Derogatory Terms In 'District 9'

“Language shapes the way we think, and determines what we can think about.” This was said once by Benjamin Lee Whorf, a highly regarded American Linguist. Over a million words make up the English language, and the ones we hear and say affect much more than we think. The movie "District 9" addresses real issues in its themes hidden in this science-fiction action thriller. In the movie, the race of aliens are persecuted by the Humans, who see them as nothing more than an inconvenience in their lives, even constructing signs to mark where the non-humans are not welcome. The aliens are referred to by nothing more than a slur for their appearance. These derogatory terms and treatment of the aliens are a conscious parallel to real life, where such terms are not uncommon. Just as you think before you speak, the language you hear affects how you think. The casual use of derogatory terms in our language detaches the word from its degrading meaning and has a damaging effect on the lives of marginalized people.

To illustrate how these slurs originate, District 9 takes us all the way to the start, when a ship of insect-like aliens mysteriously lands on Earth with no explanation aside from the malnourished and starving aliens inside. A government organization called MNU takes action to relocate and

rehabilitate the aliens in Johannesburg. The humans of the town are quickly repulsed by the aliens, and consequently refer to them as "Prawns", a type of cricket found in the Johannesburg area. This name is chosen as it represents a 'bottom feeder', which is how the Humans feel about the aliens. This given name is meant to demean and degrade the non-humans, a parallel to the derogatory ethnic or sexual slurs we have outside of this movie. One example is the N-word, which came from the word Negro and a direct reference to a black person's appearance. Nowadays, after a long history, the cruel meaning is well cemented into this word.
In the same way that trending words like "selfie" come to be known, derogatory terms spread even faster. As language finds a way to spread, in District 9 soon the name 'Prawn' spreads and even government officials begin to use this as the term they call the non-humans. This resembles the word 'Gypsy', which many are unaware has its roots in racist etymology. Originally a slur against the Romany immigrant people, it painted them as thieves and con artists. Unconsciously, we perpetuate racism through our learned language every day. Much like the citizens of Johannesburg do as they refer to their alien neighbors as this derogatory term.
As a result of using derogatory terms, it will normalize them, and essentially normalize the degradation and abuse of a group of people.

Nowadays, slurs are even used in casual context such as shows, songs, rap and comedy. Normalizing these slurs is dangerous, to put it simply. It creates a barrier between speaker and the real meaning of the word, allowing them to ignore any racist or homophobic connotations it may have. In the movie, the alien eggs are referred to as 'popcorn', originally for the bursting sound they make when lit on fire. Instead of seeing this as horrifying, the term for them is almost silly, and allows the speaker to detach from the reality of

it.
To summarize, this movie handles the use of derogatory terms quite realistically. It goes to show the evolution of these terms towards casual and professional speech can do as much harm as their use negatively. We are influenced by what we hear. Though these slurs are not rooted in the same circumstances, and "Prawn" does not share the length of history as other terms. However we should learn from District 9, and understand that derogatory terms will spread, and using them - even casually - has an extreme negative impact on society. District 9 tells a story that opens our eyes to the same breaches of equality in our world today.