Lizzo Changed “Grrrls” After She Got Sh*t Over The Lyrics

[waterslide]

Lizzo Changed Her Song “Grrrls” After She Got Shit Over The Ableist Lyrics
June 14, 2022 / Posted by: Emily

Lizzo’s got a new album coming out in July. You may have heard the first single, “About Damn Time”, cuz it’s all over the TikToks. Her follow-up single is called “Grrrls”, and, over the weekend, its lyrics sparked some controversy. At the beginning of the song, Lizzo sings, “Do you see this shit? I’ma spaz.” She meant that she’s about to freak out, but, as many people on social media pointed out, “spaz” is actually an ableist slur. It comes from the word “spastic”, a term used to describe spastic paralysis, typical of cerebral palsy. Following the backlash, Lizzo apologized and changes the lyrics to “Hold me back.” She says the slur was unintentional; she was unaware it was offensive. Ah, the ignoramus defense. See: Michael K’s nickname for Paz de la Huerta. He didn’t know, OK?!

In Lizzo’s apology, she wrote that she’d never want to promote derogatory language, and there was already a new and improved version of “Grrrls”:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cew0HrlPhEq

YouTube still has a few videos with the old version of the song. But here’s Lizzo’s updated, non-slur version that she just released (it uses the Beastie Boys’ “Girls” as a sample):

[looks like the video was removed]

Writer/disability advocate Hannah Diviney originally called out Lizzo on Twitter for her lyrics:

Hannah and other Twitterers were pleased with Lizzo’s response:

This whole thing reminds me of the Black Eyed Peas’ original version of “Let’s Get It Started”: “Let’s Get R*t**ded”. Unfortunately for die-hard BEP fans, the original song remains on their 2003 album, Elephunk. At least Lizzo tackled the “Grrrls” problem before her album got released. Lizzo: now officially superior to the Black Eyed Peas.

Pic: PA IMAGES/INSTARimages.com

Tags: I'm Sorry, Lizzo, Oops

Dlisted

Lizzo definitely handled this with  a lot of class (and I didn't think there was an argument that Lizzo wasn't "officially superior" to the Black Eyed Peas).  I admit I am someone who calls myself "spaz" at least once a day and didn't think of it as a slur. I can't imagine referring to someone with any medical issue a spaz (or the r-word).  
 
One of the commenters pointed out that they they have a learning disability and would rather hear the r-word or the s-word instead of "special needs" which, to me, does sound more... condescending, maybe?  But that was a polite way of saying "disability" for many years.  Some people were saying that the word spaz has a different connotation in the US than it does in Britain because we kind of use it as an endearment in the US and they do not in the UK.  And then some people are wondering why Brits don't stop saying the f-word when referring to a cigarette, etc...

[greysfang]

I love her.

[firebrat1229]

I can't get into a ton of detail, but she's got excellent management that she actually listens to. So Im shocked no one caught this ahead of time, truly.

[waterslide]

Am I being too cynical or does it feel like Beyoncé's team would definitely have caught this before hand, especially since Lizzo just changed the same exact word in one of her songs?  It's just so copycat to me and we know Beyoncé has no shame when it comes to copycatting. 

I wasn't going to post this article, but it contains a lot of tea...

Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” Contains The Same Ableist Slur That Lizzo Recently Had To Remove From Her Single, And Her Team Says It Will Be Changed

August 1, 2022 / Posted by: Emily252



Beyoncé finally released her seventh studio album, Renaissance, on Friday. While reviews and sales have been strong (it’s expected to sell at least 275,000 copies in its first week, meaning it will debut at #1), and the Beyhive declared it the best thing since Jesus Christ himself invented sliced bread, the album drop wasn’t seamless. First, it leaked two days early. Then, Kelis got pissed that Beyoncé used a sample of “Milkshake” without her permission. Now, HuffPo reports that Bey’s getting shit for including the ableist slur “sp*z” in the song “Heated”, which was co-written by Drake. In it, Beyoncé sings: “Sp*zzin’ on that ass, sp*z on that ass. Fan me quick, girl, I need my glass.” You may be reading this and thinking: “Damn, didn’t this just happen? Or have I officially lost my mind? Sigh. I guess it’s time to finally book that lobotomy.” No! STOP! It did just happen. With Lizzo and her single, “Grrrls”!

Here’s the song. The “sp*z” part is around 3:38:


As a refresher, “sp*z” comes from “spastic,” a word used to describe spastic paralysis, typical of cerebral palsy. Spasms are very real and can be super painful and disruptive to sufferers’ daily lives. People typically use “sp*z” as slang for “going crazy” or “being clumsy.” Here’s activist Imani Barbarin, who has spastic diplegia (a form of cerebral palsy), explaining why using the term is ableist:

In “Grrrls”, Lizzo originally sang, ” “Do you see this shit? I’ma sp*z.” After she got shit for it on social media, she issued an apology and claimed she was unaware it was offensive. Then she changed the lyrics to, “Hold me back!” Writer/disability advocate Hannah Diviney was one of the people to initially call out Lizzo on social media. She was happy when the lyrics were changed, and called Lizzo “a real true ally.” But, just six weeks later, it’s deja vu all over again, cuz now Hannah has to call out Beyoncé:

Bethany Bale, policy and campaigns officer at Disability Rights UK, told HuffPost UK:

“Ableist slurs are unacceptable in any context, especially in 2022 when many artists have already publicly learnt from past mistakes and educated others on the power of derogatory language in the process.

