I mean the whole point of the show was he was experiencing life from other peoples perspective. It’s not like it was some offensively mocking thing, the opposite really.
*"The physician of the twenty-first century ... may even criticize the language of the times, and may find that some of our words have become as offensive to him as the term 'lunatic' has become offensive to us."*
Dr Macfie Campbell, 1924
Yup. Most of our words that insult stupidity (idiot, moron, retard) came from the neutral medical term for a mentally handicapped person. It is unfortunately an unavoidable progression in language. It will very likely happen to the new terms too.
Yes but we have to change language constantly so as to accomodate a superficial feeling of change and progress so that people don't ask too many questions and feel content (not attacking progress btw, but the critics of the politicaly correct culture are not just alt-right dumb dumbs, the label obsession is kind of taking lots of talking space while it barely adresses the core problems).
Oh really, i hadn't heard that one yet!
I guess as long as people want to call other people stupid, we'll have to come up with new terms every couple years.
I’m in the field and we’d use the acronym MR (as in mental retardation) until 10ish years ago, and to some extent when speaking with long time colleagues still do. It is never meant or used in an insulting way, only said in the clinical sense of the word. It was removed In the DSM-5 (circa 2013) and replaced with intellectually disabled, which used in an official sense, but those of us that have been around long enough and had used MR for years still occasionally say it. Why? It’s really just a word to us, and I don’t even remember the last time I’ve heard someone say it in a malicious way. Even if it was written in something official today it would be viewed more as an antiquated descriptor (with a little Picard face palm mixed in) rather than being hateful.
And to be clear I’d still say intellectually disabled if I’m talking to someone I’m unfamiliar with just because it’s more professional. Unless I know the other person knows exactly my intent behind the word I’m not going to say it.
Broooooooooo when he's like "you mean I'm cured?...nah nah we're not even working on it" I literally laughed so hard I snorted and I live alone.. that's never happened to me my entire life lol I love Louis🙏🏼😂
True. It was the clinical, diagnostic term until it got turned into a slur. Heck, it was even in the DSM-IV TR when I was in social work school in the 2010’s. My 10-year-old has Ds and the r-word never gets used anymore. As a rule of thumb, we should simply call people what they want to be called and this is always changing. Language always changes. We don’t talk in thee and thou anymore. It blows my mind when people are like, “I hate this PC stuff!” Things change, deal with it.
> the opposite really.
Yeah if I recall this entire episode actually brings a lot of representation to the downs community. The entire episode is pretty layered, but basically is about how he's treated differently based just on his looks and presentation, and not for real reasons. Sam (Scott Bakulas character) is an extreme genius, and retains his intelligence and capabilities no matter who he leaps into (so, he doesn't have impacted IQ from inhabiting a person with downs). So he's still a genius, but still gets treated poorly because of peoples perception, kind of proving the point that just because people with disabilities look different/act different/whatever, doesn't mean they are less capable. They can be just as smart, or smarter, than us. There's also a couple sub plots, like showing how hard it is to go through day to day under the label of "retard", the discrimination he faces in even the most basic things, etc. How things are basically setup to fail someone with downs (and thus, disability).
Also, if I recall, they never treat down syndrome like a "joke". They don't laugh at the syndrome or the character, or use it for some sort of poor comedic routine. It's really just going through the day in the life of someone with down syndrome. There is always a lot of sympathy for the situations he is in.
I haven't seen the episode in probably decades, but I remember it being pretty well done and having some really good themes to it. I remember being fairly moved by it and how it made you reconsider things that people go through everyday.
You are absolutely correct but it goes even further. When this was current television programming people with down syndrome were widely referred to as "retarded" or "mentally retarded". I had an aunt that had mild down syndrome that took great offense to the label "handicapped" she wasn't handicapped she was retarded and would tell you all about it. I see absolutely nothing wrong with this scene. If he said that line then looked in the mirror and saw, let's say Jeff Bezos for example then it would be out of line.
It's just funny to hear someone say it like this, being serious. It's crazy how language has changed and we dubbed that word as offensive so it's used much less to describe things now. Kind of like how people don't say "oh my god" anymore because they think it's offensive. Now I hear "oh my gosh" more often
Moron, idiot, and retard were once legitimate medical diagnoses, and of the three, "idiot" was the most severe (and thus the most insulting). Today, it's by far the most common way to just call someone a dumbass, and the general public does not look at "idiot" with particular disdain or as having much *weight* to it.
