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Current Events > Lizzo rerecords 'Grrrls' following criticism over ableist lyric

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PatrickMahomes
06/14/22 2:17:58 PM
#1:


https://www.npr.org/2022/06/14/1104925003/lizzo-rerecords-grrrls-criticism-ableism

Singer songwriter Lizzo has rereleased her new single "Grrrls" with a lyric change after it sparked heated discussions online about ableist language.

The song, which is set to appear on her upcoming album Special, received praise and excitement from many fans upon its release last Friday. Others, especially those within the disability community, expressed concern about her use of the word "spaz," which many consider an ableist slur.

It originates from the term "spastic," which has historically been used to describe people with spastic paralysis and cerebral palsy. Often used in a derogatory way to describe people in the disability community, "spaz" or "spaz out" has also been used to refer to someone losing physical control or simply acting "weird" or "uncool." Webster's New World College Dictionary defines it as "someone regarded as being clumsy, awkward, stupid, odd, etc."

Lizzo released a statement on Monday acknowledging the "harmful word" in her song and announcing a rerecorded version of the song without the slur in it. "I never want to promote derogatory language. As a fat black woman in America, I've had many hurtful words used against me so I overstand the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case, unintentionally)," she wrote in her statement.

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gunplagirl
06/14/22 2:18:33 PM
#2:


Good on her

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Infinite 2003
06/14/22 2:20:28 PM
#3:


Why spastic people great till they gotta be great.

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KStateKing17
06/14/22 2:20:28 PM
#4:


I never knew it was a slur

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Tom Clark
06/14/22 2:20:40 PM
#5:


Fair play.

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littlebro07
06/14/22 2:21:49 PM
#6:


KStateKing17 posted...
I never knew it was a slur

this, but good choice on her part to rerecord it

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TheGoldenEel
06/14/22 2:22:06 PM
#7:


seems fair although her statement is a bit too self-congratulatory

i guess its preemptive pushback against the pushback

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TheGoldenEel
06/14/22 2:22:39 PM
#8:


KStateKing17 posted...
I never knew it was a slur
Supposedly its a serious slur in the UK and Australia

i dont think it really means anything bad like that in the US

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A_Good_Boy
06/14/22 2:22:41 PM
#9:


The new lyric makes more thematic sense anyways. Good on her for listening to criticism because even though it's minor it's an improvement all the same.

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justaguy3492
06/14/22 2:23:34 PM
#10:


Dumbest thing I read today. Close runner up is the people saying Taylor swift should also be in the crosshairs for a song called "stupid boy".

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EmbraceOfDeath
06/14/22 2:24:38 PM
#11:


Is she British? That's not how the word is used in the U.S.

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ZMythos
06/14/22 2:25:31 PM
#12:


I never knew it was a slur.

I always thought it was used to describe children/adolescents who lost control due to their temper (and/or hormones)


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CyricZ
06/14/22 2:25:52 PM
#13:


inb4 "she should use whatever words she wants I would say that word out loud right now" crowd.

Oops, too late.

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#14
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wackyteen
06/14/22 2:26:44 PM
#15:


I've seen it used as an insult but didn't know it was a full on slur

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faizan_faizan
06/14/22 2:27:34 PM
#17:


I'd that the huge girl

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LordMarshal
06/14/22 2:28:07 PM
#18:


Id rather support the original lyrics of any song even if its horribly offensive. I just think it should be whatever they originally wrote. But if she wanted to change it then thats cool too.

Even radio edits where its a very minor edit of "shit" or "fuck" annoys me.....

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Questionmarktarius
06/14/22 2:30:54 PM
#19:


Better to self-censor than to be externally censored. Always.
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WaterLink
06/14/22 2:32:10 PM
#20:


KStateKing17 posted...
I never knew it was a slur

Weird Al got shit for it when he used it in "Word Crimes" which was almost a decade ago.

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TheGoldenEel
06/14/22 2:32:56 PM
#21:


some people: hey Lizzo you know that word you used is extremely hurtful in certain countries where your music is popular

Lizzo: oh sorry yeah Ill change it

chuds: omg censorship! Cancel culture! Cant say anything anymore!

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A_Good_Boy
06/14/22 2:33:04 PM
#22:


LordMarshal posted...
Id rather support the original lyrics of any song even if its horribly offensive. I just think it should be whatever they originally wrote. But if she wanted to change it then thats cool too.

Even radio edits where its a very minor edit of "shit" or "fuck" annoys me.....
The new lyric makes much more sense and flows better anyways.

