Autism joke in the "21 Jump Street" movie

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I couldn't find a safe-for-work clip of it, but this article explains the joke a lot better:

http://www.examiner.com/autism-parentin ... pejorative

So stupid! And of course the Autism Speaks woman would be in it, those people are fear-mongering richies.

I don't mean to sound insensitive but all this over that little comment!? Quote from http://www.examiner.com/autism-parentin ... pejorative "I feel that this is promoting bullying and verbal abuse" You're worried about a little comment and not about the school students taking drugs, drinking alcohol and violence!?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppw0hkeuSUw&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fuploaded%3Dm%26search_type%3Dvideos%26uni%3D3%26search_query%3D21%2Bjump%2Bstreet%2Btrailer[/youtube]
The insult scene is 3:30 into that video. (Not what you called 'safe-for-work clip)

I seriously think some people need to get their priorities right, there's far bigger problems in this video then a single insult. Alcohol, drugs and violence are becoming bigger and bigger problems in our schools and I honestly don't see anything being done about it!

Being "worried about a little comment" doesn't mean one isn't worried about anything else. The reality is that there are many things people are concerned about, and bringing attention to one issue- does not take away from others. Many people with autism are segregated as it is, (as are their parents) there are many that don't have a voice, and therefore people choose to be a voice for them, and any injustice they may endure. Bringing attention to an ignorant comment is about promoting equality, and respect, by making people aware. If the character accused of being "autistic" because his work was "s**t", would have responded with a derogatory statement, such as- "No, are you a dumb Nig__r/ Fag__t/ ?" or whatever other derogatory word is popular today, I'm pretty certain that it would not have gone over too well. Ignorance promotes ignorance, and speaking out against it doesn't mean it's the only issue that matters, it means it's part of a bigger issue.

I think you are partly misinterpreting what I mean. Jokes like these are superficial and they happen daily and in almost every comedy movie. When somebody calls someone a 'fag' how many times do they actually mean the word in its literal definition? Rarely.

If a bully was to use an insult like this I have no doubt the person would have simply used another one if they couldn't use this one. The amount of even bullies who actually mean insults in the literal forms are likely way under 1%. If somebody wants to insult you they will, it doesn't really matter what the insult is, only the effect matters.

The time wasted overreacting to 'politically incorrect' superficial things could have been spent on far better things. Fighting a battle like that will never end anything. 'If you want to stop drugs what would you target? The source.' The same theory should be applied to bullies. Getting rid of one insult at a time will never solve anything, getting rid of insults would cut the head off of the snake.
A venomous snake without its fangs is as harmless as its prey.

I saw the movie and enjoyed it.

That scene i didn't really feel was a put down. Its making the connection to the classic savant pictures with strings stereotype but this board is obviously a little lacking and well organized. I kind of feel its made to make ice cube look like an ignorant crude cop/captain.

I'm not the only one who thought it wasn't really that much of a put down?
Now I just have to figure out if people instantly assuming that the worst is meant is a bad or a good thing? .... They may have had good intentions but its still a bit of a "OMG why would you tell that dirty of a joke for!? You've got a sick mind!" "Oh, so how did you understand the joke then?" situation

Redacted

Last edited by nat4200 on 21 Apr 2012, 1:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

I got a bit offended by that remark in the trailer due to the fact and assumption of him saying are you autistic? Like in a way asking are you ret*d or stupid? This comes to show that the majority is still ignorant as ever when people have to come up with offensive jokes, its cheap dirty humor. I guess I can just shrug it off though It is not like I have not been called derogatory terms before in my face by people who do not understand the disorder.

In a movie that is almost stereotypically filled with the cheapest humor, using the cheapest jokes and cheapest laughs....
...well I just don't see the profit in being offended. Or even subscribing to the notion that this represents an element within society at large.

Although I'm probably not the best to answer this, I think being offended is like having an oil lamp burning during the day. It doesn't help anyone. It just costs you.

The message is loud and clear. Autistics are inappropriate as police officers and autistics should be fired.

Ha I happen to know a police officer who has autism hmm talk about irony havent seen the movie autism jokes dont offend me cause I do not care what people think.

Seems to me like complaining about a tiny piece of straw in a huge pile of manure. Take the straw out and what's left?

It's still a huge pile of manure.

I'm amazed anyone really cared.

I don't find it funny, but why the heck would I be offended to the extent of giving a damn about it?

If it were up to the Cops we would still have prohibition of the sale of alcohol and anybody that disagreed would be called autistic.

I'm not down with the use of any diagnostic term as an insult, just as I don't like the word fag regardless of context. Because they're microagressions and while individually they may not hurt too much they pile up and make a lot of popular culture a constant reminder to marginalized groups (like autistics) that they are weird and unwelcome. If they were referring to the organization of the board seeming like something someone with our neurology would do (I thought it was a pretty cool board) it wouldn'tve been so bad I think, But it seemed like they were using autistic as a replacement word for ret*d.
So I didn't like that.
I did like that it wasn't said by a character we're supposed to be "rooting for", the movie wasn't trying to make us like the captain by having him say that. Some movies try to make their characters cool by having them s**t on "othered" people and I'm glad that wasn't the case here.
I did like the way the main character played it off "yes, it is artistic" that made me cringelaugh because I've misheard it the same way, also because it didn't show the main characters being offended, as though being called autistic is horribly insulting to them as non-autistic persons.