Duplicate Keywords - List #44 (intellectual disability keywords) (Proposals for Permanent Merger and Auto-Conversion)

Here is the next installment of my lists of proposed keywords for permanent merger and auto-conversion.

I am posting this for fellow contributors to review first and raise any objections or questions. I will wait at least 14 days before changing this post to a "problem" post and asking IMDb staff to make the proposed changes.

As with my list of mental illness keywords, I am breaking my normal rule of only posting keywords or sets of keywords that are currently assigned to at least 50 titles. When it comes to permanent changes on a mass scale, I feel it's important to have uniformity and consistency across a set of related keywords as a whole, so I have included some keywords with less than 50 titles as an exception to my normal rule.

The mergers and auto-conversions should be made in the direction of the arrows.

Duplicate Keywords Proposed for Permanent Merging and Auto-Conversion

down's-syndrome (59 titles) --> down-syndrome (276 titles)

mentally-challenged-adult (3 titles) --> adult-with-an-intellectual-disability (10 titles)

mentally-challenged-boy (14 titles) --> intellectually-disabled-boy (3 titles) --> boy-with-an-intellectual-disability (3 titles)

mentally-challenged-brother (3 titles) --> brother-with-an-intellectual-disability (4 titles)

mentally-challenged-protagonist (9 titles) --> intellectually-disabled-protagonist (2 titles)

mentally-challenged-sidekick (65 titles) --> bumbling-sidekick (21 titles)

mentally-challenged-slur (5 titles) --> intellectual-disability-slur (22 titles)

mentally-challenged-teenager (3 titles) --> teenager-with-an-intellectual-disability (1 title)

mentally-retarded (10 titles) --> mental-retardation (304 titles) --> retardation (28 titles) --> mentally-challenged (89 titles) --> intellectually-disabled (9 titles) --> intellectual-disability (110 titles)

mentally-retarded-daughter (3 titles) --> mentally-challenged-daughter (8 titles) --> daughter-with-an-intellectual-disability (2 titles)

mentally-retarded-man (3 titles) --> retarded-man (8 titles) --> mentally-impaired-person (4 titles) --> mentally-challenged-man (84 titles) --> intellectually-disabled-man (11 titles) --> man-with-an-intellectual-disability (12 titles)

mentally-retarded-person (13 titles) --> mentally-challenged-person (54 titles) --> mentally-impaired-person (4 titles) --> intellectually-disabled-person (18 titles) --> person-with-an-intellectual-disability (36 titles)

mentally-retarded-son (10 titles) --> mentally-challenged-son (6 titles) --> son-with-an-intellectual-disability (4 titles)

pretending-to-be-intellectually-disabled (1 title) --> pretending-to-be-mentally-challenged (4 titles) --> faking-an-intellectual-disability (5 titles)

retarded-child (20 titles) --> mentally-challenged-child (6 titles) --> intellectually-disabled-child (4 titles) --> child-with-an-intellectual-disability (3 titles)

retarded-rape (12 titles) --> rape-of-an-intellectually-disabled-person (3 titles)

retarded-woman (7 titles) --> mentally-challenged-woman (17 titles) --> intellectually-disabled-woman (6 titles) --> woman-with-an-intellectual-disability (4 titles)

simple-minded (22 titles) --> simple-mindedness (3 titles)

simpleton (101 titles) --> simple-minded-person (10 titles)

Responses

bradley_kent

1.1K Messages

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21.1K Points

4 months ago

Glad to see these reprehensible keywords being adjusted to what the "community" prefers, (finally), although, personally, I still prefer the "-challenged" addendum, because, (let's admit it), it is "nicer" and "kinder."

Even worse are the "wheelchair-bound" (and similar) keywords. For years, I have suggested the preference for keywords like "man-uses-a-wheelchair" over "man-in-a-wheelcair" or "man-with-a-wheelchair." (Cane, crutches, walker, etc.). Perhaps they could be included here, or be a part of a separate list.

1

keyword_expert

2.6K Messages

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45.3K Points

@bradley_kent

These days the "-challenged" addendum does have its own negative connotations to some ears; calling somebody "challenged" is not quite as bad calling them "slow" or "retarded," but also not as good as simply using the word "disability" (which is a generally accepted word these days by the disability community). In that sense, "challenged" is similar to "special needs" -- both are undoubtedly well-intentioned, but nevertheless ill-advised.

