Either every documentarian over the past 40 years edited out the racial slurs used by John Davidson or his n-word incident is suspicious as hell.
I watched every documentary and interview segment I could find online that featured or discussed Davidson, yet in those several hours of footage he never used a racial slur. Even during a group therapy session in which his friend shouts, “Pakistanis and Iraqis,” before miming stabbing, Davidson only agrees that he also gets “stabby in the kitchen” when people walk past.
“Tourettes: The Highlights,” from garypoet:
When he was a teenager, he claims to have been beaten nearly to death for an uncontrollable tic directed at a young woman, yet I could not find a direct quote or paraphrase anywhere. This is suspicious because you can find direct, unedited quotes from him regarding just about every topic, including the Queen and now-King of England. Considering how often Davidson tells the story, I expected to find something in a newspaper or interview. The only information we get is he was hit with a crobar after a woman complained to her boyfriend about a sexually-explicit comment Davidson made.
While I do not condone the violent action, I do think there is something to be said about expecting young women and girls to endure constant sexual language and threats in the classroom or public spaces. Intentional or not, why should anyone be subjected to targeted violent language? In one interview, John shouts, “I raped somebody’s mum!” As a sexual assault survivor, am I expected to ignore my own safety and mental wellbeing to accommodate sexually violent or abusive language? This goes beyond typical conflicting access needs, or access friction, and you can make the argument that the tics are not targeted, but that isn’t what evidence shows… and impact always outweighs intention.
When he is around women, he will start shouting sexual obscenities and calling them sluts or slags, fat, cunts, or he’ll shout specific phrases like, “suck my cock.” When he is around gay people, he calls them slurs and pedophiles. When his teachers made mistakes in school, he called them “fucking idiots.” During a group therapy session, he shouts “boring” when the facilitator speaks and calls her “nosy” for asking interview questions. Coprolalia is rare amongst neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral conditions, and research shows the outbursts can be managed through medication, vocal exercises, therapy, or by redirecting focus to physical tasks (Eddy & Cavanna). Davidson has been in the public eye since 1989, yet his coprolalia tics go unquestioned.
During childhood, Davidson claims he was always made to be seeker during Hide & Seek games because he couldn’t stop himself from shouting out, “I’m here!” That is a logical expression that might be compulsive, but the tics are not disconnected from his surroundings or thoughts. I think we are expected to excuse what comes out because folks with Tourette’s have a hard time keeping intrusive thoughts or opinions they’d rather keep private in. As Ganos et al. explain “[…distinguishing functional tic disorders] from organic tics is challenging, as the very nature of the latter sits at the phenomenological edge between volition and involuntariness” (pp. 825).
“The Boy Can’t Help It” (2002) (Clip starts at 38:57)
If anything, the misconception that intrusive thoughts and tics are unrelated and uncontrollable is harmful to folks with the condition because it does not allow them to peacefully integrate into diverse communities. Additionally, it perpetuates a victim narrative in which Tourette’s folks are helpless and without agency despite the condition often becoming less severe and more manageable as a person ages (Eddy & Cavanna; Ganos et al.). Davidson might have a rare, severe form of Tourette’s, but that doesn’t mean his condition is progressive nor does it explain why his first thought upon seeing Black people is to shout the n-word. Again, I reject the claim that his mental coprolalia is random.
In the following video, we meet three men with Tourette’s Syndrome including Davidson. One of them explains that if he sees fat people, he will often shout, “gastric band” at them despite not wanting “to offend anyone.” I don’t believe the man’s words are random or unrelated to his actual thoughts; rather, it seems he lacks impulse control. Later while driving, that same man shouts, “fat cow” at another driver and while shopping in a sporting goods store he shouts, “fucking smells of piss in here.” These are not random thoughts or synapses misfiring to string together various words.
