Ricky Gervais has caused a storm among disability groups for using the word ‘mong’ in a string of jokes on his Twitter account.
Gervais, tweeted things phrases like “Good monging” and “Two mongs don’t make a right”.
The comedian, who once referred to singer Susan Boyle as “looking like a mong”, further raised the ire of disability advocates by posing photos of himself on the site, scrunching his face in “monged-up” poses, with captions like: “My favourite drink is toilet.”
Mongol pejorative reference to people with Down’s Syndrome.
Mark Gale, of Mencap, said yesterday: “It’s very disappointing. Such language can perpetuate discriminatory attitudes.”
Frank Buckley, of Down Syndrome Education International, said: “Most would consider it as offensive as comparable terms of abuse referring to racial background or sexual orientation.”
But Gervais, 50, insisted: “I have never used the word Mongol. I have used ‘mong’, but never to mean Down Syndrome and never would.”
He added: “The meaning of words change over time — ‘gay’ for example. The modern use of the word ‘mong’ means dopey or ignorant — it’s in slang and urban dictionaries.”
