“Saturday Night Live’s” Tourette’s sketch has been condemned by John Davidson’s charity Tourette’s Action.
Emma McNally, CEO of Tourette’s Action — a charity that has a longstanding relationship with John Davidson and was involved in the production of biopic “I Swear” — said in a statement: “Mocking a disability is never acceptable. It would not be tolerated for any other condition, and it should not be tolerated by people with Tourette’s.”
She continued: “Tourette’s is a complex neurological condition, of which there is no cure. It is not a joke. It is not a personality trait. It is not a source of entertainment. It is a condition that can be extremely debilitating, causing pain isolation and huge amounts of discrimination.”
The sketch was cut for time on the Feb. 28 episode of “SNL” but shared on YouTube, where it clocked almost 1 million views in a day. In it, the cast mocked a slew of canceled celebs including Andrew Dismukes as Mel Gibson, Kenan Thompson as Bill Cosby and Ashley Padilla as J. K. Rowling, claiming each one had said or done something controversial because of Tourette’s syndrome.
“I too suffer from Tourette’s, which explains a lot of the things I’ve said or yelled through the years,” said Dismukes as Gibson. “Am I proud of what I said? No. But I am very proud for you to know that it was because of Tourette’s. Unfortunately, I’m not alone.”
Meanwhile James Austin Johnson, in character as comedian Louis C.K., whose career imploded after he admitted to sexual misconduct, said: “Tourette’s sucks, especially if you get it in your penis.”
Last weekend, Tourette’s campaigner Davidson — whose life the subject of award-winning biopic “I Swear” — involuntarily shouted a number of curse words and slurs during the BAFTA Film Awards, including a racial slur while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage. Davidson said he was “mortified” over the episode while both BAFTA and the BBC, who broadcast the ceremony with a two-hour time delay but did not censor the slur, have come under fire.
Variety has approached NBC for comment.
Read McNally’s full statement below:
Over recent weeks, our community has faced an unprecedented wave of online trolling, misinformation, and targeted mockery. Following the extremely difficult events surrounding the BAFTAs, many people with Tourette’s have been struggling with fear, shame, isolation and a HUGE need to defend a condition they cannot control.
We had hoped this would be a new week and we could move on but the release of further content online that has been designed to ridicule Tourette’s and reduce our community to a punchline has only deepened that hurt.
I want to be completely clear here THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
Mocking a disability is never acceptable. It would not be tolerated for any other condition, and it should not be tolerated by people with Tourette’s.
Tourette’s is a complex neurological condition, of which there is no cure. It is not a joke. It is not a personality trait. It is not a source of entertainment. It is a condition that can be extremely debilitating, causing pain isolation and huge amounts of discrimination.
Videos and posts that deliberately misrepresent or sensationalise tics set us back years. A single video can undo the progress our community has spent years building toward greater awareness. I hope those creating these videos understand that they create real consequences for people in our community: fear, isolation, bullying, abuse, and a feeling among many that they must hide away to stay safe.
The trolling and harassment members of our community have endured in the past few days has been horrific. People have been targeted with threats and humiliation simply for having a condition they did not choose. No one should ever be treated that way.
These recent events have been painful for multiple communities, and I am not for one minute dismissing that hurt, but directing anger and ridicule to people with Tourette’s does nothing to heal that pain and does not move us forward.
What we need right now is people to be kind. We need compassion, accurate information and above all, we need education.
I am asking everyone, content creators, viewers, the media, and the wider public, to please consider the impact of what they say and what they share. Behind every tic is a person. A family. A life. A long standing history of being misunderstood.
I was always brought up with the motto that if you have nothing nice to say, then say nothing and to always, always be kind.
To those in the Tourette’s community: Please know you are not alone. We are here for you. I know times now are causing extreme pain but please don’t feel like you need to hide away. Reach out to us for support.
To the wider public who want to support: Please share our educational content, help us dispel the myths and help our community get one step closer to acceptance.
We will continue advocating, educating, and standing together as a community. #TogetherWeAreStronger
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