My Two Minutes Of International Fame and Shame

So because I wrote Insults Every Man Should Know I was asked to speak on BBC5 about the weekend's row over swivel-eyed loons. I was told not to say the "f-word", the "c-word" or to "take the Lord's name in vain" but other than that anything would be fine.

I was on for all of two minutes. We spoke very briefly about clever insults between politicians, and I pointed out that this case is different: it's someone insulting their own rank and file, not trying to either build a coalition by insulting some "outsider", nor is it performative like the barbs politicians trade as part of the election show. I was then asked to address what "swivel-eyed" might have meant.


Me: "It's an ableist slur, it's basically saying that have a mental and physical disability...like calling someone spastic"





Host: "Oh, spastic is an offensive term!"





Me: "Well, yes..."





Host: "Not appropriate for BBC radio"





Me: "I'm explaining that it's an insult"





Host: "We apologize to anyone who might be offended..."

And after that I was asked about America and mentioned that John Adams once called Thomas Paine's Common Sense"crapulous" and I was off the air two seconds later.



SUPERSTAR!