May 19, 2004

The Cruelty of British Kids If you're from the UK, and of an age, you will almost certainly have called someone - or have been called - a "Joey", a "Deacon", or suchlike. Now there's an irreverent tribute to the man himself, complete with pictures of people who really should have grown up to recognise that they were nasty, not funny.
posted by Skrik 20 years ago
  • i'm disgusted
  • Not good and not funny. Mocking the disabled, and bullying, are not (in my humble opinion) suitable subjects for nostalgia. This combines the two, apparently for no other reason than spite. I'm not sure what the purpose of this is. The two links aren't to anything even vaguely amusing, and the morons responsible for those pages will presumably see the fact that I, and everybody else here that clicked on the links, visited the site as some sort of justification for their stupidity. [endrant/]
  • Cripes. I never experienced this phenomenon - I think I'm a bit too old. I remember Deacon's remarkable story though. His book "Tongue Tied - Fifty Years of Friendship in a Subnormality Hospital" appears to be out of print - perhaps whoever owns the rights ought to consider putting the text on the net. Then again, having read this, I can see why they might think twice.
  • I am right in their target audience, and I have to admit to a nasty snigger. Aah, Bad Times. It's quite interesting to note that younger people in the UK still use the term, often without knowing its origins.
  • Skrik, this post clears up a mystery for me. According to the website, this ended about five years before I got to school, however I do remember what should probably be called the 'fallout' from this set of insults. I don't remember the use of the words "Joey" or "Deacon", but the word "Spastic" was still in common slang in 1986 onwards, particularily from people who had older siblings. What made this a mystery for me however, was that in Canada, I never heard this word used at all: this article explains its source and therefore why that was!
  • Not sure what you mean about "spastic." The currency of that word has nothing to do with Joey Deacon; it was common currency on playgrounds back in the '50s (and probably well before).
  • Ah yes... Ethiopian/Cambodian jokes. How do you kill a million flies at once? Hit an Ethiopian with a shovel. I am sooooo going to burn.
  • Apparently, some of the people never grew up. Hot, flaming, and above all, unceasing, hemorrhoids to all of them.
  • Knock Knock Who's there? Deacon. Deacon who? Deacon yo mouth, beyaatch!
  • I googled to find some more out about Joey Deacon, having never heard of him before, and the first three pages of links were similar in tone to Skrik's posted link. I have yet to find a non-pisstaking site about the guy. Ah, childhood bigotry. :\
  • I remember Joey. I also remember an ad for bassett's pastilles, with chris tarrant. His fist lines: mr bassett, mr bertie bassett? became, in schoolyard parlance to a (perceived) loser: mr Deacon, mr Joey Deacon? Yes, British kids are/were cunts. Cancer's too good for them.
  • "Spastic" was originally used to refer to people with cerebral palsy. I can remember when I was 6 or 7, and a palsied child was attempting use a swing at the park playground. At the time, "different" meant "scary', so I didn't approach him, but he did look so lonely. Much later, I worked for a year at a hospital for retarded children. Many of those incarcerated were "spastic." I found them sweet people who tried really hard to overcome their lack of control over their bodies, and that, if you worked with them doing repetitive tasks, they could make some progress. If I had it to do over, I'd go back and play with the kid on the swing.
  • Yay human race! Thanks Nostrildamus. I'm gonna put my hand up here. I remember Joey Deacon and I was a f**ing horrible little shit as a child (the two are unconnected!) I must have been what 10? 11 somthing like that. The optimum age for piss-taking. Still now, if I think someone is being a dipshit my tounge instantly flies in front of my bottom teeth and I curl my bottom lip around it and my right hand spasticates. Its a reflex mocking of Joey Deacon speaking. Does that make me bad? Probably eh... But to my defense its not intentional - quite a reflex. Of course - its gets me some pretty odd looks in public... Hey here's fuel for the fire - anyone here ever done an impression of Prof Stephen Hawking? Even to yourself? Ahh go on, admit it... course ya did! I heard you in the shower last week 'meeeep whiiir alll wee neeeeed to doooo is kkkep meeep talking whir click.' They Joey Deacon stuff when we were kids was no more screwed up than todays kids doing that (anyone with kids out there imagine their children NOT taking the piss out of Stephen Hawking when they are in a room with no adults? - and if you can hand on heart say 'No' to that - ever heard your kid shout "Tiimmmmmaaaaah!"? and wonder why?) Dudes, taking the piss out of people less fortunate than yoursleves is human nature - its not a very nice aspect of human nature - but its not really news is it. We learn to control it as adults (mostly) because its socially unnacceptable - but as kids we have no such controls. Sorry - just read what I wrote - Im not saying its OK, I think its horrible. What Im saying is - its not just 'British Kids', 'Joey Deacon' or the 'early eighties' its people period. Although as a british kid in the early eighties it was all about the Deac. I'm fortunate enough to have a special needs child of my own (yes you read that right.) Kids will be horrible to her all through her life. But she'll get over it - she's like that. She'll probably even call a few of 'em Joeys. on preview: I thought 'spastic' refered to the locking and involuntary contortion of limbs - hence the word 'spasticated' in my post.
  • Klepton - yes, "spastic" or the effect of cerebral palsey, is exactly what you described. And your child is lucky that you've given her the ability to deal with the kids who would make fun of whatever disabilty she has.
  • ever heard your kid shout "Tiimmmmmaaaaah!"? and wonder why? OK, I'll bite -- why? (I mean, if I did have a kid, and if he or she shouted "Tiimmmmmaaaaah!")
  • TIIMMMAAAAH! (scroll down)
  • Erp. Hope I haven't misunderstood you, there.
  • quidnunc kid - Yeah - thats the one. Its not pretty, but it is mainstream. Its gotta be some social phenominom (sp?) that has a decent explanation - I dunno what though. I'm at a loss as to why we as kids find it hilarious that people are disabled - but we do. Its not just 'evil' kids - its pretty much all of them, and I reckon its just something we learn to hide when we get older (even from ourselves). Is it just social discomfort you think? You know making a joke of it because as kids we're ill equipped to deal with it? (Maybe that explains the 'disaster joke syndrome' that happens too) I love Southpark by the way, but I hate that I love it. I'm not knocking it for its portrayal of Timmy and Jimmy (the other disabled kid that gets mocked) they dont get any worse treatment than anyone else. Doesn't make it right I suppose, but means its at least uniformly offensive....
  • Haven't we all been messed with at some point in our lives? Teased, picked on, whatever? If I am physically or mentally disabled, does that mean that I am exempt from being picked on? This is how it is and it will never change. If Darwinism was in full effect, well.......... Anyhow, I will expose the bad person that I am; my husband and I go spastic/deacon/joey on each other all the time. Yes, we are juvenile, even at 32 (him) and 38 (me). Just for the record, however, I would never intentionally hurt or insult someone who didn't truly deserve it. Path, your story made me very sad. I am hugely empathetic, no really.