Most of us are familiar with the phrase “teachable moment.” This refers to an unplanned or spontaneous event that can evoke positive or negative reactions. When the dust settles, it’s entirely possible the previous viewpoint could shift in an entirely different direction after a certain amount of thought, reflection and teaching.
It’s also worth reflecting on the respected chemist, physicist and author Robert Havighurst’s original definition in his seminal work, Human Development and Education (1952). To wit, “a developmental task is a task which is learned at a specific point and which makes achievement of succeeding tasks possible. When the timing is right, the ability to learn a particular task will be possible. This is referred to as a ‘teachable moment.’ It is important to keep in mind that unless the time is right, learning will not occur. Hence, it is important to repeat important points whenever possible so that when a student’s teachable moment occurs, s/he can benefit from the knowledge.”
A missed opportunity for a “teachable moment” recently presented itself during the British Academy Film Awards, or BAFTAs.
John Davidson, a Scottish activist and campaigner for Tourette syndrome, was in the audience during the Feb. 22 ceremony. He’s the subject of the biographical film I Swear, starring Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson and Peter Mullan. It goes through the trials and tribulations that Davidson faced with Tourette’s, and his difficult journey to somehow fit into a world that didn’t understand his condition – and still struggles to understand to this day. I Swear was nominated for six BAFTAs, and won two, including Aramayo for best actor.
Tourette’s is a motor disorder that causes involuntary, repetitive movements called tics. The spectrum of tics is diverse, including coughing, sneezing, head shakes, eye rolls, teeth clicking and a wide assortment of sounds and words. Several public figures have either been diagnosed with Tourette’s, or are assumed to have had a particular variation of this disorder. The list includes English writer Samuel Johnson, French author André Malraux, American philanthropist Howard Ahmanson Jr., comedian Dan Aykroyd, musician Billie Eilish, NASCAR driver Steve Wallace.
“The audience had been warned before the ceremony that tics or involuntary swearing could occur,” according to CNN, “and Davidson received large applause inside the hall.” Unsurprisingly, he experienced some significant outbursts at the BAFTAs. One of them stood out above all the others. Davidson said the n-word while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the first category for best special visual effects. Jordan and Lindo are both Black actors.
Oof.
The explosion over the uttering of this racial slur was almost immediate. Here are some examples. Comedian Jamie Foxx commented on an Instagram clip that it was “Unacceptable” and “Nah he meant that shit.” Wendell Pierce, who starred alongside Jordan on HBO’s The Wire, wrote on X, “It’s infuriating that the first reaction wasn’t complete and full throatted [sic] apologies to Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan. The insult to them takes priority. It doesn’t matter the reasoning for the racist slur.” The Atlantic’s Jemele Hill wrote this on X, “Asking for more grace for the person who shouted a racist slur instead of for Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, who had to push through being embarrassed in front of their peers. But that’s often the expectation — that Black people are just supposed to be ok with being disrespected and dehumanised so that other people don’t feel bad.”
The majority of reactions were completely understandable. No-one would have expected to hear a racial slur at something like the BAFTAs. Many people were furious and offended, especially those in the Black community. Quite a few were caught off-guard by this remark, including Jordan and Lindo – who, to their credit, continued with the presentation in a professional manner.
BAFTA Film Awards host Alan Cumming’s attempt to diffuse the situation didn’t work wonders, either. “You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience,” he told the audience later in the ceremony. “Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone.” It appears that more people initially sided with something along the lines of Hill’s assessment.
Yet, it turns out there was a way that Cumming could have potentially diffused the situation that evening. How so? They could have revealed another important layer in Davidson’s motor disorder.
It turns out that one of Davidson’s various conditions is coprolalia. This symptom only reportedly affects about 10 percent of those with Tourette’s syndrome. The tic can apparently cause a person with Tourette’s to engage in uncontrollable swearing and obscene remarks at times. As the Tourette Association of America put it, “the involuntary outburst of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks” is the mark of “one of the most puzzling and socially stigmatizing symptoms of Tourette Syndrome.”
How many people were familiar with coprolalia outside of those who have Tourette’s or work in the medical profession? Probably safe to assume it’s a very low number. I was completely unaware of it, for what it’s worth.
This helps explain what happened to Davidson at the BAFTAs. What he said was obviously terrible and deeply offensive, but it’s part of a recognized medical condition that he has absolutely no control over. Some people who also deal with coprolalia, including New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams, have shared their experiences, too.
The BAFTAs should have mentioned this right off the bat. It could have been a great “teaching moment” caught on camera for one and all to witness.
Michael Taube, a long-time newspaper columnist and political commentator, was a speechwriter for former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper.
