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Elon Musk keeps tweeting the 'R-word.' Disability advocates say he needs to stop. (www.usatoday.com)

submitted 1 day ago by imvii to c/[email protected]

88 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Elon Musk has the ear of one of the most powerful people in the world – President Donald Trump – making him one of the most powerful people in the world, too. He's been given unfettered access to adjust the federal government's budget and headcount.

So what's he doing posting a slur multiple times targeting the disabled community on social media?

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

That's the good ol' euphemism cycle/treadmill. Linguists have long observed a process of semantic shift, often pejoration, for words of taboo subjects.

Words idiot, imbecile, moron were technical designations that became offensive yet somehow later softened into acceptable insults.

Words colored people, negro, black went through the euphemism cycle. At some point black was reclaimed & became acceptable. Now people are afraid to say it again.

VD became STD and now it's STI. I still don't know what was wrong with STD.

This phenomenon reflects society's avoidance of uncomfortable ideas by shifting words. The words change, though it's questionable they objectively change society's discomfort toward the subjects. The phenomenon might be reasonably criticized as ineffective & distracting.

Can you guess what will happen to today's euphemisms?