EXCLUSIVE: Saturday Night Live‘s send-up of the BAFTA racial slur incident has proved to be no laughing matter for a leading Tourette’s syndrome charity.
In a statement shared with Deadline, Tourettes Action, which has supported campaigner John Davidson and the film I Swear since its release last year, decried SNL‘s intervention.
In the PSA-style skit titled ‘Tourette’s,’ a host of celebrities, including J.K. Rowling, Mel Gibson, Armie Hammer, Louis C.K., and Bill Cosby claim they suffer from Tourette’s, which would explain problematic comments or actions they have been involved in.
“I’m Mel Gibson, and as I probably should have pointed out decades ago, I too, suffer from Tourette’s, which explains a lot of the things I’ve said or yelled through the years,” said the Braveheart star, portrayed by Andrew Dismukes.
The sketch followed Davidson, who has dedicated his life to supporting others with Tourette syndrome, involuntarily shouting the N-word at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo at the BAFTA Film Awards last month.
Tourettes Action CEO Emma McNally was unambiguous in her thoughts on SNL, turning on capslock in her email to Deadline: “THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.”
She continued: “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.”
McNally continued: “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.”
A Saturday Night Live spokesperson has been approached for comment. McNally’s full statement is below, but she was not alone in criticizing the video.
Al Murray, a British comedian and Spitting Image writer, said it was “disgusting.” He added: “The problem with the ‘punch up punch down’ thing is what if you’re upside down.”
James Dreyfus, who plays Lord Gormon Massey in HBO’s House of the Dragon, said: “Good grief. Only goes to show that ‘regime comedians’ are as desperately unamusing, cringeworthy, pig- ignorant & prejudiced as they are over here.”
NAACP Image Awards host Deon Cole has also been slammed for his joke about Davidson over the weekend. Leading the NAACP audience in mock prayer, he said: “If there are any white men out here in the audience, Lord, with Tourette’s. I advise you to tell them they’d better read the room tonight, Lord … Whatever medicine they on, they better double up on it.”
Sharing the clip, Piers Morgan said: “Hollywood continuing to mock John Davidson over his Tourette’s condition is one of the most despicable things I’ve witnessed in a long time.”
Over the weekend, Davidson thanked the Tourette’s community for its support. “Whilst I will never apologies [sic] for having Tourette syndrome, I will apologise for any pain, upset and misunderstanding that it may create,” he wrote on Facebook. “This past week has been tough, and has reminded me that what I do raising awareness for such a misunderstood condition, there is still a long way to go and I will keep on keeping on until this is achieved.”
Tourettes Action CEO Emma McNally’s Full ‘SNL’ Statement:
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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