|
Slur as a prompt? |
Post Reply 
|
Page 12> |
| Author | |||||||||||
Roaringhorn 
NYC Midnight Groupie 
Joined: 15 Jun 2023 Location: Perth Australia Status: Offline Points: 171 |
 Post Options
 Thanks(0)
 Quote Reply
 Topic: Slur as a prompt?Posted: 10 Jan 2026 at 1:22am |
||||||||||
|
Just got my prompts for R2 of Scary Story. G21 has 'a spaz' as the character prompt. Does this mean something different in the US? Because here that's an offensive slur for someone with a condition like cerebral palsy, same with its long form 'spastic' and is comparable to the r-word.
Am I supposed to be writing about someone with a movement disability? |
|||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||
|
NYC Midnight
Admin Group 
Joined: 31 Dec 2005 Location: Worldwide Status: Offline Points: 1978 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 10 Jan 2026 at 1:33am |
||||||||||
Edited by NYC Midnight - 10 Jan 2026 at 11:30am |
|||||||||||
|
Next up is the Flash Fiction Challenge kicking off May 1st
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
CFulwell
NYC Midnight Regular 
Joined: 30 Jan 2024 Location: Oxfordshire, UK Status: Offline Points: 304 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 10 Jan 2026 at 4:50am |
||||||||||
|
You have made a significant error here.
Outside the US bubble, particularly here in the UK, ‘spaz’ is worse than ‘retard’. Would you use ‘retard’ as a character prompt? I am writing to Charlie directly to withdraw from all NYCM competitions and I’ll be taking this to the AAPD and similar groups. I strongly encourage you to think carefully about this- it’s not acceptable.
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
ASimpson
NYC Midnight Newbie 
Joined: 02 Jun 2025 Location: Canterbury, NZ Status: Offline Points: 83 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 10 Jan 2026 at 4:50am |
||||||||||
|
The link you've shared confirms that this is Offensive Slang, the Etymology of the word from shortening spastic.
This is not okay.
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
Roaringhorn
NYC Midnight Groupie
Joined: 15 Jun 2023 Location: Perth Australia Status: Offline Points: 171 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 10 Jan 2026 at 5:14am |
||||||||||
|
I appreciate the clarification and understand this is an oversight rather than bad faith.
Having said that, I think its the US that's the exception here rather than the rule, and it's an unacceptable term in most other English-speaking countries.
Even mentally substituting it for klutz, it's still thrown me a little bit. I think the prompt ought to formally changed to something that doesn't have the same history and connotations. I get it's the middle of the night there though, and making that kind of call and switch probably takes a little time though. |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
mblackman
NYC Midnight Groupie
Joined: 09 Feb 2022 Location: Perth, WA. AUS Status: Offline Points: 109 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 10 Jan 2026 at 5:25am |
||||||||||
|
Chiming in as a fellow Australian and a teacher of students with disabilities who also happens to have learnt a lot about the history of disability rights in the US...this is not an acceptable character prompt. And as already pointed out, the dictionary definition provided states that is an offensive term. How is NYCM generating these prompts? I suppose there's some kind of random generator thing used but is there no human oversight? |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
Frey_a
NYC Midnight Black Belt
Joined: 30 Sep 2022 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 2194 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 10 Jan 2026 at 5:33am |
||||||||||
|
The dictionary flags it as offensive and derogatory. Even that definition offered flags it as often offensive (though I don't believe there is a non-offensive use). Mentally replacing a derogatory term with another word is not a solution.
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
CFulwell
NYC Midnight Regular
Joined: 30 Jan 2024 Location: Oxfordshire, UK Status: Offline Points: 304 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 10 Jan 2026 at 5:40am |
||||||||||
|
Also you have clearly not taken your own condescending advice and looked the word up in a ‘reputable dictionary’
Here’s the Oxford English Dictionary- reputable enough? It’s considered offensive. NYCM have got this wrong. It needs addressing. Edited by CFulwell - 10 Jan 2026 at 5:43am |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
R.C. Ahlstrom
NYC Midnight Newbie
Joined: 02 Nov 2025 Location: Melbourne, VIC Status: Offline Points: 47 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 10 Jan 2026 at 6:29am |
||||||||||
|
I agree 100% with the above responses. I was extremely taken aback by this prompt. I don't know how to begin writing for this, it has completely thrown me. I don't see how it matters whether it is used differently in the US. This is an English-language writing competition. No words that are derogatory in any form of standard English should be acceptable here. And, as others have pointed out, every reputable dictionary clearly states that this word is derogatory and offensive.
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
heyerinm
NYC Midnight Regular
Joined: 10 Jun 2023 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 449 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 10 Jan 2026 at 8:00am |
||||||||||
|
I thought it was considered offensive here in the US, too. That has been my understanding for some time now, at least. I remember several years ago when Lizzo had the word in one of her songs and ultimately changed it and apologized after receiving public shock and dismay.
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
Post Reply
|
Page 12> |
| Tweet |
| Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |
Topic Options