Section 5.15 Ridicule and Name Calling

• Library: Tort Law 2016

3. (§5.15) Ridicule and Name Calling

Because defamation law is designed primarily to provide compensation for harm to reputation and not to compensate merely for hurt feelings, Missouri courts have held that words are not defamatory solely because they expose a person to ridicule, banter, or jest or because they injure personal feelings. See:

· Mandel v. O’Connor, 99 S.W.3d 33 (Mo. App. E.D. 2003)

· Langworthy v. Pulitzer Publ’g Co., 368 S.W.2d 385, 389 (Mo. 1963) (a humorous news article poking fun at a lawyer’s complaint to police about a children’s prank)

· Coots v. Payton, 280 S.W.2d 47, 54–55 (Mo. banc 1955)

Similarly, mere words of abuse indicating that the defendant dislikes the...