As soon as I heard her mutter the word on Thursday morning’s Live With Regis and Kelly, I knew Jennifer Aniston was in trouble.
During the appearance to promote her new movie, The Switch, Aniston discussed a photo shoot in which she dressed up like Barbra Streisand. “Yes, I play dress up! I do it for a living, like a retard,” Aniston said.
Predictably, several advocate groups for those with mental and developmental disabilities, including the Special Olympics, were quick to respond.
“Special Olympics is always disappointed when the R-word is used, especially by someone who is influential to society,” a representative for the organization said. “The pervasive use of the R-word, even in an off the cuff self-deprecating manner, dehumanizes people with intellectual disabilities and perpetuates painful stereotypes that are a great source of suffering and negative stigma.”
Topics: General |