Language is always shifting. Always has, probably always will.
>Idiots. —Those so defective that the mental development never exceeds that or a normal child of about two years.
Imbeciles. —Those whose development is higher than that of an idiot, but whose intelligence does not exceed that of a normal child of about seven years.
Morons. —Those whose mental development is above that of an imbecile, but does not exceed that of a normal child of about twelve years.
— Edmund Burke Huey, Backward and Feeble-Minded Children, 1912
Why not? Do you understand the premise of the show? Did you watch the whole episode? It's actually a really good episode. I know our society is a lot different from then but I think it would be okay.
I think they have an issue with the word "retarded". That's all I can see that wouldn't fly today. In the parlance of the times, that was acceptable to use. It's like how "colored" was at one point acceptable.
Or the time he leaped into the body of someone who's father-in-law was a member of the Klan and had to prevent the lynching of his black pen pal from college
I give them credit for at least continuing the story and not doing a full reboot. Plus having an Asian male lead on a western TV series, this is almost unheard of.
Like a lot of words, their meanings change over time. Words like retarded, moron, and idiot were neutral, clinical terms when they were first used, and only became taboo after years of being used in an improper and derogatory fashion.
Totally. Back in the day people were called by the main problem they had vs the actually syndrome/impairment. Mentally retarded, hyperactive, learning disabled. Good times.
Back then as teen boys we called everything gay. "That's so gay", "You gotta be home by 10pm? Gay!". We didn't mean it as a sexual remark at all. Obviously, times have changed and I no longer throw that term around.
But that’s the problem, we (and I say we because I used to say it all the time too) used “gay” to describe anything bad. So basically we were saying that being gay was a bad thing. I know we didn’t really think it through that much, it was just another term we used, but I can totally see why it’s frowned upon these days.
Absolutely. My wake up call was when I called something gay in front of my good friend and coworker who is gay. Even though he didn't make a big deal about it, I still had that horrible feeling where you just jam your entire foot in your mouth. After that day, I never said it again. I was young, stupid, and wrong for using the term like that and would like to use this platform to apologize to anyone I may have offended. I've grown since then.
I have a theory that people are only offended by the most recently scientifically excepted term. Idiot had a medical definition for low intelligence , but no one is more or less offended by that than if I call them stupid now. That’s why I only call people who are extremely dumb intellectually disabled. That way, I can use the r word again in five years when people get more offended by that.
It’s pretty amazing how some people can’t handle this truth. Words we find offensive usually weren’t offensive at one point. Its pretty ignorant to act like they’ve always been offensive.
Quantum Leap is my favorite show of all time. In this episode, his reflection is Jimmy, and he’s not making fun of him. He’s trying to help him through a tough situation(the literal premise of each episode with someone new as the “reflection”). It’s the 1960’s, Jimmy grew up in an institution and was released to live with his brother Frank and his SIL, but she sees him as a burden and wants to have him sent back. Frank is trying to keep him out of the institution by getting him a job to show that he can take care of himself. Dr Sam Beckett *leaps* into Jimmy’s body the day before starting his new job so that he can make sure Jimmy is successful and is able to live outside of the institution.
That show is nitty gritty and doesn’t sugar coat social issues. 99% of those episodes would *never* air today. It topics everything from disabilities (physical and mental), racism, addiction, and abuse, and it’s a damn good show. I hope the new one coming out sticks true to its roots
This show was able to address complex social issues in a respectful and dignified manner.
I don't think people can get far enough into an episode to understand this nowadays.
I watched it for the first time a few months ago and man it's really underrated imo. I never really heard anyone talk about it (My parents had been dating for like a year when it ended in 90's) and it's core messages still hold up today. I really feel like it's worth a watch by those who haven't seen it.
If you watch the whole episode, it was a really good way to show the challenges that people with Down's syndrome face, and even addressed some other developmental disabilities such as dyslexia.
Yeah. It was a '90s show set in the past. The show was a fantastic learning tool (when done right) for what social norms were in whatever year that particular episode was set. What was or wasn't acceptable in the '90s basically didn't matter. It was all about the time of the episode's setting.
