Rosie Jones, a well-known comedian with cerebral palsy, always wears earphones when she’s out alone. She jokes that it’s for pleasurable reasons, like listening to Steps, but the truth is she uses them to drown out the abuse she receives from strangers on the street. Even when she’s at home in her flat, she can’t escape the harassment. With 220,000 followers on Twitter, Jones has experienced ableist abuse online as well. We sat down to discuss her upcoming documentary, “Am I a R*tard?”, which explores the online abuse she’s faced and the wider issues within society.
The title of the documentary has already caused controversy, with some disabled contributors choosing to withdraw from the program due to concerns over the use of the slur. However, Jones explains that the title is meant to provoke a conversation about the harmful effects of ableist language. It’s not meant to shock, but rather to educate and raise awareness about the casual use of such language. Jones wants to reclaim the word that has been used against her throughout her life.
Despite delving into dark territory with her documentary, Jones remains upbeat and positive. She recently embarked on her first UK headline tour, called Triple Threat, which celebrates her identity as a gay, female, and disabled individual. However, with her unique combination of characteristics, she also faces three times the amount of online abuse. Ableism, in particular, is a form of discrimination that Jones believes is often taken less seriously than other forms of bigotry.
From her first television appearance, Jones has been subjected to ableist trolling, ranging from patronizing comments to hateful remarks. When she appeared on Question Time, the abuse reached new heights. Jones received death threats and disturbing messages, which she felt unable to report to the police due to doubts about how seriously they would be taken. The constant onslaught of abuse led Jones to hire a company to help manage her social media accounts and filter out hateful comments.
In her documentary, Jones confronts the extent of the abuse she’s received by temporarily removing the paid-for moderation and exposing herself to hundreds of abusive tweets. It takes a toll on her mental health, causing anxiety whenever she needs to use social media. Last year, Jones started therapy to help cope with the effects of the constant abuse.
While Jones is grateful for the opportunities she’s been given and enjoys her work, she also acknowledges that her life is not always happy and easy. She wants other disabled people to know that she faces difficulties too and that her positive demeanor doesn’t mean she doesn’t struggle. Being disabled is not something she’s proud of every day, and she recognizes that life would be easier without cerebral palsy. Nevertheless, she loves her job and remains determined to make a positive impact and raise awareness about ableism.
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