Read on Twitter
On "Crayon Eating" (I am disabled, I will not be debating this with anyone who is not); Ok so. The joke was originally intended to be a joke about Marines being able to eat anything, which is fair enough in and of itself, there was no malintent in it's origins. However-
As the meme spread, it's usage expanded and it's meaning has since been reinterpreted to be shorthand for 'low intellect' and it is often used in place of the ever popular in gaming community R slur. Now, jokes about low intellect and the usage of the R slur very often-
if not always come at the expense of disabled folks, especially those who are neurodivergent or have learning disabilities. I at this time do not believe that the widespread usage of this 'meme' to be following the original definition, especially not with how it's used.
It's always used in a derogatory way, most frequently aimed at players using the percieved 'low skill' loadouts in PvP, another topic I like to talk about is accesibility and the idea of low skill loadouts that r accesible being bad is ableism but that's a seperate conversation.
This is why we're upset. The joke started out with the meaning to be relatively harmless (comparing Titans to Marines) and IsaKole isn't really at fault for it as she had innocent intentions. However meanings can change over time and the way it's used now, is ableist.
It's ableist because the community uses it as a means mock players who are seemingly 'lower intellect' which is literally ableism. The way they do this is by crutching upon the ableist notion that disabled folks (especially those with learning disabilities or neurodivergency)-
have no control over themselves, that they are childlike and will eat anything even if it's harmful to them or not supposed to be eaten, that they do not posess the intellect to control themselves. It perpetuates stereotypes about disabled people that dehumanise and belittle-
them as people. I will point out that not all disabled and neurodivergent ppl find this joke harmful or offensive, however the point still stands that many //do// find it harmful/offensive. Therefore it's still in bad taste/ableist to make these jokes as it is harming someone.
The best way to deal with being told a joke is upsetting a group of people or someone. Is to stop making/telling that joke.