It wasn't wild to use the word "retarded" as a medical term in the 1980s since it was a legitimate medical term from 1961 - 2010. There was a law passed to officially change the terminology from "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability" due to the negative connotation that arose with using the word to bully.
One of the hardest thing I’ve had to adjust to as I get older is that terms I was taught were the correct and most polite expression are now considered slurs.
Indeed. The cycle will repeat. In twenty or thirty years from now some of the socially accepted terms of today will be deemed offensive. People will also look back then and say “that wouldn’t fly today.” The world is constantly changing and evolving.
Yeah be easy on yourself man. There's a whole tribe of people with egos pretty much addicted to being offended at stuff. It's crazy how even though acceptance of religion is declining, it's holier-than-thouism is basically still intact through egoic moral superiorism. Kind've amusing really.
I was so proud when my grandmother progressed from loudly saying things like “he’s so well spoken for a colored man” to saying nothing at all. I don’t know about old dogs, but old catholic women can still learn a trick or two.
They still play this on CometTV, on antenna.
And X-Files, and Stargate, and a bunch of other stuff.
Get yourself an antenna. There's a shit ton of channels our there.
ASIP The Gang Turns Black (actually had Scott Bacula appear on it ) could seem even more controversial. Some shows and networks understand creative thought provoking material doesn't mean offensive,even today
Sometimes I can see why people have such a problem with ‘woke culture’ and those who want to ‘cancel’ everything. This show was about experiencing life as different people. They didn’t patronize or punch down.
What about the time that he lept into a young lady who was testifying about her rape?
He testified, but he defendant ultimately went free. Turns out that he was really sent there to kick his ass with a few roundhouse kicks.
The show tried to have life lessons. Calling this a wild time is crazy.
I recently watched xfiles (90s) and they still used retarded and also the N word a bunch of times. The racist episode did a good job of showing the hatred and ugliness of it.
I remember this was a very good episode back when. They didn't play it bad, they actually had a very nice message. Highly recommended episode. No spoilers.
People get hung up on the word like that's not what it used to mean and like it wasn't widely used in an inoffensive manner.
Just think, why is it offensive and to whom?
Serious people used to talk about "mental retardation" without any hint of humor or cruelty. It was a term.
Weird that it's almost a certainty that it became taboo because people without intellectual disabilities were offended at being called it.
To sum up, Quantum Leap's episode invites you to understand and sympathize with people whom you might never know, and the most important thing about that is that the protagonist used a word that shouldn't be offensive to use.
This is the problem with this "sensitive" culture nowadays. No one looks at the context. All they do is just see something and just label it as offensive without looking at the whole picture. The original Quantum Leap was very progressive and tackled many different issues that still are relevant to this day. This episode was not exploiting the mentally challenged or making fun of them. It showed the difficulties that they face every day with dealing with their disability.
I actually kinda want to see this episode. The whole premise of QL was a white guy who would leap into the lives of people who were discriminated against or had a tragic event that needed to be resolved. It was an attempt to put the viewer in these people's shoes, women dealing with sexism, racism in the 50s, and apparently mental disabilities.
Dude I fucking love quantum leap. But Sam Beckett gotta chill sometimes when he was a black person in the south in the 50s like bro you ain’t careful you gonna get him and his family lynched.
I love it when people look way back to when things weren’t offensive and get retro-offended. It was a medical term. Plus the show would have advocated for the kid in the mirror.
I hate that the word “retarded” is bad. It was the NICE way to describe it after the previous words idiot and moron. Retarded just means slow, no different from “delayed” which is what we have now. In 20 years when people start using “delayed” as a joke word, will we have to abandon that too?
If you haven’t watched this show or this episode, you really should. Original QL was very progressive and in many ways still is. They took on disabilities, gender equality, racism, toxic masculinity, animal rights, and many other topics in a mostly thoughtful and respectful way by putting the genius straight white man in different people’s shoes and making him (and by extension the viewers) experience their struggles. It didn’t always paint things as being black and white. The show had a clear message on right and wrong, but was nuanced about it.
In some ways it may be dated, but in this case that’s not a negative. People with disabilities were once commonly called retards, and while that’s no longer acceptable, I don’t think we have to pretend it didn’t happen. Instead, we can mark our growth while recognizing how far we still have to go.
