See folks, THIS is what happens when you don’t think before you speak! Jennifer Aniston has been criticized by disability groups after using the word ‘retard’ in reference to a recent photo shoot in which she posed as Barbra Streisand (see those pictures here) while on “Live With Regis & Kelly.”

Per Us:

“You’re playing dress up!” Regis told her. She replied, “Yes, I play dress up! I do it for a living, like a retard!”

So, harmless self-deprecation or unbelievably insensitive attack? Depends on who you ask. Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc, a non-profit group who support those with intellectual and developmental disabilities said the use of the word was “extraordinarily offensive and inappropriate.”

“Frankly, someone in her position ought to know better,” he tells Us. “She is using language that is offensive to a large segment of the population in this country. We estimate that there are probably in excess of 5 million people in the country with intellectual disabilities, and when you think about all of them, their family members and friends, you’re talking about tens of millions of people who find the use of that term to be really offensive. Every time folks hear that word, it kind of reminds them of all the discrimination and oppression they’ve experienced in their lives. Even if it wasn’t intended to insult them, that is the effect of it.”

Since promoting her romantic comedy about artificial insemination, “The Switch,” Aniston has also tangled with Bill O’Reilly of Fox’s “The O’Reilly Factor,” who took exception with Aniston’s comment that women don’t necessarily need a man in their lives to start a family. O’Reilly blasted Aniston for the remarks calling them ‘destructive to our society’ (read about that here.)

At this point, we’re thinking the end of the promotional trail can’t come soon enough for Aniston.

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Images Via: WENN.com