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Suolevram
06/14/22 2:33:42 PM
#23:


I like Snoops take on his lyrics from the past.

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K181
06/14/22 2:33:55 PM
#24:


British/Australian people: How dare you say spaz! That's amazingly offensive, you fucking c***s!

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spikethedevil
06/14/22 2:34:12 PM
#25:


Its as bad as the R word here in the UK. Mario Party 8 got recalled here because of it.

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DipDipDiver
06/14/22 2:34:30 PM
#26:


TheGoldenEel posted...
Supposedly its a serious slur in the UK and Australia

i dont think it really means anything bad like that in the US
Yeah I don't think so either but she is famous internationally so this seems like the right move
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Background_Guy
06/14/22 2:34:55 PM
#27:


The Br*t*sh are nettled
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Guide
06/14/22 2:34:58 PM
#28:


Never meant that here in the states.

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#29
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#30
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DipDipDiver
06/14/22 2:37:26 PM
#31:


spikethedevil posted...
Its as bad as the R word here in the UK. Mario Party 8 got recalled here because of it.
Never heard about that, wow
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FunkyCat
06/14/22 2:38:43 PM
#32:


As someone who had this word used against me plenty growing up for a neurologic condition I have, glad to hear she's removing it.

It's a very demeaning word in the UK, much like mong.

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radical rhino
06/14/22 2:39:50 PM
#33:


Ill stop saying spaz when the British stop calling everyone the c-word.

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DipDipDiver
06/14/22 2:44:21 PM
#34:


radical rhino posted...
Ill stop saying spaz when the British stop calling everyone the c-word.
I think that's the Australians
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Background_Guy
06/14/22 2:45:24 PM
#35:


DipDipDiver posted...
I think that's the Australians
The British are the ones who call cigarettes f**s
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Xethuminra
06/14/22 2:46:01 PM
#36:


No. I see how "spaz" could take a new, utterly offensive and demeaning meaning in the UK.
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A_Good_Boy
06/14/22 2:46:28 PM
#37:


radical rhino posted...
Ill stop saying spaz when the British stop calling everyone the c-word.
"I had no idea that word was offensive but now that I do I'm going to use it extra hard!"

Just stop bro.

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DipDipDiver
06/14/22 2:47:20 PM
#38:


Background_Guy posted...
The British are the ones who call cigarettes f**s
And a type of food too
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Funkydog
06/14/22 2:48:06 PM
#39:


DipDipDiver posted...
I think that's the Australians
Both. But Aussies use it much more liberally than us Brits.

The C-word usage varies, many consider it relatively mild but it's still not a word to use at work. It has grown in severity in recent years I feel, due to how it's considered an abomination in America.

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#40
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#41
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xXfireglzXx
06/14/22 3:04:19 PM
#42:


The guy who runs reddit?

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TendoDRM
06/14/22 3:13:21 PM
#44:


It's definitely not really an acceptable word in the US, either. Good for her, it didn't even really make sense how she was using it.

...Also did she just say "overstand" in her apology?

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spikethedevil
06/14/22 3:14:19 PM
#45:


Funkydog posted...
Both. But Aussies use it much more liberally than us Brits.

The C-word usage varies, many consider it relatively mild but it's still not a word to use at work. It has grown in severity in recent years I feel, due to how it's considered an abomination in America.

This. Also that F word is the legit name of a fruit but using it for slang for cigarette is dying out over here now.

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DipDipDiver
06/14/22 3:15:01 PM
#46:


TendoDRM posted...
...Also did she just say "overstand" in her apology?
It's an incredibly common phrase in hip-hop but yeah kinda weird to hear Lizzo say it lol
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#47
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Timmyjinkle
06/14/22 3:20:42 PM
#48:


Merely uttering it in public in the UK can get you up to six months in prison.
With a capital city with more CCTV than even Beijing ~ it's very difficult to say anything in public without recourse in the UK, of course.

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Xethuminra
06/14/22 3:22:04 PM
#49:


Is it synonymous with "freak" over there?
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TheGoldenEel
06/14/22 3:28:56 PM
#50:


TendoDRM posted...
It's definitely not really an acceptable word in the US, either. Good for her, it didn't even really make sense how she was using it.
sure it did, with the common US definition as given in the article in the OP

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MARKINGRAM22
06/14/22 3:30:11 PM
#51:


ZMythos posted...
I never knew it was a slur.

I always thought it was used to describe children/adolescents who lost control due to their temper (and/or hormones)
Everything is a slur by this standard.
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