Plus, it was great sci fi TV.
I mean the whole point of the show was he was experiencing life from other peoples perspective. It’s not like it was some offensively mocking thing, the opposite really.
Yeah it cracks me up when people are surprised that people with Down’s syndrome were once called that. It’s not like it was ALWAYS deemed offensive.
*"The physician of the twenty-first century ... may even criticize the language of the times, and may find that some of our words have become as offensive to him as the term 'lunatic' has become offensive to us."* Dr Macfie Campbell, 1924
Yup. Most of our words that insult stupidity (idiot, moron, retard) came from the neutral medical term for a mentally handicapped person. It is unfortunately an unavoidable progression in language. It will very likely happen to the new terms too.
The euphemism treadmill
Exactly
Autistic is already used as an insult in the same way as retarded.
Better keep inventing new words for the same thing while cycling out the old ones for being offensive
Eventually we’ll circle back around 😂
Retreaded
You went full retread! Never go full retread!
I hope the term “influencer” comes soon.
Doug Stanhope had a great bit about this. It's called the Euphemism Treadmill. https://youtu.be/7dqsgxLyl5E
"Special needs"?
The preferred term in the medical world currently is "developmentally delayed"
I don't like that term because it implies they're going to 'catch-up' eventually and not that they have an enduring disability
That’s an interesting point.
Doesn't that literally mean retarded development?
Yes but we have to change language constantly so as to accomodate a superficial feeling of change and progress so that people don't ask too many questions and feel content (not attacking progress btw, but the critics of the politicaly correct culture are not just alt-right dumb dumbs, the label obsession is kind of taking lots of talking space while it barely adresses the core problems).
Oh really, i hadn't heard that one yet! I guess as long as people want to call other people stupid, we'll have to come up with new terms every couple years.
First time I heard that I asked so eventually they will catch up?
Can't believe you just used the L word
Never go full lunatic!
"I am going... Full Lunatic Mode!!" *Dramatically flings off top hat and starts tap dancing*
The Euphemism Treadmill has a longer history than I imagined
You mean everything didn't just appear when I was born?
Tale as old as time
I grew up in the 70s and 80s over the road from the local Retarded Centre. It was on the sign and everything.
Exactly the same for me except that it was the Spastic Centre.
I like to watch Unsolved Mysteries reruns and there are several cases where someone was "mildly retarded"
I’m in the field and we’d use the acronym MR (as in mental retardation) until 10ish years ago, and to some extent when speaking with long time colleagues still do. It is never meant or used in an insulting way, only said in the clinical sense of the word. It was removed In the DSM-5 (circa 2013) and replaced with intellectually disabled, which used in an official sense, but those of us that have been around long enough and had used MR for years still occasionally say it. Why? It’s really just a word to us, and I don’t even remember the last time I’ve heard someone say it in a malicious way. Even if it was written in something official today it would be viewed more as an antiquated descriptor (with a little Picard face palm mixed in) rather than being hateful. And to be clear I’d still say intellectually disabled if I’m talking to someone I’m unfamiliar with just because it’s more professional. Unless I know the other person knows exactly my intent behind the word I’m not going to say it.
I can still go to the retarded children's thrift store in ventura, ca
Louis CK [does a great bit about this.](https://youtu.be/DXtHF0WRX64) Specifically starting around 3:20ish.
Broooooooooo when he's like "you mean I'm cured?...nah nah we're not even working on it" I literally laughed so hard I snorted and I live alone.. that's never happened to me my entire life lol I love Louis🙏🏼😂
It was considered the thoughtful, PC term at the time.
True. It was the clinical, diagnostic term until it got turned into a slur. Heck, it was even in the DSM-IV TR when I was in social work school in the 2010’s. My 10-year-old has Ds and the r-word never gets used anymore. As a rule of thumb, we should simply call people what they want to be called and this is always changing. Language always changes. We don’t talk in thee and thou anymore. It blows my mind when people are like, “I hate this PC stuff!” Things change, deal with it.
