When Kid Rock appeared on Fox News with Jesse Watters and used the word “retard” to describe his Halloween costume, he didn’t just make an offensive joke; he reminded millions of us that bigotry, when dressed up as humor, is still bigotry. 

Worse still was Jesse Watters’ response: he laughed. 

He didn’t pause. 
He didn’t push back. 
He didn’t challenge it. 
He laughed. 

That laughter echoed loudly. It told the audience that this slur was not only acceptable  but entertaining. 

Let me be clear: the word “retard” is not a joke. It’s a slur. It is demeaning. It is dehumanizing. And it causes real harm to real people, people like my son, John, people like my colleagues at John’s Crazy Socks. 

John has Down syndrome. He’s an entrepreneur, a keynote speaker, and a co-founder of the world’s largest sock store. He works hard. He lifts others. He brings joy wherever he goes. And he deserves the same dignity and respect as anyone else. 

When public figures like Kid Rock use that word, and when TVhosts like Jesse Watters laugh along, they send a message that people like John are less than, that they’re punchlines.That they don’t matter. 

And that’s unacceptable. 

This is not the first time I’ve had to speak out. When Elon Musk used the R-word on social media, I wrote him an open letter urging him to consider the powerof his words. I invited him to meet John. I asked him to use his platform to uplift, not demean. 

Now, I find myself writing again. Not because I enjoy being outraged, but because silence is complicity. 

To Kid Rock: You have a platform. Use it to stand with people, not over them. 

To Jesse Watters: Your laughter wasn’t harmless. You had an opportunity to model empathy and respect. You failed. 

To everyone reading this: We must do better. 

We need to stop excusing the use of hateful language as “jokes” or “free speech.” Yes, you’re free to say what you want, but words have consequences. They shape attitudes. They either build up or tear down. And right now, too many people with differing abilities are being torn down by ignorance and cruelty masquerading as comedy. 

The r-word, retard, had almost vanished, but now has made a comeback because of its use by certain leaders and tolerance by the rest of it. We need to reject this hurtful word and toss it into the dustbin of history.  

The  Special Olympics has led the way with its “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign, urging people everywhere to replace the R-word with a far more powerful one: Respect. 

Let’s take that seriously. 

Because when we laugh at a slur, we don’t just mock a word, we mock a person. A son. A daughter. A friend. A colleague. A dreamer. A doer. A fellow human being. 

I ask you: 

Would you laugh if the target were your child? 

Would you stay silent if the punchline was your loved one? 

It’s time to draw the line. 

Let this moment be a turning point -not just for Kid Rock or Jesse Watters -but for all of us. Let’s call out ableism when we see it. Let’s educate. Let’s model respect. And let’s make clear that hate, however subtle, however “funny,”has no place in our culture. 

John often says, “Down syndrome never holds me back.” Let’s make sure our words and our laughter  don’t either. 

Want totake action? 

•Don’t use the R-word. 
• Speak up when others do. 
• Teach your kids the value of inclusion and kindness. 
• Support businesses and organizations that empower people of all abilities. 

Together, we can build a world where everyone is treated with dignity, not just in policy, but in everyday conversation. 

Let’s replace ridicule with respect. 

Let’s spread happiness, not hate. 

Mark X. Cronin is the co-founder of John’s Crazy Socks  and Abilities Rising. He speaks nationally on inclusive employment and social entrepreneurship. Learn more at johnandmarkcronin.com.