He went on: "When she first came on the telly, I went: 'Is that a mong?' I don't mean she has Down's Syndrome, by the way. No, no! That would be offensive. That word doesn't mean that any more." Channel 4 claimed that using the word was justified in the context of late-night humour.
It said the comment was not "directed at Susan Boyle as having a disability but at those who refuse to acknowledge that meanings of words can adapt over time". The company said it needed to experiment and defended the entertainer's right to freedom of expression. Ofcom said in its ruling that Gervais was exploring the interpretations and meanings of certain provocative words.
He was examining the changes in their associations over time, with a focus on his assertion that the word "mong" had lost its derogatory association with Down's Syndrome. The regulator said: "This involved Ricky Gervais evoking the word's offensiveness to some extent, and challenging the relationship between the offence and the word itself. We considered, therefore, that the nature and focus of the routine provided a clear editorial context for his use of the term."
8 comments:
I think you're right.
As far as the word 'Mong' losing its derogatory meaning I would think he should ask someone who has downs syndrome,or that cares about someone that does.
Or even just ask someone who doesn't like slang that originated with people making fun of disabled people.
Myself, I wouldn't be 'polically correct' in the slightest but I don't like the word. It comes across as bullying.
I was going to comment about it being from mongoloid, but I see I've been beaten to the punch twice!
The words comedy and Gervaise do not belong together. He never has been, is not and never will be remotely funny. I don't understand why this moron is given air-time. He is offensive.
Wait until someone notices that 'Hmong', pronounced Mong, is an ethnic group.
"Mongrel"???
Ahh, I don't think so. Mong is derived from Mongoloid.
Which is a perfectly fair description due the Down Syndrome facial features that unfortunately has become derogatory.
Gervaise isn't funny, he just got lucky. And because he isn't funny he tries to be shocking unfortunately for him he isn't funny and shocking, he isn't even shocking, just offensive.
It's strange that we all deride the "humour" of "comedians" like Bernard Manning (and quite right too), but it's OK to laugh at Gervaise. At least Manning had it in him to be funny, but chose not to be. Gervaise OTOH does not have the ability to be funny.
I agree with pretty much everyone here. Gervaise is offensive, not funny. And mong must come from Mongoloid. When I was a kid, the term was "Mongolian Idiot". We have come quite a way since then, thank heavens.
The thing I object to is the fact he's become popular in the States because he's the embodiment of what Americans THINK is british humour, because they don't actually GET real british humour. In reality all he does is be deliberately offensive because he doesn't have a drop of funny in him.
He does seem to be love or hate though - I've had several people bite my head off today for calling him "an obnoxious w--ker".
Different strokes, I suppose.
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