Love On The Spectrum star Dani Bowman criticized the repeated use of the R-word in Euphoria season 3 and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s joke about Draymond Green at Netflix’s Roast of Kevin Hart, calling the language “painful to watch” and a step backward for inc
Love on the Spectrum star Dani Bowman isn’t mincing words about the R-word popping back into mainstream entertainment.
On Friday. Bowman addressed her objections to what she called its “modern trend” of use. targeting both HBO’s Euphoria and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s recent joke at Netflix’s Roast of Kevin Hart.. For viewers keeping score. she pointed to Euphoria’s season 3 rollout—saying the slur appears in four of the five episodes currently out. including one used most recently by Sydney Sweeney.
Bowman’s stance is blunt and personal.. Speaking to TMZ over the weekend. she said. “We worked too hard for inclusion and acceptance to normalize the ‘R-word’ again.. As someone on the Autism spectrum, it’s honestly painful to watch this language become socially acceptable in pop culture.. That word has been used for decades to bully, humiliate and dehumanize neurodiverse people.. And bringing it back like it’s ‘edgy’ or ‘funny’ — it’s not progress, it’s a step backward.. We spent years trying to educate people that these words hurt real human beings.. And representation means nothing if respect disappears the second people think it’s trendy to mock disability again.”
The debate is getting louder beyond Bowman’s comments, too.. Katy Neas. CEO of The Arc of the United States. weighed in through an op-ed published for Teen Vogue on Wednesday. saying. “That’s just the start of the real harm Euphoria overlooks by treating the R-word like casual slang.. Some people will say this is just how people talk now.. That’s exactly the problem.. Pop culture helps decide what’s normal enough to repeat.. When Euphoria folds the R-word into ordinary dialogue week after week. it’s not just reflecting culture. it’s helping to shape it.”
Bowman also took issue with Johnson’s roast set.. After he used the slur in a joke aimed at NBA star Draymond Green. she told TMZ. “I respect Dwayne Johnson and everything he’s accomplished. but using the R-word even in a joke or skit is disappointing.. Words like that have a real impact because they’ve been used for years to mock and tear down people with disabilities and neurodiverse individuals.”
At the Roast of Kevin Hart, Netflix posted footage of Johnson’s back-and-forth with Green that included the repeated slur.. In the clip, Johnson said: “Draymond is in the house, my guy!. Hey, Draymond, that’s your name, right?. That’s my boy.. I was thinking about this. you know. of all the cool-ass Black names you could have. that is the laziest f**king Black name I’ve ever heard.. Because all you did was put a D in front of Raymond.. Yeah.. It’s f**king [R-word].. And on top of all that, your [R-word] name, your team got bounced from the playoffs.. So. so. I’m just saying. because you’re my boy and I love you. maybe it’s time to retire.. I’m sorry, to dretire.”
Bowman didn’t stop there.. She continued to TMZ. saying. “We’ve made a lot of progress when it comes to inclusion and awareness. so seeing that kind of language come back into mainstream entertainment feels like a step backward.. Comedy can still be funny without targeting a community that has fought hard to be respected.”
The thread tying all these moments together is straightforward: Bowman points to Euphoria season 3 episodes where the slur is used repeatedly—four of five currently out—then highlights Johnson’s use of the same word in a mainstream Netflix roast. with both sets of remarks described as part of how pop culture can normalize language that has “been used for decades” to harm neurodiverse people.
Bowman ends with an open prompt to her audience, asking: “What are your thoughts, Perezcious readers??” She also directs people who want to learn more about autism and lived experiences to The Autistic Self Advocacy Network.
Dani Bowman Love On The Spectrum Euphoria season 3 R-word Dwayne Johnson The Rock Kevin Hart Roast Draymond Green Sydney Sweeney Autism spectrum The Arc of the United States Teen Vogue TMZ mainstream entertainment