe we’re planning a series on it here for precisely the reasons you identified.

By: Rosemary

Rosemary — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:15:19 +0000

Any Glee watchers here?

The show is rife with many ableist, racist, sexist, homophobic, fatphobic, etc. remarks by characters we are clearly supposed to judge for saying these things, but still – they’re in there all over the place.

Anyway, there was a comment in a recent episode by the character Terri, the glee club teacher’s wife, that a pregnant teen’s frequent morning sickness was a good sign because it meant the baby wouldn’t be a mongoloid.

I think that was the first time I’d heard the word used in that way in many years.
Rosemary´s last blog ..Feminism and Disability stuff

By: meloukhia

meloukhia — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:09:30 +0000

Halloween Jacqueline, you’re correct; that’s very problematic wording I used. “Perceived” was indeed the word I was searching for there. Thanks for bringing that up (sometimes I edit things so many times that my eyes start to glaze over, and I should have caught that, but didn’t).

By: lauren

lauren — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:32:12 +0000

Great post!

I have vague memories of a movie a saw as a pre-teen in which the term “mongoloid” was turned on its had a bit.

The protagonist was a young man with Down Syndromm, and throuhout the film, the term “mongo” was used as a slur against him and his girlfriend, who also had Down Syndrom. As far as I can recall, the movie ended with him telling the bullies of and then there was a dream-like sequence in which he and his girlfriend were part of a mongolean riders troupe. They looked like heroic figures, in historical costumes with broad swords and battle axes. Back then, I saw it as him turning the insult into something that made him strong, that enabled him to fight back.

I wish I remembered the movie’s name, because I would love to check it out again, now that I am older and a little more educated on ableism.

By: Claire

Claire — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:37:37 +0000

I thought usage of these terms was fairly rare, then I considered my stoner friends, who love to ‘mong out’.

That was a really interesting post – I had wondered before the link between Down’s and the old racial classification. Now I know it references racial throwback ideas it’s even more outright offensive.