Now I've seen it all: "Lets Get Retarded!"

[chadfromdallas]

(forgot their names)

Black Eyed Peas

 

[minkydog]

Not good at all. DH has a brother with Down's Syndrome and the word "retarded" is like a 4 letter word to him. Our kids are not allowed to use it.

Same here. DS10 is severely mentally retarded and that word, used as an epithet, is extremely offensive to me.

 

[figment52]

I used to go to my niece's dance competitions and one year the "judges" for the competition disqualified one group for the season unless they changed their routine because it was inappropriate for children (it was a k-12 competition and these girls were in HS. There dance was about devil worshiping). The were part of a national organization and they had strict guidelines for music and content and would not tolerate anyone "pushing the envelope". That music would have been cause for the group to be disqualified as well.


What i this world coming too, on one hand everything has to be PC but music has no edits at all.

 

[chadfromdallas]

What is this world coming too, on one hand everything has to be PC but music has no edits at all.

Music has no edits? Are you joking? Heard the radio lately and compared the original versions?

 

[s&k'smom]

Maybe an afternoon working at a group home would be a nice sensitive lesson.

 

[IloveDMB]

What's really dumb, besides the girls representation of the song, is that Black Eyed Peas didn't even mean retarded in that sense. I believe that are referring to getting drunk or smashed. I know I have friends that refer to themselves as being retarded drunk sometimes.

The routine sounds like it was offensive and way out of line.

 

[Beth76]

Wow, that is really tacky. I really like the "Let's Get it Started" version of that song. Love, love LOVE it actually. We bought the CD and when I looked at it I saw the title said "Let's Get Retarded". I was like "huh?" Then I listened to it and I was shocked that they actually said that. I was pretty sure that they really weren't making fun of disabled people, but I still didn't think it was an appropriate song title and I won't listen to it. To top it off the radio version "Let's Get it Started" wasn't even on the CD.

 

[thelittlemermaid]

Not good at all. DH has a brother with Down's Syndrome and the word "retarded" is like a 4 letter word to him. Our kids are not allowed to use it.

DD has Down Syndrome and the "R" word is a 4 letter word around here.

I just wish the MR/DD could change their name. Why do they or anyone think that the "R" word is the best way to discribe {?} someone that is mentally challanged.

 

[MELSMICE]

What's really dumb, besides the girls representation of the song, is that Black Eyed Peas didn't even mean retarded in that sense. I believe that are referring to getting drunk or smashed. I know I have friends that refer to themselves as being retarded drunk sometimes.

Yes, I believe they are referring to being "drunk or smashed" when they say retarded.

The studio using that version of the song is totally inappropriate. A teacher at my studio wanted to use the song & I told her she could only use the "Let's Get It Started" version. She told me she hadn't even though of the other one because she knew there was no way/no how that I would approve of it.

Totally classless of that studio if you ask me. I would pull my daughter out. That studio owner & teacher should be ashamed of herself.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I danced for three years in my younger days and our coach was VERY cognizant of the lyrics in our songs. If there was anything suggestive or offensive than the song was out, period. At some point in the process an adult should have stopped them from using that music.

It seem like something Weird Al would come up with!

 

[va32h]

What's really dumb, besides the girls representation of the song, is that Black Eyed Peas didn't even mean retarded in that sense. I believe that are referring to getting drunk or smashed. I know I have friends that refer to themselves as being retarded drunk sometimes.

Well that's just as bad isn't it? Little girls shouldn't be dancing around to lyrics about getting drunk either.

How many adults had to have known about this routine beforehand? The coach (or coaches) all the girls parents - my daugher ice skates and when she is practicing a program I see it so many times that I know the music by heart myself. I can't imagine what those people were thinking.

 

[minkydog]

What's really dumb, besides the girls representation of the song, is that Black Eyed Peas didn't even mean retarded in that sense. I believe that are referring to getting drunk or smashed.
The routine sounds like it was offensive and way out of line.

but this is my point--the word "retarded" has been increasingly used to denote weird, drunk, stoned, stupid, and goofy behavior. People who have mental retardation often do act different, but I'm sure they would like to been afforded the respect that any other group has.