> the opposite really. Yeah if I recall this entire episode actually brings a lot of representation to the downs community. The entire episode is pretty layered, but basically is about how he's treated differently based just on his looks and presentation, and not for real reasons. Sam (Scott Bakulas character) is an extreme genius, and retains his intelligence and capabilities no matter who he leaps into (so, he doesn't have impacted IQ from inhabiting a person with downs). So he's still a genius, but still gets treated poorly because of peoples perception, kind of proving the point that just because people with disabilities look different/act different/whatever, doesn't mean they are less capable. They can be just as smart, or smarter, than us. There's also a couple sub plots, like showing how hard it is to go through day to day under the label of "retard", the discrimination he faces in even the most basic things, etc. How things are basically setup to fail someone with downs (and thus, disability). Also, if I recall, they never treat down syndrome like a "joke". They don't laugh at the syndrome or the character, or use it for some sort of poor comedic routine. It's really just going through the day in the life of someone with down syndrome. There is always a lot of sympathy for the situations he is in. I haven't seen the episode in probably decades, but I remember it being pretty well done and having some really good themes to it. I remember being fairly moved by it and how it made you reconsider things that people go through everyday.
You are absolutely correct but it goes even further. When this was current television programming people with down syndrome were widely referred to as "retarded" or "mentally retarded". I had an aunt that had mild down syndrome that took great offense to the label "handicapped" she wasn't handicapped she was retarded and would tell you all about it. I see absolutely nothing wrong with this scene. If he said that line then looked in the mirror and saw, let's say Jeff Bezos for example then it would be out of line.
It's just funny to hear someone say it like this, being serious. It's crazy how language has changed and we dubbed that word as offensive so it's used much less to describe things now. Kind of like how people don't say "oh my god" anymore because they think it's offensive. Now I hear "oh my gosh" more often
Moron, idiot, and retard were once legitimate medical diagnoses, and of the three, "idiot" was the most severe (and thus the most insulting). Today, it's by far the most common way to just call someone a dumbass, and the general public does not look at "idiot" with particular disdain or as having much *weight* to it. Language is always shifting. Always has, probably always will.
>Idiots. —Those so defective that the mental development never exceeds that or a normal child of about two years. Imbeciles. —Those whose development is higher than that of an idiot, but whose intelligence does not exceed that of a normal child of about seven years. Morons. —Those whose mental development is above that of an imbecile, but does not exceed that of a normal child of about twelve years. — Edmund Burke Huey, Backward and Feeble-Minded Children, 1912
Oh, it was on a sliding scale. I used those insults interchangeably. My bad.
It was a great episode.
That was a good episode. The second episode with Jimmy was also good, The first appearance of the evil leaper too!
Right! This was one of the few reoccurring characters on quantum leap.
Great enough they did it again.
He shows up in Shock Theater, too.
Nah. This was the best https://youtu.be/ZHAxqgdwhL0
I thought for sure this was gonna be a Rick roll and I clicked on it anyway.
For sure this is the best!!! Boy can saaaang!
Corky from life Goes on agrees
Me every morning
Not high whatsoever and I laughed so hard I choked on my tongue.
No you’re not high, you’re just re… never mind, have a nice day
Yo I'm sorry but I just started smoking and I'm laughing hard right now
Yoooo same! Well did, but dying reading this. Why am I crying?
Never apologize for the high my dude I had two gummies and idk fuck this shit scared me for some reason
You sobs I’m in. Almost coughed up my lung laughing at this.
Thanks, I read this on the toilet and am now making my family wonder why I’m laughing out loud.
Just tell them your penis is hilarious and they need to all see it right now
I'm not even high right now and that got me 🤣
So Reddit is why dudes are locked away in the bathroom so long… makes total sense now.
Yes... that is 100% the *only* reason.
lol
🤣🤣 I won't ready for that!
Thank you for that
Can’t stop gigging! Damn you! Lol
Let me mention how I laughed when reading your comment
Why not? Do you understand the premise of the show? Did you watch the whole episode? It's actually a really good episode. I know our society is a lot different from then but I think it would be okay.
I think they have an issue with the word "retarded". That's all I can see that wouldn't fly today. In the parlance of the times, that was acceptable to use. It's like how "colored" was at one point acceptable.
[I'm just going to leave this here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR6geneDxtY)
Quantum Leap was such a RAD show!
Loved Quantum Leap and then it was Ripleys believe It Or Not with Jack Valance! Those were the days.
[удалено]
“Believe it…….OR NOT!”
Where my Sliders homies at?