Probably the worst keyword I have encountered in this category was "mongoloid." That one was assigned to about a dozen titles; I went ahead and manually eliminated that keyword and did not include it in the list.

Regarding the "wheelchair" keywords, that is a good suggestion to convert "man-in-a-wheelchair" to "man-uses-a-wheelchair." I will include that in a future list.

Although "wheelchair-bound-man" is not a very good keyword, I am reluctant to recommend merging it into "man-uses-a-wheelchair," because technically these are not true synonyms. It is possible to "use" a wheelchair without being "bound" to it. (For example, a character in a movie may use a wheelchair because they are faking a physical disability, like if they are a spy in disguise.)

With that said, "man-uses-a-wheelchair" is broader than "wheelchair-bound-man," so maybe merging the latter into the former is okay after all. We already did merge "wheelchair-bound" into "wheelchair-user."

(edited)

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4 months ago

0

Peter_pbn

Champion

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11.8K Messages

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302.6K Points

4 months ago

mentally-challenged-sidekick (65 titles) --> bumbling-sidekick (21 titles)

I'm not sure "mentally challenged" and "bumbling" mean quite the same thing?

1

keyword_expert

2.6K Messages

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45.3K Points

@Peter_pbn

You are correct, but in this case the "mentally-challenged-sidekick" keyword was created (and is used on older titles) by a particular contributor as his own unique style of speaking, and I'm pretty sure he does not literally mean "intellectually disabled" for these sidekicks. He also came up with keywords like "smother-mother" for "domineering-mother," the keyword "no-abnormal-cowboy-horse-relationship" (haha!), etc. He hasn't used "mentally-challenged-sidekick" on any title released after 1954.

As for whether there would be a better keyword than "bumbling-sidekick" to convert these to, I'm open to suggestions, but I think in the vast majority of cases (if not all cases), this will be an accurate and sufficient keyword.

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4 months ago

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bradley_kent

1.1K Messages

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21.1K Points

4 months ago

IF "wheelchair-bound-man" means that he is literally attached to a wheelchair (which should probably be "man-tied-to-a-wheelchair," "man-chained-to-a-wheelchair," "man-taped-to-a-wheelhair," etc.), then I can understand the suggestion. However a "man-who-uses-a-wheelchair" may not be "bound" to it IF his is lifted and moved by another, perhaps to a bed, to a chair, to be bathed, etc.

There must be some sci-fi or horror title where a man and the wheelchair are literally ONE mechanical/moving entity, but I can't think of it.

I also agree that "bumbling" and "mentally-challenged" are two different things. Is there a human being alive, of whatever mental state, who has never "bumbled," "hesitated," "stuttered," "stammered," etc.?

(edited)

0

keyword_expert

2.6K Messages

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45.3K Points

3 months ago

@Bethanny

Now that the 14-day comment period on this keyword list has ended, I have converted this post to a "problem" post, and it is ready for action by IMDb staff. I will copy and paste the list below with the numbers of titles removed to facilitate the mass mergers and auto-conversions.

Duplicate Keywords Proposed for Permanent Merging and Auto-Conversion

down's-syndrome --> down-syndrome

mentally-challenged-adult --> adult-with-an-intellectual-disability

mentally-challenged-boy --> intellectually-disabled-boy --> boy-with-an-intellectual-disability

mentally-challenged-brother --> brother-with-an-intellectual-disability

mentally-challenged-protagonist --> intellectually-disabled-protagonist

mentally-challenged-sidekick --> bumbling-sidekick

mentally-challenged-slur --> intellectual-disability-slur

mentally-challenged-teenager --> teenager-with-an-intellectual-disability

mentally-retarded --> mental-retardation --> retardation --> mentally-challenged --> intellectually-disabled --> intellectual-disability

mentally-retarded-daughter --> mentally-challenged-daughter --> daughter-with-an-intellectual-disability

mentally-retarded-man --> retarded-man --> mentally-impaired-person --> mentally-challenged-man --> intellectually-disabled-man --> man-with-an-intellectual-disability