FILE - In this Aug. 16, 2010 file photo, Jennifer Aniston, a cast member in "The Switch," poses at the premiere of the film in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, file)
‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.’
Many words that most people use in everyday conversations are now being taken offensive when they really should not. On Aug. 19 ,2010, Jennifer Aniston appeared on the “Live with Regis and Kelly” show. While commenting on how she dressed for a photo shoot, she used the word, ‘retard,’ which offended many people.
“I play dress up for a living like a retard,” said Aniston.
Aniston, 41, was not speaking about anyone and did not even use the word, ‘retarded.’ The word she used simply slipped out of her mouth by describing how immature she is by playing dress up as a woman.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed a law on Aug. 16, 2010, to forbid to use any terms that deals with, “mentally retarded”, or, “physically handicapped.” He stated that he regretted not passing the law sooner.
“We’d like New Jersey to get to a place where you can’t use the ‘R’ word with it being inflammatory,’’ said Elizabeth Shea, an assistant executive director for the Arc.
She did not mean to insult anyone except herself. However, this is not the first time that Aniston has made a wrong remark.
“Women are realizing it more and more knowing that they don’t have to settle with a man just to have that child,” said Aniston, for her new movie “The Switch.”
Bill O’ Reilly, a columnist for Fox News, took the statement she made as extremely negative. What O’ Reilly does not understand is that it is not that women do not want dads to be there for their children but that it is hard to find and keep a good father for them. He felt as though Aniston was diminishing the role of a dad.
“That’s destructive to our society,” said O’ Reilly. “She’s throwing her messsage out to 12 years-olds and 13 year-olds that, ‘Hey, you don’t need a guy. You don’t need a dad.’”
According to ontheredcarpet.com, Aniston stated that times have changed and women have more options when it comes to having children. Aniston is not saying that children do not need dads but that women should not always depend on a man for fulfilling a woman’s desire to be a mother.
Many people think too much about Aniston’s opinions. She means no harm to anyone. Today, people are taking things and words too personally. Many use offensive words every single day in at least one of their conversations without thinking anything of it.
I hear many of my own teachers say the word stupid. Are they not allowed to say that because there are stupid people in this world?
How politically correct are we going to get until we realize we have run out of words?
Aniston, like the rest of society, should be able to use words that are not vulgar. As long as she did not direct those words to anyone else, then it’s fair to say that she did not offend anyone.
She only offended to person looking to be offended.
Comments
Amanda I’m guessing you don’t have anyone in your family or circle of friends with special needs. If you did you wouldn’t have written anything like this. You would know first hand how the word retard stings. What I don’t get about the whole argument is this. Are there other slurs you use in your daily language? What about f****t or n****r or k**e? Probably not. And why is that? Is it because the groups spoke up and said that these are words that hurt. Why is it so hard to grasp that concept? The sticks and stones thing doesn’t really hold up when you’re mentally retarded and have a difficult enough time defending yourself.
No one is taking away your right to open your window and scream out the word retard. Go ahead, knock yourself out. What New Jersey and pretty much every other state in the country has done is eliminate the word retarded from their agencies. Is that so terrible????Just like the mosque at ground zero, you certainly have the right to do it. Doesn’t make it right.
When a group of people with special needs tells you a word hurts them, why isn’t that enough for you? Are you so shallow in thought that you aren’t able to hear what they are saying?
Mike, I’m guessing you don’t have anyone in your family or circle of friends that are Muslim. If you did you wouldn’t have written anything like this. I can’t believe you actually think that saying a word like retard is worse than denying people their freedom of religion. Are you so shallow in thought that you aren’t able to realize that not all Muslims are terrorists? Oh and by the way the mosque isn’t on ground zero. It’s blocks away.
As you would notice mike, she is not specifically talking about kids or other people with special needs. She is talking about the situation. The whole dilemma with Jennifer Aniston being a single mom has nothing to do with the down syndrome, or anything like that. Our new teen society has used the word ‘retarded’ as something not making sense or being very stupid.