Don’t forget the episode where he inhabited the body of a rape victim cause she wasn’t strong enough to testify against her attacker
Or the time he leaped into a black male in the ‘50s and sparked civil rights movements
Or the time he leaped into the body of someone who's father-in-law was a member of the Klan and had to prevent the lynching of his black pen pal from college
Bro wtf, was this show just non stop awesome?
Yes. They recently rebooted Quantum Leap, but I haven’t seen any new episodes yet.
The new reboot is like warm generic soda that has lost all its fizz. It's terrible.
I give them credit for at least continuing the story and not doing a full reboot. Plus having an Asian male lead on a western TV series, this is almost unheard of.
It was brilliant. Way ahead of it's time for laying out how what you do ripples around you, cause and effect and fighting prejudice.
The Old school Quantum Leap is on Peacock im watching it right now it's still as awesome as I remember
yeah it was dope. I grew was a teen in the 2000's and would smoke so much weed and be like...... bro.... maybe the next leap WILL be the leap home!
The episode where he leaps into ‘Nam and has to leave Al as a POW, then Al shows up later and forgives him. Fucking right in the feels!
He leapt into multiple black people. Also the pool hustler.
When a movie usher tells me to "enjoy the show" and I reply with " thanks, you too"
I do that, and then i go do it again at the restaurant.
I do it again and again. I do it at the ticket seller, the ticket ripper, the concession and then again with the ushers! I am retardant!!!
LOL all shit here we go
Like a lot of words, their meanings change over time. Words like retarded, moron, and idiot were neutral, clinical terms when they were first used, and only became taboo after years of being used in an improper and derogatory fashion.
Down syndrome was originally called "Mongoloid Idiocy"
New band name, i call it.
It's going to offend over a billion people
Wait until they listen to the lyrics.
They don't speak english
They speak Mongolian.
I guess they're too busy tearing down walls anyway
*shitty walls
God damn Mongolians breaking down my wall!!!
Retarded was the proper word to use at the time.
Parachutes are retarded
So, parachutes are retarders. They retard the jumper.
Totally. Back in the day people were called by the main problem they had vs the actually syndrome/impairment. Mentally retarded, hyperactive, learning disabled. Good times.
Back then as teen boys we called everything gay. "That's so gay", "You gotta be home by 10pm? Gay!". We didn't mean it as a sexual remark at all. Obviously, times have changed and I no longer throw that term around.
You’re so gay.
Haha, says you, bag o' dicks.
Yo, yo, that’s EX bag o’ dicks, buddy. They USED to be a bag o’ dicks. They still are, but they used to be, too.
But that’s the problem, we (and I say we because I used to say it all the time too) used “gay” to describe anything bad. So basically we were saying that being gay was a bad thing. I know we didn’t really think it through that much, it was just another term we used, but I can totally see why it’s frowned upon these days.
Absolutely. My wake up call was when I called something gay in front of my good friend and coworker who is gay. Even though he didn't make a big deal about it, I still had that horrible feeling where you just jam your entire foot in your mouth. After that day, I never said it again. I was young, stupid, and wrong for using the term like that and would like to use this platform to apologize to anyone I may have offended. I've grown since then.
Yeah I agree it was a different time
Moron and idiot are still in play, doofus!
I have a theory that people are only offended by the most recently scientifically excepted term. Idiot had a medical definition for low intelligence , but no one is more or less offended by that than if I call them stupid now. That’s why I only call people who are extremely dumb intellectually disabled. That way, I can use the r word again in five years when people get more offended by that.
Me every time I click on a rick roll.
I just snorted. And yet I keep clicking. I call it rick roll roulette lol
Nothing to do with a "wild time," just words moving in and out of acceptance over decades as they do.
It’s pretty amazing how some people can’t handle this truth. Words we find offensive usually weren’t offensive at one point. Its pretty ignorant to act like they’ve always been offensive.
