I’ve Spent Years Explaining Tourette Syndrome, SNL Made That Harder

As the mother of a young man with Tourette Syndrome and a board member of the NY/HV Chapter of the Tourette Association of America (TAA), I’ve spent years explaining what Tourette Syndrome (TS) actually is. This past February, Saturday Night Live (SNL) made that job harder. With TS Awareness Month upon us — May 15 through June 15 — it’s worth setting the record straight.

But first, let me take you to Washington, DC.

A few years ago, my son and I traveled to DC for training with the TAA’s Youth Ambassador program — teens with TS who go into schools and communities to educate and raise awareness. In the training rooms and beyond, there was a lot of noise and movement. Squeaks, sniffs, shouts. Head jerks, arm raises, outbursts. For someone unfamiliar with TS, it might have been disturbing. For those of us in that room, it was simply what TS looks like — in all its variety, and all its humanity.

At one point, a teen (not mine) with coprolalia— a rare form of TS involving the involuntary outburst of obscene or socially inappropriate words — yelled something unprintable in a crowded elevator. Startling to all of us, and mortifying to her, she apologized over and over.

The words meant nothing. They just came out, as they do, uncontrollably and unfortunately. That’s coprolalia.

Which brings me to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards, and then to SNL.

At the BAFTAs, John Davidson, MBE — an Executive Producer of the nominated film I Swear, based on his own life with TS and coprolalia — yelled the n-word as two Black actors took the stage. BAFTA had warned guests. Earlier in the evening, Davidson had made several outbursts. He said later that none of the words used reflected his views.

That’s the thing about coprolalia: the words do not reflect the speaker’s sentiments. They just come out.

SNL saw this moment and followed up with a skit suggesting that the offensive statements of celebrities like Bill Cosby, Kanye West, and Mel Gibson could all be blamed on TS. It was cheap and wrong. There is a fundamental difference between choosing to say something offensive and being neurologically unable to stop yourself. Every celebrity on that list made a choice. Davidson did not.

For those new to TS: it is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by sudden, involuntary movements and sounds called tics, estimated to affect more than one million Americans. It is typically diagnosed in childhood.

There is no cure. Co-occurring conditions like ADHD, anxiety, and depression are common, as are bullying and social exclusion. Coprolalia affects only about 10% of people with TS, but it is the form most exploited for laughs.

Those laughs have real consequences for kids already navigating a condition that sets them apart; seeing it mocked on national television matters. It makes the already hard work of education and awareness harder. Even now, as my son looks for a job, I debate whether to remove his work as a TAA Youth Ambassador from his resume.

This May 15 – June 15, in honor of TS Awareness Month, I’d ask one thing: the next time you see Tourette Syndrome used as a punchline, say something. And if you want to do more, visit tourette.org or contact the NY/HV Chapter of the TAA at [email protected].

Be kind. Be accurate. And leave the punchlines alone.

If you’re anywhere near the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge on May 31, 2026, take note of the teal lighting. The Bridge and many other sites across New York State will be lit in honor of Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month.