Slurs as keywords

Hi bradley-kent -

In this instance, instead of retaining the keyword "crippled" or "crippled-woman", I have merged many of these into the more appropriate existing keyword terms: "handicapped" & "handicapped-woman".

Regarding the term "bitch" or "rich-bitch", for example, I have removed these keyword terms, however, I have not removed more appropriate keywords, such as "calling-someone-a-bitch" or "character-says-karma-is-a-bitch".

So ideally, keywords will only be removed or applicably merged to another term when appropriate.

Hope this helps clarify!

And what about the movement to delete all "character-says-" (and related, like"calling-someone-," etc.) keywords because they might actually belong in the Quotations section?  (When that started, I submitted deletions that were accepted for literally thousands of these kinds of keywords.  This problem has been abated, but still reappears.)

P.S. "handicapped" is also a prerogative and questionable adjective.  "physically-challenged-" and/or "mentally-challenged-" would be more appropriate.  Such people are NOT "handicapped," just different.

"bitch" and "rich-bitch" should have been converted to "b-word," although that also seems to include the word "bastard."

@bradley_kent I'm not sure where you are in the world, but I know in US English "handicapped" is kind of the equivalent for how "disabled" is used in British English. Handicapped is pretty grating on my ears too, but I realised it's the word used in the US. Correct me if I'm wrong and you're from there!

"cripple" is a terrible (and outdated) keyword, as are "handicapped" AND "disabled."  "physically-challenged" and/or "mentally-challenged" somehow seem more appropriate and objective.

@bradley_kent said:

Were they audited and some changed to "b-word" and something like "physically-challenged-person-slur" before you removed them? 

In many cases, it would not be possible to know whether these keywords were used because the contributors were deeming a character to be a "bitch" or a "cripple," or whether these derogatory terms were actually used in the film or show. 

"bitch" and "rich-bitch" should have been converted to "b-word,"

That would not have been a good idea if done as a mass conversion, for the same reasons (i.e., we don't know whether the word "bitch" was used by the contributor or by the character).

I do know for a fact that the keyword "bitch" was used in at least a few instances to denote the same thing as the "female-dog" keyword. Here are two particular titles that in fact had the "bitch" keyword for that reason: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6785292/keywords

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1328912/keywords

With the keyword "cripple," we don't know whether contributors were using "cripple" as a verb or as a noun. If it was as a verb (e.g. to disable; impair; weaken), then the term is not offensive. I do believe it was very unlikely that contributors were using "cripple" as a verb, but the possibility remains.

Believe it or not, in the past I had considered reporting "bitch" and "cripple" and calling for their deletion, but I ruled it out for the reasons I have stated here.

Just a personal pet peeve: I believe that "b-word" is a dumb keyword. Just because a character happens to say this word does not make it a plot point. Keywords are primarily about the plot. If the use of the "b-word" (or the "f-word," or the "c-word," or even the "n-word," for that matter) is an integral part of the plot, then it can make sense to make this a keyword. Otherwise, I feel these particular keywords are overused on IMDb. (I feel the same way about the "character-says-" keywords, which are also overused, but not nearly to the same extent as the "b-word" type keywords.)

As for @Michelle's decision to change "cripple" to "handicapped," as @bradley_kent points out, "handicapped" is also increasingly regarded as offensive. 

Another issue with the "handicapped" keyword is that it is so vague. The keyword "cripple" primarily connotes a physical impairment, while "handicapped" could mean either physically or mentally disabled.

I tend to agree with @bradley_kent that there should at least be a discussion on the message board first, before staff unilaterally get rid of keywords (unless a keyword is blatantly in violation of the guidelines). The particular keywords "bitch" and "cripple" had been around for years, and then they were gone in an instant, with barely any community discussion.

With that said, under these particular circumstances, it is hard to feel sympathy for the contributors who used these keywords, now that their work has been lost. These two keywords are just bad keywords, and contributors shouldn't have been using them.

Finally, I feel like the word "audit" has been too loosely used on this message board with regard to keywords. Sometimes it is possible to "audit" keyword usage by researching the title without actually watching it. But in other cases, the only way to know whether a keyword is truly relevant and appropriate would be to actually watch the film or show. I can't think of a better word than "audit," but I also think that word implies a level of precision that usually does not actually happen.

@Michelle 

I agree with @bradley_kent that "handicapped" is not a good keyword, either.

I believe that the word "handicapped" within keywords could probably use some editing/revision as well. I base that observation on the following guidelines:

ADA National Network: Guidelines for Writing About People With Disabilities

Note that ‘handicapped’ is an outdated and unacceptable term to use when referring to individuals or accessible environments.