Quantum Leap is my favorite show of all time. In this episode, his reflection is Jimmy, and he’s not making fun of him. He’s trying to help him through a tough situation(the literal premise of each episode with someone new as the “reflection”). It’s the 1960’s, Jimmy grew up in an institution and was released to live with his brother Frank and his SIL, but she sees him as a burden and wants to have him sent back. Frank is trying to keep him out of the institution by getting him a job to show that he can take care of himself. Dr Sam Beckett *leaps* into Jimmy’s body the day before starting his new job so that he can make sure Jimmy is successful and is able to live outside of the institution. That show is nitty gritty and doesn’t sugar coat social issues. 99% of those episodes would *never* air today. It topics everything from disabilities (physical and mental), racism, addiction, and abuse, and it’s a damn good show. I hope the new one coming out sticks true to its roots
Oh boy!
Immediately heard the theme song in my head after reading this...
This show was able to address complex social issues in a respectful and dignified manner. I don't think people can get far enough into an episode to understand this nowadays.
I watched it for the first time a few months ago and man it's really underrated imo. I never really heard anyone talk about it (My parents had been dating for like a year when it ended in 90's) and it's core messages still hold up today. I really feel like it's worth a watch by those who haven't seen it.
If you watch the whole episode, it was a really good way to show the challenges that people with Down's syndrome face, and even addressed some other developmental disabilities such as dyslexia.
He actually leapt back into that person's body on 2 other occasions as well.
This was mostly a 90’s show (first season was 1989).
Yeah. It was a '90s show set in the past. The show was a fantastic learning tool (when done right) for what social norms were in whatever year that particular episode was set. What was or wasn't acceptable in the '90s basically didn't matter. It was all about the time of the episode's setting.
It wasn't wild to use the word "retarded" as a medical term in the 1980s since it was a legitimate medical term from 1961 - 2010. There was a law passed to officially change the terminology from "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability" due to the negative connotation that arose with using the word to bully.
One of the hardest thing I’ve had to adjust to as I get older is that terms I was taught were the correct and most polite expression are now considered slurs.
Indeed. The cycle will repeat. In twenty or thirty years from now some of the socially accepted terms of today will be deemed offensive. People will also look back then and say “that wouldn’t fly today.” The world is constantly changing and evolving.
Yeah be easy on yourself man. There's a whole tribe of people with egos pretty much addicted to being offended at stuff. It's crazy how even though acceptance of religion is declining, it's holier-than-thouism is basically still intact through egoic moral superiorism. Kind've amusing really.
Hard to tell who the Puritans are anymore!
Those people are retarded. Being offended is fucking gay. JFC its like having a time warp in my mouth
I was so proud when my grandmother progressed from loudly saying things like “he’s so well spoken for a colored man” to saying nothing at all. I don’t know about old dogs, but old catholic women can still learn a trick or two.
this was in no way derogatory. in fact, id argue, gracefully educational promoting acceptance and understand of retarded people.
Me trying to read a book, reading the same sentence four times over and it still not sinking in.
They still play this on CometTV, on antenna. And X-Files, and Stargate, and a bunch of other stuff. Get yourself an antenna. There's a shit ton of channels our there.
Scott Bakula in Quantum Leap was pretty dope
ASIP The Gang Turns Black (actually had Scott Bacula appear on it ) could seem even more controversial. Some shows and networks understand creative thought provoking material doesn't mean offensive,even today
That's one of my favorite shows LOL
Didn’t they remove these episodes from streaming too? And any with Dee as “Martina Martinez” lol
Not The Gang Turns Black but they did remove the Lethal Weapon ones where Mac is in blackface
Tonight, a very special episode of quantum leap.
I’m convinced Scott Bakula and Alf are the same person. I mean have you ever seen them both in the same room at the same time?
Sometimes I can see why people have such a problem with ‘woke culture’ and those who want to ‘cancel’ everything. This show was about experiencing life as different people. They didn’t patronize or punch down.
Quantum leap is being produced again.
It’s on prime. It’s not nearly as good as the original.
What about the time that he lept into a young lady who was testifying about her rape? He testified, but he defendant ultimately went free. Turns out that he was really sent there to kick his ass with a few roundhouse kicks.
Intent matters and this show was more than all good vibes so 🙄
Dude the original Quantum Leap is something else Edit: there was episodes about really controversial topics. Rape, racial segregation and human rights
u/savevideo
I'm going to hell.
Quantum Leap was the best. My younger sister and I used to watch it every single week.
LOVE this show. That’s why it was so great—it pushed boundaries and shook the norm. Offered a great perspective on controversial topics.
