Domain tasting operation picks up a domain and parks it with the “r” word.
[Updated: eNom is now forwarding the domain name to r-word.org and says it will transfer ownership to Special Olympics.] In many ways President Obama’s gaffe on The Tonight Show last night was the best thing to happen to the Special Olympics in a long time. (Obama, speaking about his lack of bowling skills, suggested his performance was like the Special Olympics). Not only can the organization be assured that Obama won’t cut government support anytime soon, but the organization was readying a new ad-campaign called “the r-word”. The Special Olympics is trying to compare the word retard to some other words that most people wouldn’t mutter or print, such as the n-word. It’s campaign is now in the limelight.
Special Olympics is using the domain name r-word.org for its campaign. Regretfully, a domain tasting operation owned by Demand Media — eNom467 Incorporated — snapped up r-word.com earlier this year and is parking it. (In November, eNom467 added 748 domain names and deleted 10,346). You can even buy the r-word.com domain name through another associated eNom company, AcquireThisName.
Oh, and here’s the parking page:
I suppose if you’re going to blindly test domains for traffic, you have to suffer the embarrassing consequences of occasionally picking up a domain name you’d rather not own.
RWord.org, without the dash, was registered just days after Special Olympics picked up r-word.org. Its parked page isn’t pleasant, either.
Dan Sanchez says
Another example of greed over ethics, although I’m not surprised its coming from ENON…
Jorge says
Interestingly, the word “olympic” is very important to avoid when registering domains. There are specific US laws related to that trademark: http://www.inta.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=187&Itemid=59&getcontent=1
Troy says
Why are we all so scared of words? While it might be unkind to refer to a person as retarded it is not some huge problem.
Life is hard, get over it and quit complaining about stupid little crap I say.
Adam says
Speaking of N-words check out the .com of the plural version.
Sedo blocked the page after DNN.com story, but apparently the owner found a way around it and still monetizes it by redirecting to sexly.com . . . nice work again sedo.
http://www.domainnamenews.com/ppc-industry/niggerscom-more-racists-parking-pages/1452
suzy says
Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me… we all heard that one before, but guess what? if you are the parent of a child who isn’t normal, if you know a person who is bullied because they are “retarded” then maybe, words are something to be afraid of.
mike hensen says
President speaking of one or like one? You choose.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNTtOrpLuk8
Barack says
I shouldn’t have said that on the show last night.
mike says
This is stupid. Yes, Obama messed up. He should have said “I bowl like a retard”…and not compare his bowling to the Special Olympics. What he actually said was more offensive and hurtful. When most people say “you retard” I don’t think they are thinking “oh you are just like a mentally disable person”. And I have never called disabled person a retard nor have most people. So although Obama should really apologize, to liken retard to spic for example (I am one so it’s ok for me to use it..) is retarded because its not the same thing. You don’t call you white buddies spics, just like they don’t call you honky. but you bothy can be retards or really stupid people. What is the problem? Retards?
Alex says
I am so tired of people trying to be politically correct all the time. Stop being so sensitive suck it up and get over it.
Glenn says
What about the “V” word when Bush referred to Americans trying to protect the border as Vigilantes. What about the “U” word when Bush started referring to his beloved ILLEGAL immigrants as “Undocomented Workers”. How about an awareness day for politicians who use deceptive language to shape public opinion!
Adam says
I’m not sure I can take the banning of another word. I’m sorry but everyone is just far too sensitive these days. The ideology of Political Correctness to which we Americans subscribe is as dangerous as any other fundamentalist creed around found the world.
Adam says
I’m pretty sure it’s the left-wingers who preach this political correctness garbage. Funny now right-wingers are jumping on Obama for it. All retarded.
Jorge says
>> I’m not sure I can take the banning of another word.
Here are some ideas for other stuff to ban, then:
http://hotnamelist.com/search?query=ban
haha
Glenn says
Of course, you’re correct Adam. My remarks were a little sarcastic. I think the only words that should be banned are “political correctness”.
I just have this thing about illegals.
DezzNutz says
Glenn,
What about when Dems refers to themselves as Progressives, instead of the supposedly shameful term “liberal”
or how about when they use ther term “public assistance”, instead of the less PC term, “welfare”…or when Democratically controlled Congress in writing the behemoth 800 billion dollar wasteful spending bill tried to nix the term “stimulus bill” and refer to it as a “recovery bill” when it started to become unpopular.
Or how about refering to terrorists and jihadists as “freedom fighters”
I could go on and on about how overly PC the Left is and how its uses that to trick and confuse the uneducated voters that the Dems like to call their own.
As for Obamas gaff, who cares really? Not a majority of people…plus, OBAMA! Thats what you get! Thats why you should stop trying to entertain and instead stick to governing. I see you on ESPN rolling out your bracket,(a very weak one at that) and now your on LENO? If Bush tried that he would have got dragged thru the mud. The MSM would have had a field day with that…but Obama, he gets a pass cuz hes so cool.
I weep for America.
Claire Smith says
I am ashamed and appalled at the fact that the word ‘retard’ has even reared its ugly head and then associated with the president’s remarks towards the Special Olympics. Apples and Oranges people. Disgusting Republicans are rearing there ugly heads again. With that said, I use to be one. Grateful I am not running with that below the belt, back stabbing group since 2002. Ouch. I have evolved since then.
The President obviously is his own “special olympics” every time he opens his mouth, in public, unrehearsed. stupid, really. But not worth the time or paper it is printed on. He is our saving grace and we should be grateful for him. Instead we are feeding him to the lions everyday. Why are we helping each other more? Other cultures work and stick/band together. Us euro-white folk just grab our guns and fend for ourselves and if we don’t don’t have it maybe we’ll band together with someone or worse just steel it. Hey, we can’t seem to get out of history because we keep repeating it! I am sick of war and power struggles. Doesn’t any one else get it?
Rob Sequin says
1. Here is the video clip of Obama on Leno at YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE0yAEvVsUo
2. I watched Leno on TV when it aired but I also recorded it on my comcast DVR. I played it back for my family the next morning. Guess what. The entire bowling conversation was edited out of the RECORDED version.
That is scary. So, NBC shows one thing but then reaches into my recordings and deletes a portion of the show. They don’t air the show live, why didn’t they edit out that conversation for the air?
Strange but true.
gerry says
Cybersquatting?
Come on. Before someone of some importance can get the entire word out of their mouth the word/phrase is already regged.
And then domainers bitch and moan and cry about all the unfair pressure and regulations they face.
Sometimes I think some of these domainers forget that russian roulette is played with only one bullet in the chamber, not 6.
Rebecca says
Emotions not withstanding it is logical to focus limited resources on efforts with the best rate of return on investment. Thus activities for gifted children vs. Special Olympics make sense. Gifted are undervalued and underserved. Who is more likely to solve the difficult problems we face as a nation?
Donna Chance says
I believe that the word isn’t to be said. A lot of my friends say it and it really makes me upset because I repeatedly tell them to stop because it does hurt people’s feelings, whether they are “special” or not. It’d\s not that person’s fault that they are the way they are and the people that say it really need to think about what they are saying. So spread the word to end the word. Just like the Special Olympics. <3