Kid Rock has been facing public backlash after using an ableist slur on Fox News — including from the Special Olympics, which condemned the MAGA rapper’s remark before asking him to stand with intellectually disabled people.
During his Oct. 24 appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” the “Bawitdaba” singer put on a surgical face mask while asking Watters to guess what he was going to be for Halloween. When the host suggested Dr. Anthony Fauci — an immunologist who became a right-wing target as he guided the U.S. out of the COVID-19 pandemic — Kid Rock laughed and replied: “A retard, a retard. … Greatest costume ever.”
In an open letter to Kid Rock published on Monday, Loretta Claiborne, a former gold medalist and the Special Olympics’ chief inspiration officer, said that using words that have historically belittled and dehumanized disabled people can reopen “wounds that so many of us have worked so hard to heal.”
“People with intellectual disabilities, one of the largest groups of people with disabilities in the world, have suffered generations of discrimination and humiliation,” Claiborne wrote. “In the 21st century, we’re still continuing to fight for the simplest form of justice: the recognition of our full humanity, a recognition you undermine when you use the word retarded.”
Tilo Wiedensohler/Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 via Getty Images
Claiborne is a seven-time gold medalist and the first Special Olympics athlete elected to the institution’s international board of directors. In the letter, she described the pain she’s felt when people repeatedly used the ableist slur against her — and asked Kid Rock to acknowledge the pain he caused the disability community in using the word.
The athlete offered to speak with the singer to share more about ongoing efforts to make society more inclusive and respectful of disabled people. While tolerance of the slur declined in the 2010s, researchers say that mostly right-wing public figures have influenced a kind of renormalization of the word.
“You have a powerful voice and a massive platform, and the world is watching. As an artist and cultural figure who influences millions, you can shape conversations and attitudes across the country,” Claiborne wrote.
“You have the chance to turn this incident into a statement of strength, to acknowledge the harm, to stand with people with intellectual disabilities, and to help lead the conversation toward greater understanding and respect.”
Paul Sancya via Associated Press
Hold Them Accountable
Your Support Fuels Our Mission
Join JS Membership
The government shutdown puts millions at risk of losing food assistance — and Trump and lawmakers are MIA. We’re covering the devastating consequences of the government’s inaction. Support the journalism that holds our leaders to account.
We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way.
We appreciate readers like you for your continued support! Your initial support has been instrumental in getting us to where we are today and has strengthened our newsroom during challenging times. As we move forward, we are more reliant on your support than ever before. We hope you will stand by us once again.
Our dedication to delivering unbiased, fact-based journalism remains unwavering. Thank you for standing with us every step of the way. Your support has been invaluable in shaping our progress and resilience. As we forge ahead, your support is crucial, and we urge you to stand with us once more.
Spokespeople for Kid Rock, also known as Robert James Ritchie, have not responded to JS’s request for comment at this time.
Kid Rock has a history of using derogatory language, including racist remarks and homophobic slurs. From his use of the N-word in interviews to recent incidents of using offensive language on stage, his behavior has been widely criticized.
In response to backlash, Kid Rock tweeted in defense of his actions, claiming to have love for his gay friends despite his use of offensive language.
We remain committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism and providing you with the news you deserve. Thank you for your ongoing support, and we look forward to continuing this journey with you. following sentence:
The cat chased the mouse around the house.
Rewritten sentence: The mouse was chased around the house by the cat. following sentence in a different way:
The cat chased the mouse around the house.
The mouse was chased by the cat throughout the house.