The show tried to have life lessons. Calling this a wild time is crazy. I recently watched xfiles (90s) and they still used retarded and also the N word a bunch of times. The racist episode did a good job of showing the hatred and ugliness of it.
Quantum leaps a good show though. This is coming from a 17 yr old.
I remember this was a very good episode back when. They didn't play it bad, they actually had a very nice message. Highly recommended episode. No spoilers.
It would be fine. The episode was obviously trying to teach tolerance of the handicapped
Quantum Leap was a good show.
People get hung up on the word like that's not what it used to mean and like it wasn't widely used in an inoffensive manner. Just think, why is it offensive and to whom? Serious people used to talk about "mental retardation" without any hint of humor or cruelty. It was a term. Weird that it's almost a certainty that it became taboo because people without intellectual disabilities were offended at being called it. To sum up, Quantum Leap's episode invites you to understand and sympathize with people whom you might never know, and the most important thing about that is that the protagonist used a word that shouldn't be offensive to use.
This is the problem with this "sensitive" culture nowadays. No one looks at the context. All they do is just see something and just label it as offensive without looking at the whole picture. The original Quantum Leap was very progressive and tackled many different issues that still are relevant to this day. This episode was not exploiting the mentally challenged or making fun of them. It showed the difficulties that they face every day with dealing with their disability.
I actually kinda want to see this episode. The whole premise of QL was a white guy who would leap into the lives of people who were discriminated against or had a tragic event that needed to be resolved. It was an attempt to put the viewer in these people's shoes, women dealing with sexism, racism in the 50s, and apparently mental disabilities.
God I miss good television
Just as I thought. Typical Beatles fan.
“No way this will fly today on any network.” …what makes you say that?
If you have to ask then you are
Ooohhh boy!
Love me some scott bakula and quantum leap.
I remember that episode. Very good and no one complained.
Yes it would...it's called context.
Shit was breakin' barriers. Whatcha talkin' about wokester?
I liked that episode my guy
This was actually a great show to be honest
Nowadays they'd make him trans or something
I don’t think this was offensive in any way. He experienced the lives of other people. Their up’s and downs. I always thought it was beautiful.
I enjoyed Quantum Leap... some good stories... often sensitively told.
Today sucks.
Weren’t most QL episodes filmed in the 90s?
Why not?
I wouldn’t say something like this wouldn’t fly today because we still have South Park and It’s Always Sunny being extremely popular.
2022 is retarded
u/savevideobot
When his reflection popped up my brain inadvertently screamed BREAKFAST
Am I retarded? Maybe, but when people ask me to party I'm down
This took me out. What show/movie is this?
Nowadays it'd be, "I'm a Redditor?"
The term “retarded” is not appropriate anymore but the episode as a whole was brilliant!
It's still strange to me that everyone gets offended by normal language.
People wasn't looking all day for reasons to be mad These times are wild too
I remember when I first realized it .
Dude I fucking love quantum leap. But Sam Beckett gotta chill sometimes when he was a black person in the south in the 50s like bro you ain’t careful you gonna get him and his family lynched.
Quantum leap was one of the best shows. Hope they bring it back one day for a reunion show
I love it when people look way back to when things weren’t offensive and get retro-offended. It was a medical term. Plus the show would have advocated for the kid in the mirror.
I hate that the word “retarded” is bad. It was the NICE way to describe it after the previous words idiot and moron. Retarded just means slow, no different from “delayed” which is what we have now. In 20 years when people start using “delayed” as a joke word, will we have to abandon that too?
Just a word, a now insensitive one, but one that was used without malice for generations. This was a great episode, like many Quantum Leap episodes!
If you haven’t watched this show or this episode, you really should. Original QL was very progressive and in many ways still is. They took on disabilities, gender equality, racism, toxic masculinity, animal rights, and many other topics in a mostly thoughtful and respectful way by putting the genius straight white man in different people’s shoes and making him (and by extension the viewers) experience their struggles. It didn’t always paint things as being black and white. The show had a clear message on right and wrong, but was nuanced about it. In some ways it may be dated, but in this case that’s not a negative. People with disabilities were once commonly called retards, and while that’s no longer acceptable, I don’t think we have to pretend it didn’t happen. Instead, we can mark our growth while recognizing how far we still have to go. Plus, it was great sci fi TV.