"Derpy"-insult ?

[angelachristian]

I have a question : Among the fans of the cartoon show "My little pony" started an argument about a pony named "Derpy" , some people said that "derp" or "derpy" was an insulting and discriminating US-American word against people with disabilities

Comments

[kenocka]

Derpy Hooves is the actual name of the character and I honestly think she was meant to be nothing more than a simple background pony with googly eyes. Fans noticed her for this and nicknamed her Derpy Hooves and Hasbro adopted the name as official and canon. People are getting butthurt about it because they claim that she expresses an insult to disabled people. In my opinion this is complete and utter bullshit. Derpy Hooves is not supposed to insult anyone at all. In fact she's a inspiration towards abilism (sp?) if she MUST express some real world trait at all instead of being the silly Internet joke she was meant to be.

[ciroccoj]

Huh. You learn something new every day. I have never heard or read the term Derp or Derpy before in any context, insulting, teasing, or neutral.

[the_cowch]

I first encountered the word "derp" on 4chan several years ago, in relation to the Pokemon known in the US as "Bidoof". I assumed it was an onomatopoeia for the sound it makes, and it took on all its connotations of stupidity by association. Several members of my current friendcircle use the word "derp" regularly, as an interjection indicating that someone has just done something stupid, (most often in self reference).
Derpy is derived from "derp" as an adjective, meaning someone who often does things worthy of saying "derp" about.

Herpaderp is also a related term within our small community dialect which refers to a less-than-passable outcome which will nevertheless not be repaired. For instance, when they didn't want to go to the trouble of selecting and bringing home a Christmas tree one year, they drew a pine tree on a whiteboard, strung lights around it, and called it their Christmas herpaderp, indicating that yes, they realize it is no replacement for a tree, but no, they were not going to do anything better anyway.

[steamage]

It's been used for years to refer to acting goofy, but internet PC-nazis recently decided that it was offensive and have been screeching about it like harpies.

I'd never heard it used in an offensive sense, and the people who complain about it are, for the most part, the same people who are offended at EVERYTHING. Just ignore them.

[embryomystic]

It's been used for years to refer to acting goofy, but internet PC-nazis recently decided that it was offensive and have been screeching about it like harpies.

Aren't you a charmer.

[the_cowch]

steamage's choice of wording is pretty terrible, but as far as I can tell, "derp" and "derpy" have never been meant as a slur against developmentally disabled people, or at least have only been used that way in a small minority of cases, so there should not be any cause for offense.

[embryomystic]

I just have kind of an allergic reaction to people acting like the desire not to hurt people deeply wounds them. Also, 'PC-nazis'? Really? And I love the sexist imagery of 'screeching harpies'.

But hey, don't mind me.

[electricdruid]

I've never heard it used this way, nor has it ever crossed my mind that it could be considered ableist, but apparently many people with mental disabilities disagree. I suspect that the way it's commonly used is kind of like the way bitched/bitching/etc is commonly used- it has negative undertones which a particular group may find insulting (and which they are, of course, entitled to find insulting), but the common usage of the word is not typically intended to insult that group.