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| Dr. Georges Gilles de la Tourette (1857-1904) |
I am grateful that I do not suffer from Tourette's syndrome. This neurodevelopmental disorder must cause the sufferers untold misery as involuntarily they display muscular tics and/or verbal or phonic tics. It is estimated that around 1% of children of school age suffer from some form of the condition and I remember with some affection a childhood friend whose tics went crazy whenever he was stressed or nervous. His was not the most intense version of the syndrome but it blighted his life. Ron died from alcoholism in his forties.
Every summer at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival an award is given for the best new oneliner from a visiting comedian. This year that winning "joke" was delivered by Swedish comedian and children's author - Olaf Falafel. This was it:-
"I keep randomly shouting out 'Broccoli' and
'Cauliflower' - I think I might have florets".
Do you get it? There is a play upon the word "florets" which of course rhymes with "Tourette's".
I hope that I am not being oversensitive or too politically correct but I am not applauding this winning joke. It appears to be taking the piss out of an unfortunate minority who suffer from a debilitating condition that they cannot control and very much wish that they did not have. The curiously named Olaf Falafel should himself be grateful that he is not a Tourette's sufferer.
I wonder if the target of his joke had been different would it also have won acclaim? What if it had focused upon people in wheelchairs or the elderly? Maybe women or homosexuals or the homeless? What about black people or followers of the Jewish faith?
I doubt that Olaf Falafel intended any offence but accidentally he may have helped in a small way to further marginalise and poke fun at a significant minority of unfortunate people who have suffered from far too much misunderstanding and mockery through the centuries.
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Link to Tourette's Action UK
ReplyDeleteA boy who was at our school the last two years (he's in high school this year) suffers terribly from Tourette's. He could barely get through a whole day without having to sit in the nurse's office with his tics. And when they increased his medication to try to help him function, he was like a zombie. That poor boy has a hard time and I can't imagine how hard high school must be for him. His name is Gabe.
If you happen to see him say hello to Gabe for me. Maybe you can direct him to this blogpost or he might simply like to have a look at "Tourette's Action UK".
DeleteI believe I have a good sense of humour, but I find no humour in that joke.
ReplyDeleteIt is very hard to create a successful oneliner but for me this one poked fun at unfortunate people. There's no need for that is there?
DeleteNo, there is not.
DeleteI'm pretty sure I've heard tourettes used as comic material more than once. I can see the funny side but the only people who get to make fun of disability are the people suffering
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean. Only Tourette's sufferers or those close to them should really be telling jokes about the condition.
DeleteAs a follower of the Jewish faith, I give you permission to call followers of the Jewish faith "Jews". I know that a lot of non-followers of the Jewish faith cringe at using the word "Jew" because of the way they have probably heard it used by other non-followers of the Jewish faith, but among us MOT (Members of the Tribe), it's not a bad word.
ReplyDeleteMy server here on the north shore of Long Island could not open your link to Tourette's Action UK so I have to ask, did they not like the joke?
I know that one Tourette's support organisation expressed their distaste. I am not sure if it was that one. With regard to my expression "followers of the Jewish faith", I used it very deliberately. I was born into The Church of England though I became an atheist at a very early age. Even if I was still a churchgoer I would object to being defined by my religion. It would be a minor feature of my identity - way behind being a Yorkshireman or English. Why is apparently different for those who follow the Jewish faith I wonder.
DeleteMy nephew is a highly paid personal security guard. He was also a corpsman in Navy Seals so he has extensive medical training to boot. He spent many years as a bodyguard to a boy, and then a young man, who belongs to an extremely wealthy American family. They traveled extensively, and since the boy had a extreme version of tourettes (cussing and terrible tics) , some of the places they traveled were not always understanding about his condition. They definitely had problems on occasion but nothing that he couldn't handle. They were lucky! They could afford to have him cared for and kept safe. Not all tourettes sufferers are as lucky.
ReplyDeleteNot really a fodder for comedy in my book but I have been called over sensitive.
We shouldn't let everything just slide - as if everything was okay. Some things are not okay and we should call them out.
DeleteThat was a terrible joke. Humor should not be at others' expense, and that was.
ReplyDeleteWe are on the same wavelength Allison.
DeleteTourette's suffers get all kinds of free abuse. Had a few in my classes over the years.
ReplyDeleteI sincerely hope that they didn't receive abuse from their teacher!
DeleteIn my experience teachers were the worst, especially the 'funny' ones.
DeleteRed and I were both teachers but we were very serious.
DeleteIt isn't even a funny joke..... and not in " good taste" !! I was reading out much funnier jokes from " The Ha Ha Bonk" book to my grandchildren last week.
ReplyDeleteDoctor doctor I keep thinking I am a dog.
Well, sit on the couch and we will talk about it.
But I'm not allowed on up the couch !
I hope you allow your grandchildren up on the couch Frances!
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