Autism group demands apology from CBS (AP)

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The word "ret*d", used as a verb, indicates an action intended to delay another action, as when one ret*ds the spark in an old-fashioned distributor (in order to delay the transmission of the spark to the spark plugs, to permit optimal compression of the air/fuel mix in an internal-combustion engine). It's seldom used in that sense any more, given that every internal-combustion engine manufactured currently uses computer controls for the entire combustion cycle in order to improve efficiency and reduce pollution, so the spark is automatically ret*d or advanced as needed. It can also be used as a fancy way to refer to slowing someone or something down ("retarding their progress").

Used as a noun, the word has no literal meaning - it is a slang term, used as a derogatory reference to the developmentally-disabled (or, more broadly, to anyone of whom the speaker disapproves, but of whom he has no specific complaint - see modern slang usage of "gay" or "stupid"). The speaker clearly intended to use it to denigrate his supposed charges, the autistic children he claimed to have cared for (a claim which, it would appear, has since been disproved). It was meant to be insulting - either the speaker did not care about angering an entire segment of the population with his blatant bigotry, or more likely he didn't think any of us would hear about it (I personally don't watch the show, and were it not for the mention here, I doubt I would have ever known of this incident).

It is sad when people make statements like that. CBS should have edited the segment.

Censorship is never the solution.

Censorship, my friend, has nothing to do with it. Every moment on every "reality" show is edited in order to cause the audience to react to the character- excuse me, the "real person" there, in the fashion desired by the show's writer- er, producer. That segment was deliberately left in the tape, chosen from moments probably spanning days but edited down to fit into 42 minutes of airtime. Unless we're to believe that this "Adam" fellow did even worse things in the moments we didn't see (drown kittens? Fashion nooses and hang them from crosses? Dress up like an SS trooper?), then CBS does indeed owe our community an apology, for giving this punk a nationwide forum for his bigotry.

The right to speak freely does not imply the right to a broadcast soapbox.

I totally agree with you on that point. However your forgetting how boring reality television really. Shows like BB feed on controversy because that is what keeps it's interesting. The reason I think BB left that segment in there was to highlight the animosiity between Adam and his partner. BB's new twist being that your fate in the game is entagled with someone elses. His partner in the game used his idiotic comment to dislike him even more. Self-righteousness is always a BB theme in the house and his partner has it in spades. She rationalizes her dislike for her partner in the game by playing victim's adovate for knowing kids who have autism.




Why does CBS owe anyone an apology? They don't own Adam. Adam isn't some robot off the CBS assembly line. He is just competing for cash on a reality televison show which centers on controversy and people not getting along with each other. The knee jerk reaction of policing everyone's action is nonsensical. How would that solve anything. People will still continue to believe what they want to believe about autism. It's kind of insulting to think that the audience watching BB is not bright enough to realize that Adam's comment was insensitive and insulting.

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He wasn't on a soapbox, he was trying (albeit a bit too hard IMHO) to fit in with his other housemates by becoming the House jackass. Again it's not like people acutally are going to take this guy seriously. He is a contestant on a reality show for cripes sake.

that pisses me off.

There's a thread about this on autismvox.com. Apparently, the guy never worked with kids, he was just a salesman for this foundation which is supposed to be raising money for a dental clinic. That's all, no contact with any kids. The whole foundation in fact seems very fishy.

I have one question.

Why does anyone even care what this yuppie thinks?

That is irrelevant. The dude is clearly an idiot. Why not show the world what an idiot he is? Why cut out the footage of him behaving like the idiot he is? It's not CBS's job to make this guy look like less of an idiot. They're not in the business of promoting this guy. They're in the business of promoting the advertisers by keeping viewers glued to the set. They got footage of this guy being an idiot. They got footage of conflict. Conflict is drama. Drama is what keeps viewers glued to the set. The idiot man does not speak for CBS, he speaks for himself, providing CBS with conflict much like a written antagonist would. Cutting out his worst displays of idiotic behavior wouldn't be good for anyone but him. He'd seem like less of a jerk. He wouldn't look so bad. What's the point of that? The guy's an idiot. Why not let the world know?


That could have been a point if they didn't clearly show him as the antagonist, which they did. It was obvious that he was the bad guy. He has the right to say what the f*ck he wants, what he doesn't have is the right to sound like he's right when doing so. People aren't gonna watch it and go "hey, that's a nice fella - I think I'm gonna start acting more like him", they're gonna go "that guy is an insensitive dick and possibly a compulsive liar", which in my opinion isn't a problem.


No, but to some extent being on a reality show does. And CBS are not obligated in any way to make this guy look good.

'Big Brother' bonehead's autism group apologizes for 'ret*ds' comment (New York Daily News)

That could have been a point if they didn't clearly show him as the antagonist, which they did. It was obvious that he was the bad guy. He has the right to say what he wants, what he doesn't have is the right to sound like he's right when doing so. People aren't gonna watch it and go "hey, that's a nice fella - I think I'm gonna start acting more like him", they're gonna go "that guy is insensitive and possibly a compulsive liar", which in my opinion isn't a problem.


No, but to some extent being on a reality show does. And CBS are not obligated in any way to make this guy look good.

But they also need to know what will cause a controversy and what won't.

I hope Adam gets kicked off the show. Even better, I hope he gets fired from his job. Because of this I have decided to boycott any Big Brother episodes untill appropriate action is made.

I care because this guy doesn't deserve to be on the show. He doesn't deserve to be with autistic kids.

I have decided to boycott all reality shows until they are produced with intelligence, compassion, insight...pretty much for the rest of my life, I guess.

I agree. They should not allow him to continue working there, and I hope the parents complain.

But he's never worked with any. He's a fraud.