Back when i was a kid, it was common to denigrate others with a racial epithet. It was used as a put-down, to express superiority over another person, and to intimidate. Just because a word is in common usage doesn't make it okay and today we would all likely think twice before we "let 'er rip" with a racial epithet. I believe people with developmental disabilities, mental retardation, handicaps, or syndromes would only want to be treated with kindness and not hear themselves mocked in open court by the insensitive masses.

And their parents, who love them just the way they are, don't want to hear it either!

 

[thatchicktrish]

I agree that using the song combined WITH dance like they were mentally challenged was offensive. I know that many people find the word retarded offensive and it's understandable, I don't like my son saying it either. (although that is not what it means in the song) I think in this case there should have been some rules and guidelines as to the music choices since the word does offend so many people, what made the adult dance teacher think this song was ok for children to dance to? It's not even really about the song to me it's about dancing/dressing mentally challenged and the adults in charge not seeing a problem with it. The song choice and dance were very un-politically correct. I think if anyone writes in to complain...it should be to the organizers of the dance competition. With that said....

I would like to know what is the correlation between using a r&b/pop song with the word "retarded" in it (the Black Eyed Peas song), to white kids in black face doing a minstrel number? They are both offensive but I am wondering why it jumped from one thing to the other. I don't know, maybe it really is just me.

 

[minkydog]

I would like to know what is the correlation between using a r&b/pop song with the word "retarded" in it (the Black Eyed Peas song), to white kids in black face doing a minstrel number? They are both offensive but I am wondering why it jumped from one thing to the other. I don't know, maybe it really is just me.

I can't find that particular reference now, but I think the poster was making a strong comparison using the mental image of white kids performing in blackface to able-bodied kids performing a dance meant to mock and demean persons with low intelligence. I think it is a good analogy--that really IS how shocking that kind of behavior is to me.

 

[luvtoall]

but this is my point--the word "retarded" has been increasingly used to denote weird, drunk, stoned, stupid, and goofy behavior. People who have mental retardation often do act different, but I'm sure they would like to been afforded the respect that any other group has.

Back when i was a kid, it was common to denigrate others with a racial epithet. It was used as a put-down, to express superiority over another person, and to intimidate. Just because a word is in common usage doesn't make it okay and today we would all likely think twice before we "let 'er rip" with a racial epithet. I believe people with developmental disabilities, mental retardation, handicaps, or syndromes would only want to be treated with kindness and not hear themselves mocked in open court by the insensitive masses.

And their parents, who love them just the way they are, don't want to hear it either!

I could not agree more. I would never allow my kids to speak of others in ANY OFFENSIVE WAY and I am shocked when other parents do not correct their own kids. I have often said "we do not use that word in our house." If their parents are upset by my correction... tooooo bad.

 

[missypie]

I
I would like to know what is the correlation between using a r&b/pop song with the word "retarded" in it (the Black Eyed Peas song), to white kids in black face doing a minstrel number? They are both offensive but I am wondering why it jumped from one thing to the other. I don't know, maybe it really is just me.

OP here: I used the black face/minstrel number as an example of something that would be wildly inappropriate...My point was, if dancing to a song about being retarded, while pretending to depict retarded behavior/people was not outrageous enough to get them DQ'd from the competion, what WOULD be outrageous enough to disqualify them? Would a racially ofensive number be DQ'd? Would a sexually violent number be DQ'd?

 

[LMC]

I hope the audience send a loud and clear message of disapproval with NO APPLAUSE!

 

[ncgolfer]

Now you know the dance mommies went crazy with applause after their little princesses finished their dance routine!

 

[missypie]

Now you know the dance mommies went crazy with applause after their little princesses finished their dance routine!

I was near a group that was applauding wildly and whistling - I assume that was the group of parents.

Several of you have commented that "some adult" should have stopped this. The dancers were between the ages of 9-12, so it was obviously an adult who chose the music, choreographed it and costumed it. Whoever the teacher is is responsible; however, it's pretty amazing that the parents would let their kids participate.

I assume that Showstoppers relies on the judgment of the dance teachers in choosing to perform appropriate material. I would love to find out, however, if Showstoppers makes any statement regarding appropriateness on their writen materials, such that they would have the legal right to DQ a team if they wanted to.

 

[MELSMICE]

Every time I read a response to this thread I am appauled by the judgement of the so called "adults" that chose the music, costumes & choreographed the dance.

I just keep shaking my head.