MAFS alumni Ella Ding is facing criticism on Instagram after she used an ableist slur in one of her Instagram Stories. Fkn yikes.
While talking to the camera, Ella was discussing her plan for the day when she complained that her cats were acting “spastic”.
“On another note, my cats are now being spastics and I’m just waiting for Normie and we’re gonna have some pho and I’m gonna get off my phone,” she said.
The slur itself comes from the condition “spastic diplegia”, which is a form of cerebral palsy marked by stiff limbs and a tightness in the hips and legs. When it’s used to describe erratic behaviour or just casually thrown around to describe things that are frenzied, it’s ableist and considered a derogatory and hurtful slur.
So Dramatic! shared the video of Ella Ding onto its Instagram page, where a bunch of unimpressed commenters called her out for using what has been clearly unacceptable language for years.
“Omg it’s so jarring to hear someone say that,” one person wrote.
“I like Ella but I hate hearing any people use that word & the R word,” said another.
“In 2023, it should be well known that saying those 2 words are not going to be appreciated by most people.”
Another commenter said they were tired of people defending the use of the slur.
“As someone with a child with CP, I implore people to continue educating themselves. It’s 2023,” they said.
You’d think it’s common knowledge that you shouldn’t casually throw around words historically used to mock and other people with CP, but judging from some nasty comments on the Instagram page, plenty of shitbags still think speaking like that is okay.
While it’s certainly possible Ella wasn’t aware of the history of that word, it doesn’t change the fact that she’s built her brand on being progressive and outspoken about what she thinks is right. It’s the bare minimum for that to include *checks notes* not using offensive language that targets people who experience muscle spasms and mobility issues.
It’s particularly frustrating given in the past year, we saw both Lizzo and Beyoncé publicly dragged for using the same slur — at this point, ignorance is not really an excuse.
At the time of writing, Ella has not acknowledged the backlash or uploaded an apology regarding the slur.
