Beyoncé was accused of using an ableist slur. Other terms we should stop saying too.
ableist slur in her new track “Heated,” Beyoncé is removing the word from the song – sending a reminder to all listening to avoid using offensive terms, no matter how popular they’ve become.
The track, on her highly-anticipated album “Renaissance,” left listeners upset after hearing the lyric, which used the word “spaz.”
In the song, Beyonce sings: “Spazzin’ on that a– / spazz on that a–.”
In a statement Monday, the singer’s team told Variety and Rolling Stone: “The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced.”
As a slang term, “spaz” has often been used to describe losing “physical or emotional control,” but has fallen increasingly out of fashion because of the word’s origin from “spastic”: “a form of muscular weakness (spastic paralysis) typical of cerebral palsy,” according to Lexico, an online dictionary.
Beyoncé to remove ‘ableist’ lyric from ‘Renaissance’ album after online backlash: Reports
If this sounds familiar, you’re right. In June, Lizzo apologized for including the same word on her track “Grrrls.” She also released a new version of the song.
“Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language,” Lizzo wrote in a Twitter post at the time. “As a Black fat woman in America, I’ve had many hurtful words used against me so I overstand (sic) the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case, unintentionally). This is the result of me listening and taking action.
previously told USA TODAY. “For example, ‘I am so OCD’ is often used to refer to someone being picky about details, neatness or organization. However, there are many different kinds of OCD, not all of which relate to organization or cleanliness.”
Other examples of words to avoid:
- ‘I’m being OCD’: Unless you actually have obsessive compulsive disorder, it’s best not to use this colloquially.
- ‘I’m so ADHD/ADD’: Same goes for using ADD and ADHD as a way to describe a difficulty focusing.
- ‘Schizo’: Schizophrenia is “a serious mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
- ‘Kill me,’ ‘I’m going to kill myself’: In 2020, 12.2 million American adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.2 million planned an attempt and 1.2 million actually attempted, according to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention. It’s not something to say lightly.
- ‘Bipolar’: Bipolar disorder “causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks,” according to the National Institute of Mental Health. There are three types of the condition: bipolar I, bipolar II and cyclothymia – none of which are casual.
Here’s how to tell them they’re wrong
‘This is the result of me listening’:Lizzo changes song lyric after being accused of using ableist slur
If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 any time day or night, or chat online.