What's on your mind?

[Stopwatch]

I think what this really boils down to is a difference in meaning from the UK to the US.  I don't know anyone in the US who would say spaz to refer to someone who is disabled, from what I've gathered it sounds like they would say that person is epileptic/suffers from epileptic seizures.  This is the reason that spaz isn't seen as such a harsh insult here in the US as compared to, say, retard.  Here, some people actually would use retard to refer to disabled people in a derogative way.  So because in the US spaz has no harsher meaning, while retard does, spaz is seen as a much more casual insult here.  However, in the UK, both have the same harsh meaning, and that's why you think spaz is such a terrible insult.

I should add that I'm not trying to defend the use of the word spaz.  Now that I know what it means, I'll try to avoid using it, especially when talking to people from the UK.  I just want to help you guys in the UK understand why people from the US might use it more casually than you will, so if you're talking to anyone from the US and they say spaz, hopefully you'll understand that they're not trying to be as offensive as you think they are.  :)

Actually, I already linked something that explained why the US doesn't seem to find it as offensive. Fairly sure we know full well you don't mean it that way and for me, I only take it badly when someone is aware of its 'meaning' (so pretty much any other Brit) and they *still* use it in that purposefully insulting way.

Also, today is going to end so badly ...

[mangaluva]

Sitting here watching Up! with my brother, who's never seen it before.

This is the third bloody time I've seen this movie. WHY AM I STILL CRYING ENOUGH TO BRING ON SEVERE DEHYDRATION. DAMMIT, PIXAR. WILL YOU NEVER BE SATISFIED UNTIL I HAVE DROWNED IN MY OWN TEARS?!

[Nix]

@"Spaz": I don't know how it's taken in Australia actually. I've never come across the word in all the years I've been here, and I'm not in the habit of saying it often though my understanding of it is predominantly American version. I had no idea it was such a big insult until Manga said so. I honestly didn't really feel "retard" being that serious of an insult either. I don't know, I never associated those words with the conditions??

Same here. Hardly anyone says that (some might, but not me). Here in Australia, I guess the general insults are a bit more common. To tell the truth, when I first heard 'spazzy' it kinda felt like...'jazzy' a little. Yeah, so I guess it depends on where you are.

[kkslider5552000]

Sitting here watching Up! with my brother, who's never seen it before.

This is the third bloody time I've seen this movie. WHY AM I STILL CRYING ENOUGH TO BRING ON SEVERE DEHYDRATION. DAMMIT, PIXAR. WILL YOU NEVER BE SATISFIED UNTIL I HAVE DROWNED IN MY OWN TEARS?!

I saw it for a 2nd time on tv, and was satisfied stopping after the first 10 minutes. I honestly think the rest of the movie's just kinda above average but that 10 minutes alone deserves all the praise in the world.

[Nix]

Sitting here watching Up! with my brother, who's never seen it before.

This is the third bloody time I've seen this movie. WHY AM I STILL CRYING ENOUGH TO BRING ON SEVERE DEHYDRATION. DAMMIT, PIXAR. WILL YOU NEVER BE SATISFIED UNTIL I HAVE DROWNED IN MY OWN TEARS?!

I saw it for a 2nd time on tv, and was satisfied stopping after the first 10 minutes. I honestly think the rest of the movie's just kinda above average but that 10 minutes alone deserves all the praise in the world.

I agree, it is one of the most heart-wrenching scene that screen pixels can create.

[GinRei]

mongo (derived from mongoloid, a terribly rude term for someone with Down's Syndrome)

Not worldwide, at least.

Unfortunately, my flatmate read the synopsis on the back and went "oh my god, that is such a bloody ripoff of Hunger Games!" >_>

Smack her.  Smack her with the spine.

I should mention that as soon as you guys said it was meant to be a derogatory term, I could figure out what it referred to, just I wouldn't have reached that conclusion on my own. Awareness is definitely an issue.

