Twitter users erupt as commentator Steven Crowder mocks Down syndrome Barbie

Live Action News ^ | April 27, 2023 | Cassy Fiano-Chesser

[Morgana]

Days after Mattel announced their first ever Barbie with Down syndrome, a self-described pro-life conservative political commentator released a video on Twitter mocking the doll. Social media users quickly reacted with outrage.

In the video posted to Twitter, Steven Crowder and his co-hosts can be heard snickering and laughing over an Inside Edition feature promoting the doll. “With r*tard strength!” they can be heard saying over the promo, adding, “Is this real? This is real.” They continued to laugh as model Ellie Goldstein, who has Down syndrome, appeared holding one of the Down syndrome Barbies.

“Well, here’s the thing, they really have been going full-bore,” Crowder said, directly facing the camera. “Mattel actually announced plans to expand this, in the name of diversity before the end of the year, with sickle cell Barbie. So that’s something. Look, everyone’s involved! Down syndrome Barbie. Short bus not included! Did she have to say ‘smash through barriers’ when we all know about special needs strength? She doesn’t look that Downs-y! It looks like Amy Schumer Barbie. Now with more r*tard! Professional assistant not included.

Yet the reaction on social media was overwhelmingly negative. “This Barbie is a win for a conservative culture. Why? Because it humanizes a group of *human beings* the other side thinks we should just abort,” conservative columnist Ian Hayworth tweeted. “Instead, he’s ‘joking’ about ‘r*tard strength.’ Gee, I wonder why we’re losing this battle?”

“This is pathetic and heartless. Shame on you,” another Twitter user replied, while another conservative user tweeted, “I actually love this. @Mattel did something good for society by making this doll.”

A Catholic father of seven replied with a heartbreaking photo of his daughter with Down syndrome, who passed away as an infant. “Hey Steven, this is my child,” he tweeted. “Maggie would’ve been 3 next month. She died of the heart failure caused by the Down Syndrome you’re so callously mocking. She deserved every ounce of dignity you and the pro-aborts deny people like her every day. Repent.”

Frank Fleming, a scripted creator for the Daily Wire, also responded with a Twitter thread to the controversy. Fleming has a son with Down syndrome.

“I don’t think I’ll watch the Crowder sketch on the Down Syndrome Barbie and just take everyone’s word it was bad,” he said. “At the heart of our society is the intensely religious notion of equality — that despite our physical differences, each person is of equal and immeasurable value. It is unprovable, but it is True. This is not an easy notion to grasp with. It does not come naturally. It something we struggle with now and will in the future. But it’s central to concepts such as human rights.”

He continued, “When we make exceptions to who matters — to whom we value — it all starts to fall apart. One of the saddest things I’ve ever heard was of countries that have come close to eliminating Down Syndrome (and we know what that means). We have to be better than that.”

He concluded by pointing out that more representation of people with Down syndrome is a positive, not something to be mocked.

“I’m happy Mattel made a Down Syndrome Barbie,” he said. “I’m happy there one of the Lost Boys in the new Peter Pan has Down Syndrome. We need to embrace the beauty in this world, or we ourselves will be less human.”

[Hot Tabasco]

just to his bros like he would do at the bar,

Then keep the comments in the bar, not aired on his Twitter account for the world to hear. "Retard strength" is not funny at all.

He's not enhancing his brand, that's for sure, considering the video here yesterday showing him berating his wife.

[Hot Tabasco]

All the sniping at Crowder is mostly from virtue signaling

So you're ok with him calling them retards. Oh well

[vespa300]

Mocking beautiful kids with Down’s Syndrome. He has to be the bigget Prick in the world.

[vespa300]

wow, are you serious?

[vespa300]

In heaven, we will be more like kids with Down Syndrome then they like us. And this is proof. Nobody will be mocking anyone in heaven just as Down’s syndrome don’t mock anyone. They are among the most loving ego free on earth. Just like we will be in heaven.

[NetAddicted]

Read later.

[tenger]

And in 70+ posts, nobody bothered to ask Steven himself?

Steven, what say you about all of this?

[ansel12]

“When I was young Downs Syndrome children were referred to a Mongoloid Idiots. They were locked up in the back room of the house and never seen. Maybe that’s what some consider the “good old days.” “

That would have had to have been before the 1960s.

[dforest]

There are obviously some things to say that Steven has some serious issues, but the Barbie thing isn’t new and it is not a crime to joke about it.

Most people don’t know about it. Only those who choose to watch his show.

Seems there is a concentrated effort to ruin him which is a notion I don’t support. He is quite capable of damaging himself as we all are.

[dforest]

Ha. There is also a Trailer Trash Turleen Barbie.

[BrandtMichaels]

So you’re ok...

with your reading and comprehension problems?

[Mr.Unique]

Lapse in judgment?

Dolls can't have Down's Syndrome or any other genetic disorder. Laughing at people who think they can is funny.

[Karliner]

Good point, and why all the fan fare?

[Karliner]

I don’t know any guys who talk about Barbie dolls. End of story

---

Crowder has been playing dress up for years. He’s got a few problems to iron out. Keep up the hunting and fishing, healthier and you were made for it!

[fireman15]

So you're ok with him calling them retards. Oh well

I am so sorry Saint Tobasco... I have no idea if you do anything to help others, but you are superior to all who make fun of virtue signaling multi-national toy companies. Please forgive those who have laughed at unacceptable subjects and language. They know not what they do.

I have a friend who had a crude sense of humor when we were teens. (I urge the sensitive ones here to not read the next sentence.) He coined the phrase "retread" when describing people he thought were idiots.

He joined the Marine Corps and was severely and injured repelling out of helicopters. He went to school and became a teacher. He devoted his life to helping people less fortunate as a special education teacher and counselor. If he had listened to people like you he might have realized that he was not worthy of such a profession. The thing that the virtue signaling language police don't seem to understand is that actions speak far louder than words.

I do not particularly care for Crowder and his brand of humor... maybe it is because I have gotten too darned old and just don't appreciate smart Alecks as much as I once did. But I am not going to jump on the bandwagon with a bunch of people who likely do almost nothing to help anyone but instead spend their precious time on earth condemning those who they want to feel morally superior to. I had a conversation with someone the other day who was trying to impress on me that he was a better Christian and cares more deeply for others than I do. One of the examples that he used to prove his point was that he tips wait staff 100%. In my opinion that is more consistent with the action of someone who is a transparent show-off. But I despise this far less than someone who scolds people who won't condemn someone else for making a joke about a virtue signaling multinational with politically incorrect language.

Get a life.

[Mr.Unique]

Why would a ‘pro-life Conservative’ mock the doll?

Do you think dolls are alive?

[ronniesgal]

where we live, we’d refer to her as “Route 1 Barbie” pushing her kid in a buggy, looking for Route 1 Ken. My kids used to joke about this all the time,30 years ago!

[Mr.Unique]

After reading earlier on FR about Crowder being such an ass to his pregnant wife and all his anger issues, this doesn’t surprise me. I am so disappointed because I like Crowder.

Step right in.

[fireman15]

Did you see this? https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4148948/posts

It is about what I would expect from him. Crowder appears to be a spoiled prima-donna who will likely not be married for very long. I know a bunch of other self-righteous people who treat their wives poorly. In the end it has cost them big time.

[fireman15]

My kids used to joke about this all the time,30 years ago!

This Barbie stuff cracks me up... but not quite as much as those here who are trying to enforce political correctness. They believe that they are morally superior to people who find humor in making fun of a doll. They believe that limiting free speech through shaming and cancel culture is going to make our society better.