Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Is the r-word back?
If it is, is its normalization inevitable?
People are saying that, and they reference a linguistic THEORY called the euphemism treadmill.
Except they’re treating this THEORY like it is an inevitability that ALWAYS happens. It doesn’t.
The euphemistic treadmill refers to the process of when a common term starts being used as an insulting euphemism and its popularity spikes… but then over generations, the usage of the term slowly distances from its euphemistic definition and it loses its offensiveness. As these words fall out of favor, new insulting euphemisms are brought into use as slurs.
This is a great theory to understand… but it doesn’t always happen.
In the case of the R-word. The word fell out of favor because of advocacy that pushed back and made the term TOO TABOO to use. People who used it were derided and it affected their social standing.
Then Trump and the Right Wing started normalizing saying offensive things. They’re not making the words less offensive, they’re saying them BECAUSE they’re offensive.
This is not the euphemism treadmill nor do we have to sit back and let their efforts take cultural hold.
Any time anyone uses the R-word, it is our responsibility to make them socially accountable - for it to negatively affect their social standing so much, that they stop using it.
*all of my scripts and descriptions are written by hand with no AI use.
Is the r-word back?
If it is, is its normalization inevitable?
People are saying that, and they reference a linguistic THEORY called the euphemism treadmill.
Except they’re treating this THEORY like it is an inevitability that ALWAYS happens. It doesn’t.
The euphemistic treadmill refers to the process of when a common term starts being used as an insulting euphemism and its popularity spikes… but then over generations, the usage of the term slowly distances from its euphemistic definition and it loses its offensiveness. As these words fall out of favor, new insulting euphemisms are brought into use as slurs.
This is a great theory to understand… but it doesn’t always happen.
In the case of the R-word. The word fell out of favor because of advocacy that pushed back and made the term TOO TABOO to use. People who used it were derided and it affected their social standing.
Then Trump and the Right Wing started normalizing saying offensive things. They’re not making the words less offensive, they’re saying them BECAUSE they’re offensive.
This is not the euphemism treadmill nor do we have to sit back and let their efforts take cultural hold.
Any time anyone uses the R-word, it is our responsibility to make them socially accountable - for it to negatively affect their social standing so much, that they stop using it.
*all of my scripts and descriptions are written by hand with no AI use.
