Randolph Since I first heard the word dumbass, I’ve been a fan. It is delightful way to describe silly human behaviour. However, I retired it in 2006 because some people take offence at it. For one thing, it ends in an ass, which doesn’t mean donkey. That has the potential for tripping up web filters and so on, precluding you from reading this website.
Then for over a decade, I was using the word tomcruise. In that sense, only one person on the planet could take offence, and after jumping on a couch on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show, then backing out on eating the placenta after Suri was born (not to mention the Scientology stuff which is next-level batshittery), I felt that he deserved to be the basis of dumbassery.
Times change. I’m over 40 now. I still think Tom Cruise should have eaten the placenta after saying he would, and in so doing cement himself in the annals of history as truly insane. In the meantime, Randy Cassingham reminded me of a serviceable word that won’t trigger filters, and better yet, won’t offend anyone.
With that in mind, I shall call anyone who says and / or does something silly an obliviot (which includes me!). This gives me the freedom of not triggering filters, without the baggage of ableism or Scientology lawyers.
Feel free to suggest your own obliviocy in the comments below.