Willie Wonka and the R-Word

As I sat watching the newer version of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with my daughter, I heard the r-word. One of the child characters in the movie said it, making a negative comparison. S is sensitive to the use of the r-word and usually shrinks a little from it. I know it is hurtful to her. She quickly moves on and does not want to talk about it.

Why, as a society, would we think it is acceptable to say something that we know hurts others? Even worse, the people who are hurt, are innocent. They haven't done anything wrong.


There is nothing inherently wrong with the r-word. Words are only what we make of them. But our society has made that word negative over time and has made people with intellectual disabilities feel stigmatized, simply for who they are.


There are some who argue that we should be able to use the r-word and that we should start to use it more so that it shows that people with intellectual disabilities are fully accepted and that it is ok to have a disability. It would be great if the use of the r-word held no negative connotations and that having a disability was considered part of the normal human condition.

As a society, we are not there, yet. And even after all of our protests, campaigns, and public-service announcements, the r-word is still used in a negative way every day openly and publicly.

Here's what we can do:

1.  Stop the person immediately. You do not have to be rude. You just have to make them aware that what they said is not acceptable. Don't just laugh uncomfortably. Don't not say anything as that implies your consent. Don't let people Twitter it without saying something.

2.  Write a letter. Every time you hear the r-word used in a derogatory manner on television, radio, in music lyrics, or in a movie, write whomever you think is responsible for it. Every time you read an article on the web that uses that word, write them a concise, quick note as to why they should not. It will only take you a few minutes. Often less, if you write it as a comment on their website. Write a letter of protest every single time.

3. Don't use the word, ever.