Internet Fights Among Itself Over The Meaning Of 'Spaz' Thanks To Beyoncé Lyric, With Some Calling It An 'Ableist Slur'

Two months after Lizzo's own decision to edit a song to remove the word "spaz," Queen Bee Beyoncé found herself in the same controversial situation after the release of her album Renaissance over the weekend.

The controversy began on the track "HEATED" in which Beyoncé uses the word just as previous artists like N.E.R.D., Drake and many others have in the past, with the colloquial meaning of random, twitchy type movements, similar to the character Tweek from South Park.

Just as Lizzo edited her song in June, Beyoncé also noted her intent to change the song's lyrics following backlash from people against the use of the word in recent days, which caused an uproar on Twitter.

Beyoncé will remove the word “spaz” from #RENAISSANCE track ‘Heated’ after it was deemed ableist, Variety confirms.

“The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced.” pic.twitter.com/RHtRznXcW8

— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 1, 2022

So @Beyonce used the word 'spaz' in her new song Heated. Feels like a slap in the face to me, the disabled community & the progress we tried to make with Lizzo. Guess I'll just keep telling the whole industry to 'do better' until ableist slurs disappear from music 💔

— Hannah Diviney (@hannah_diviney) July 30, 2022

Ben Shapiro complains: "These are the standards in our society. Using the word 'spaz' in a song – totally bad, horrible, remove it, offensive. Having full-scale songs for children about the moisture state of your vagina, that is Shakespearean wonder" pic.twitter.com/L76QIYs4QI

— Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) August 2, 2022

As a young Black woman who is also disabled this whole Lizzo/Beyoncé spazz debacle is honestly… disheartening. I am physically disabled- no I have never been called a spaz nor have I ever heard anyone else be called this.

What I have heard and used is the word spazz as a verb. pic.twitter.com/x083vkeIEy

— Jae the Artist (Jaenaissance) (@KlassJLife) August 1, 2022

The discourse came from the fact that in British English, the word "spaz" is used negatively to mean someone who is mentally incompetent, similar to the American slur "retarded," whereas in African American Vernacular English (AAVE), as well as online discourse, "spaz" is often used as just a term for someone that isn't in control of their actions or "spastic."

On one side of the debate were many people saying that "spaz" isn't a slur at all and isn't that derogatory, nor should it have been trouble for Beyoncé or Lizzo to use it. On the other side, as seen with Lizzo not long ago, there were those decrying its use as an "ableist slur."

Why are we letting white people pretend spaz is a slur

— Caitlynn with a K (@verchice) August 1, 2022

Spaz is not a slur, not in the way Beyoncé and Lizzo used it. It’s a slang that is referring to a type of jumpiness or general hyper activeness.

— ⁂𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙲𝙺𝙰⁂ (@erickacknowles) August 1, 2022

Neither Beyoncé nor Lizzo should have changed it, Spaz is NOT a slur in Black America and we simply can not let folks across the pond dictate how we talk. https://t.co/d2SHlVn8h8

— Juju (@JuJuBreauxD) August 1, 2022

Lmao. As a black person the word
“ Spaz “ will continue to get used. It ain’t changing over here. https://t.co/oVjDoc8Kbx pic.twitter.com/zsw0JmLIYJ

— 𝗭𝗶𝗼𝗻 ᰔ (@Zieeiko) August 1, 2022

Another facet of the conversation came about from the supposed double-standard in pointing to "spaz" being used within the context of English, but not how other words that are commonly AAVE and considered "okay" to be used by many, such as the N-word, are not singled out and told to be changed.

At the same time, there were also some who addressed the fact that British slang can often include words that Americans would find offensive, with no measures taken to stop their use in Britain.

It’s kinda crazy how hard white people go over “derogatory” words like spaz, but don’t see them rapping the n word during songs as a big deal… https://t.co/IsRsWisSg3

— Jasmine’s Growing Mold (@iPushedHelen) August 1, 2022

I’ve never in my life heard a Black person use spaz as a slur. We gotta stop letting people punk us, everyone knows how language works. A word that means something in one culture may mean something completely different in another.

Ain’t nobody adjusting their language for us.

— Dont say my name (@stillnez216) August 2, 2022

It’s weird that the UK has a problem with the word ‘spaz’ but continues to be blind of the word ‘faggot’. It’s a ‘hurtful language barrier’ until ‘fag’ enters the chat. And they use it very heavily.

— PLASTHIQUE OFF THE SOFA (@cuddapotato) August 1, 2022

nobody cared about the word spaz until Beyonce and Lizzo used it….

— ☆ (@scarletstalli) August 1, 2022