“3 Men with Tourette’s Go on Holiday” from Paul Stevenson (Clip starts at 9:21):
I’m failing to see how Davidson is not accountable for tics that stem from his intrusive thoughts. These documentaries all talk about how they are often in direct response to a stimulus and logical, yet “uncontrollable.” Later in the above documentary, he explains that as a child he would shout “divorce” while walking around the house during his parents’ fights because he knew it “was the possible end scenario for mom and dad” (46:43). I understand the need to let tics out because I have echolalia, but I do not understand why the BAFTAs incident is being dismissed as purely a BBC issue and not an actual reflection of the actor/public figure. I think people are afraid to speak out because of how much we are being shouted down and called ignorant of the condition, told to watch his movie, etc. Convenient.
The discourse surrounding Tourette’s Syndrome favors cis white males because it gives them a social pass for any behaviors or comments considered offensive. I said in an earlier piece about the BAFTAs incident that I don’t understand why we are being asked to give Davidson “grace” or why a cis white man is being praised for his “bravery” after spewing racist and homophobic slurs. If we are told the tics are completely involuntary and uncontrollable, then any criticism against Davidson is deemed ableist. Yet this “grace” isn’t extended to other conditions or illnesses and folks are usually expected to manage their symptoms to some degree (think schizophrenic or bipolar episodes, anxiety or panic attacks, autistic meltdowns, etc.). Systemic issues aren’t his fault, but continuously benefitting from them is his choice.
Let me clarify that I do not think Davidson is malingering, nor do I believe coprolalia is fake. My issue stems from the network decision to air the n-word after editing out other slurs and Davidson’s being mic’d up. If he knew seeing Black people triggers the n-word, then he shouldn’t attend events with Black people until he eliminates that term from his working vocabulary. Some folks in the Tourette’s community explain that non-Black people who develop such tics often replace the slur with similar-sounding phrases or slight rhymes (i.e. nickels and dimes, nice day we’re having, nighttime, etc.).
I don’t believe this is segregation; I believe this is common courtesy, especially if you’re going to separate Tourette’s Syndrome from disability and demand its acceptance as part of the neurodiversity paradigm or the growing antitherapy movement (Dure & Albin; Graber & Rizzo). Specifically referring to Black people by the n-word while in their presence is not the same as shouting “fuck” or “cunt” at the sky. I believe Davidson is as accountable as the network because he is the one who chose to sit next to a mic, he was the one who chose to attend an event knowing he’d call people racial slurs, and he was the one who failed to apologize publicly for his actions. Telling us he’s sorry if we were offended is not an apology. Saying he blames BBC for airing the slur instead of editing it out is not an apology. Contacting two actors privately is not an apology. Why does understanding of Tourette’s in this instance mean allowing all behaviors and tics to go unquestioned or symptoms unmanaged?
I want this to be the last thing I write on the subject because I truly believe the BAFTAs incident was a publicity stunt to promote the movie or cause controversy. I just wanted to share my final thoughts and the film clips I found that support my overall opinions.
It should be noted that Davidson rejects the disability label for Tourette’s Syndrome and prefers it be referred to as his “condition.” I don’t doubt Davidson is a great guy… to other white men with his condition.
References
I Swear it is Tourette’s!: On Functional Coprolalia and Other Tic-Like Vocalizations” (2016) by Christos Ganos, Mark J. Edwards, & Kristen Müller-Vahl
“‘It’s a Curse!: Coprolalia in Tourette Syndrome” (2013) by C.M. Eddy & A. E. Cavanna
John’s Not Mad (1989) from BBC’s Q.E.D.
The Boy Can’t Help It (2002) directed by Min Clough
“Tourette Syndrome: A Catalyst for Operationalizing Neurodiversity” (2024) by Abraham Graber & Matthew Rizzo
“Tourette Syndrome and Neurodiversity: Pushing Through the Wrong Open Door” (2024) by Leon Dure & Roger Albin
“Tourette’s Syndrome” (2013) by Andrea E. Cavanna & Stefano Seri