Agreed.  Though in the US, it obviously doesn't matter.  The slang took on a meaning and life of its own.  If only 1% of people know where it came from, then it really isn't offensive.  It's almost like "Porch Monkey" from Clerks 2.

[mangaluva]

Sitting here watching Up! with my brother, who's never seen it before.

This is the third bloody time I've seen this movie. WHY AM I STILL CRYING ENOUGH TO BRING ON SEVERE DEHYDRATION. DAMMIT, PIXAR. WILL YOU NEVER BE SATISFIED UNTIL I HAVE DROWNED IN MY OWN TEARS?!

I saw it for a 2nd time on tv, and was satisfied stopping after the first 10 minutes. I honestly think the rest of the movie's just kinda above average but that 10 minutes alone deserves all the praise in the world.

Oh my goodness, yes. MISCARRIAGE AND CANCER, PIXAR? IN A MOVIE ABOUT BLOODY BALLOONS?!

[kkslider5552000]

Sitting here watching Up! with my brother, who's never seen it before.

This is the third bloody time I've seen this movie. WHY AM I STILL CRYING ENOUGH TO BRING ON SEVERE DEHYDRATION. DAMMIT, PIXAR. WILL YOU NEVER BE SATISFIED UNTIL I HAVE DROWNED IN MY OWN TEARS?!

I saw it for a 2nd time on tv, and was satisfied stopping after the first 10 minutes. I honestly think the rest of the movie's just kinda above average but that 10 minutes alone deserves all the praise in the world.

Oh my goodness, yes. MISCARRIAGE AND CANCER, PIXAR? IN A MOVIE ABOUT BLOODY BALLOONS?!

anime taught me that animation made for kids with dark as hell stuff in it is the greatest thing ever

[mangaluva]

Sitting here watching Up! with my brother, who's never seen it before.

This is the third bloody time I've seen this movie. WHY AM I STILL CRYING ENOUGH TO BRING ON SEVERE DEHYDRATION. DAMMIT, PIXAR. WILL YOU NEVER BE SATISFIED UNTIL I HAVE DROWNED IN MY OWN TEARS?!

I saw it for a 2nd time on tv, and was satisfied stopping after the first 10 minutes. I honestly think the rest of the movie's just kinda above average but that 10 minutes alone deserves all the praise in the world.

Oh my goodness, yes. MISCARRIAGE AND CANCER, PIXAR? IN A MOVIE ABOUT BLOODY BALLOONS?!

anime taught me that animation made for kids with dark as hell stuff in it is the greatest thing ever

You know, it really is. Because most of the seriously dark stuff goes right over kids' heads, so it's not like they're traumatized or anything (lord knows I missed a good half of Hunchback of Notre Dame as a kid, I totally thought Frollo wanted to marry Esmeralda), but when you're an adult it's like suddenly discovering a whole new movie.

[GinRei]

Same with a lot of jokes in things like Shrek.  No way kids get 70% of those jokes, but adults understand and love them.

[aly_angelflight]

I need to stop subconsciously grabbing the mouse sitting next to me and trying to use it. It's not even plugged in.

[Akonyl]

Same with a lot of jokes in things like Shrek.  No way kids get 70% of those jokes, but adults understand and love them.

they're pretty necessary for kids' movies though, because otherwise parents would never wanna take their kids to see em 

[Callid]

Apparently, there is some disagreement about the definition of thread o.O
*adds a note to the MFA rules that a series of threads is not a thread, but a series of threads*

[Kor]

Apparently, there is some disagreement about the definition of thread o.O
*adds a note to the MFA rules that a series of threads is not a thread, but a series of threads*

That's probably because in the last two times, you could vote in the "Favorite Thread" to a series of threads.

[Callid]

Apparently, there is some disagreement about the definition of thread o.O
*adds a note to the MFA rules that a series of threads is not a thread, but a series of threads*

That's probably because in the last two times, you could vote in the "Favorite Thread" to a series of threads.

IIRC, I already spoke out against it back then :x
Well, we can have "Favorite Thread Series" next year

In any case, had a series of threads been eligible, I'd have said that. I didn't :x