National Disability Authority:  Appropriate Terms to Use

• Term no longer in use: the handicapped

• Term Now Used: disabled person, person with a disability

Interestingly, those two sources directly disagree with each other about whether "disabled person" is acceptable. The first source discourages that term, while the second source encourages it. But both sources encourage "person with a disability."

Regardless, the basic word "disabled" by itself as an adjective can be acceptable, and the word "disability" by itself as a noun can be acceptable as well.

Here is a rough starting point proposal for how to revise some of the "handicapped" and "disabled" keywords on IMDb:

handicapped (565 titles) --> disabled (172 titles)

handicapped-person (130 titles) --> disabled-person (164 titles) --> people-with-disabilities (9 titles) --> "person-with-a-disability" (new keyword)

handicapped-child (87 titles)  -->  disabled-child (62 titles) --> children-with-disabilities (3 titles) -->  "child-with-a-disability" (new keyword)

handicapped-man (56 titles)  -->  disabled-man (29 titles) --> men-with-disabilities (2 titles) --> "man-with-a-disability" (new keyword)

handicapped-boy (34 titles)  --> disabled-boy (19 titles) --> "boy-with-a-disability" (new keyword)

handicapped-woman (30 titles)  --> disabled-woman (28 titles)  --> "woman-with-a-disability" (new keyword)

handicapped-girl (17 titles) -->  disabled-girl (16 titles) --> "girl-with-a-disability" (new keyword)

handicapped-daughter (5 titles) --> disabled-daughter (5 titles) --> "daughter-with-a-disability" (new keyword)

disabled-son (4 titles) --> "son-with-a-disability" (new keyword)

handicapped-husband (2 titles) --> disabled-husband (2 titles)  --> "husband-with-a-disability" (new keyword)

handicapped-actor (27 titles)  -->  "actor-with-a-disability" (new keyword)

handicapped-dog (3 titles)   --> disabled-dog (3 titles) -->  "dog-with-a-disability" (new keyword

mentally-handicapped (74 titles)  --> mentally-disabled (59 titles) --> mentally-retarded (10 titles) --> retarded (7 titles) --> retardation (31 titles) --> developmentally-challenged (6 titles) --> intellectually-disabled (3 titles) 

mentally-disabled-child (7 titles) --> retarded-child (21 titles) --> "intellectually-disabled-child"  (new keyword)

handicapped-parking (16 titles) --> "accessible-parking" (new keyword)

I could go on, but I will stop the list there for now. Can folks see how these would be improvements over the current keywords? Calling someone a "girl with a disability" emphasizes first that she is a girl, who just happens to have a disability, while calling her a "disabled girl" tends to define her by her disability.

@bradley_kent said:

 "physically-challenged" and/or "mentally-challenged" somehow seem more appropriate and objective.

Even better would be "physically-disabled" and "intellectually-disabled." The word "challenged" should not be used in this context.

ADA National Network: Guidelines for Writing About People With Disabilities

Terms like differently-abled, challenged, handi-capable or special are often considered condescending. 

National Disability Authority:  Appropriate Terms to Use

• Term no longer in use: mentally handicapped

• Term Now Used: intellectually disabled

By the way, "rich-bitch" still exists as a keyword, as of this reply. 

rich-bitch (25 titles)

@bradley_kent

Ok, in the UK, as far as I know disabled is not seen as outdated. 

Are you saying from you own point of view that "physically challenged" etc. seems more objective? Or is that based on actual general discourse around disability where you're from?

@keyword_expert Great overview of keywords there - and thanks for getting those links.

Also totally agree with the "physically-disabled" and "intellectually-disabled" over "challenged".

And good to know that "handicapped" is being acknowledged as outdated in the US (it has been a while since I checked on its usage across the pond)!

On this side of the pond, "disabled" is viewed negatively.  There is a concerted move to "enable" people who are mentally and/or physically challenged.  Even worldwide, as currently evidenced in the Special Olympics.  Those athletes are NOT disabled, just challenged in specific ways that can be accommodated.

@bradley_kent 

On this side of the pond, "disabled" is viewed negatively. 

Viewed negatively by whom?

This recent report implies otherwise:

In this report, we use the term ‘disabled people’ rather than ‘persons with disabilities’. The term ‘disabled people’ is recognised by the disability rights movement in the UK to align with the social and human rights model of disability, as it is considered to acknowledge the fact that people with an impairment are disabled by barriers in the environment and society.

Source:  "Progress on disability rights in the United Kingdom," UK Independent Mechanism update report to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Oct. 2018)