“It’s disappointing to see Beyoncé using an ableist slur so soon after Lizzo’s new single ‘Grrrls’ highlighted the hurt this language causes the Disabled community and others.

“We hope that, like Lizzo, Beyoncé will educate herself on the meaning and history behind this language and decide to edit her lyrics.”

Beyoncé’s reps issued a statement to Insider, writing: “The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced.” So that’s that. But it is odd that nobody on her team spoke up after all the Lizzo controversy. I mean, this is the lady who ran #MeToo background checks on everyone who worked on the album, you think she’d have her ear to the ground. I mean, if this controversy proves anything, it’s that Beyoncé isn’t keeping up with Lizzo or her music. OMG, are these two secret rivals? Get ready for Lizzbians Vs. Beyhive, 2022!



Pic: Beyonce/Mason Poole

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Tags: Beyonce, Lizzo

Dlisted

[loftybike]

^^^ THAT PHOTO!!!!
How horrible is that? Well, I hate it.

[notoriousmkg]

In all honesty, I don't think a lot of people know that the origin of the term "spaz" refers to a physical disability. I knew about it a long time ago because I have a cousin with cerebral palsy and spastic paralysis was one of the symptoms he when he was really young. Ironically, now he is a lead machinist for a company that makes parts for airplanes, and he is VERY good at his job.

[tulip]

Aug 2, 2022 19:21:14 GMT notoriousmkg said:

In all honesty, I don't think a lot of people know that the origin of the term "spaz" refers to a physical disability. I knew about it a long time ago because I have a cousin with cerebral palsy and spastic paralysis was one of the symptoms he when he was really young. Ironically, now he is a lead machinist for a company that makes parts for airplanes, and he is VERY good at his job.

I agree, but after the flap with Lizzo over it, you'd think they would have caught it. 

[mrsfawlty]

Here, in the UK, the word is considered to be deeply offensive towards any person with a disability, although it was an accepted medical term up until recent times. It's definitely been that way since I was a child, because I remember my mother warning me never to use the word, given that our neighbour's daugher had Cerebral Palsy. 

[trixie]

Many words thrown around now as insults had origins in medicine/psychology. Moron, idiot, imbecile and of course retarded, all referred to people of low IQ or mental acuity of certain age ranges, then found their ways into common language and now (I don't think) are used in clinical settings.

And now you have spaz, which the dictionary says:

spaz
/spaz/
INFORMAL
noun
short for spastic.

verb US
lose physical or emotional control.
"he offered a post-game assessment: “I spazzed out real bad.”

Don't get me wrong, I understand why these terms are offensive and ableist but I also understand why able-bodied people don't understand and do not intend to be offensive, because these words are just thrown around without thinking.

[notoriousmkg]

Aug 2, 2022 20:25:54 GMT mrsfawlty said:

Here, in the UK, the word is considered to be deeply offensive towards any person with a disability, although it was an accepted medical term up until recent times. It's definitely been that way since I was a child, because I remember my mother warning me never to use the word, given that our neighbour's daugher had Cerebral Palsy. 

I don't think it was really the same here.  In 1979, in the Bill Murray hit movie "Meatballs" there was a character named "Spaz".  There was also a recurring sketch on the first decade of SNL where Steve Martin played "Chas the Spaz".  There's also a legendary Hollywood CGI animator (lead on the first "Jurassic Park") who goes by Steve "Spaz" Williams.  And now there is a 2022 documentary titled after this nickname.  I also think that half of Americans wouldn't even be able to define the word "ableist".

[waterslide]

Aug 2, 2022 23:24:51 GMT notoriousmkg said:

Aug 2, 2022 20:25:54 GMT mrsfawlty said:

Here, in the UK, the word is considered to be deeply offensive towards any person with a disability, although it was an accepted medical term up until recent times. It's definitely been that way since I was a child, because I remember my mother warning me never to use the word, given that our neighbour's daugher had Cerebral Palsy. 

I don't think it was really the same here.  In 1979, in the Bill Murray hit movie "Meatballs" there was a character named "Spaz".  There was also a recurring sketch on the first decade of SNL where Steve Martin played "Chas the Spaz".  There's also a legendary Hollywood CGI animator (lead on the first "Jurassic Park") who goes by Steve "Spaz" Williams.  And now there is a 2022 documentary titled after this nickname.  I also think that half of Americans wouldn't even be able to define the word "ableist".

I wish you were wrong about that...

When I learned the word "spaz" as a kindergartner, I'm sure I had no understanding of what it meant and it wasn't anything I ever heard anyone call a person with cerebral palsy or any other condition. I'm not so attached to the word to continue using it, but I don't feel like most Americans make the connection between spaz and spastic.  

I've even seen people called out for describing Trump as stupid because stupid had negative connotations along with fool, imbecile, moron, etc, although that seems to have started out as a literary device?  

[trixie]

So just what are we supposed to call stupid people?   It's a dilemma.

[czb]

i probably wasn't aware enough to realize spaz was so derogatory, but now we are learning the importance of language and being clear with our message and intent. i think most of us are learning. and that's why lizzo's retraction was significant.

[waterslide]

I don't know what we're supposed to call stupid people. I'm pretty sure no one has been diagnosed with "Stupid" but it might not be a bad idea if we could somehow treat it...

[albatross]

Aug 3, 2022 0:19:39 GMT trixie said:

So just what are we supposed to call stupid people?   It's a dilemma.

Trumps?