Spastic
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A spastic is properly someone who suffers from spasticity.
[edit] The Connotation in the United Kingdom
- A sufferer of spasticity. This usage is generally believed to have been popularized from its use in the name of The Spastics Society, a charity for people with cerebral palsy. As a result of the next listed usage, this usage has become offensive to many.
- A politically incorrect term of abuse for an ungainly person, as in "You're such a spastic" (also colloquially abbreviated to "spa", "spaz", "spag", "spack", "spacko", "scoper" and "spacker"), derived from a popular misconception that those with any physical disability resulting in spasticity would necessarily also have a mental or developmental disability. When a "spacker" has a fit, it is often referred to as a "spack attack".
In the mid-1980s, some people with Cerebral Palsy attempted to "reclaim" the term. This is the meaning in the Ian Dury and the Blockheads song: Spasticus Autisticus, and it is also used in the Ben Elton book Gridlock.
The Spastics Society is now named SCOPE, leading to the colloquial use of the expression Scoper or Scopers to be used in place of sense three. A widely held belief is that what is now Scope, was in effect forced to change its name because of the BBC Children's television show Blue Peter. The show in the early eighties featured a "spastic" named Joey Deacon. The term "You Joey" became a popular vulgarism with children at that time, along with "you spaz". Consequently, the terms spastic and all above associates evolved developed derogatory connotations.
[edit] The Connotation in America
On occasion North American TV series or movies, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly and Meatballs, will use the term "Spaz" and get a different reaction from British and American audiences.
The difference in understanding of the term was recently highlighted by an incident with the golfer Tiger Woods; after losing the US Masters Tournament in 2006, he said, "I was so in control from tee to green, the best I've played for years... But as soon as I got on the green I was a spaz." This comment went uncommented upon in America where the term does not have the same connotations that it does in the UK. Americans usually associate the term with clumsiness often stemming from over excitement, excessive energy, or hyperactivity. It is generally considered an inoffensive term. As with Tiger Woods, it is sometimes said of oneself. On learning of the furor over his comments, Woods' representative apologized for causing offense a few days later. Reuters on CNN/SI
Most Americans were surprised when they learned about the controversy. In fact, at least one American dictionary (Merriam Webster's) makes no reference to cerebral palsy in its definition or word origins. It simply defines "spaz" as a shortening of the word "spastic" and "one who is inept."
[edit] "Spaz" products
Many products in America use the word Spaz as part of their name because of the American connotation of energy and excitement.
Controversy arises if products are sold in the UK under the same name. In particular the manufacturers and importers of the Spazz wheelchair were criticised by the British SCOPE charity when they put the wheelchair on sale in the UK. SCOPE expressed a fear that the usage of the word as an insult would increase again, after a steady decline since the 1980s. [1]
A caffeinated lipbalm created by a police officer is called "SpazzStick." [2]
An energy drink is called "Spaz Juice" and has a slogan, "all the energy you need to annoy everybody else." [3]
"Spaz-Stix" is the company that produces high end remote control car/plane paints. [4]
