DISABILITY ON TV
Disability tends to still be represented in terms of stereotypical characters.
For example:
· Physically Disabled / Disfigured – often shown as outsiders, unable to do normal things
· Mentally disabled – Often shown as strange, odd, childlike, outsiders
· Able Bodies / Minded – often shown as “normal” and “ideal”.
Characters with disabilities are often portrayed in TV Dramas as being outsiders, strange, unable to do everyday activities, immature, weaker than “able bodied, able minded” characters, less attractive etc.
Traditionally in films, villains were often given a disability or deformity to make them seem scarier or more evil. Although our association of disability with “evil” has since declined, society often still links disability to weakness and makes disabled characters objects to pity.
If you get “disability” as an issue in the exam, you should be thinking about the following things when watching the clip:
· Can I identify who is able bodied / disabled in the clip?
· Are people with disabilities shown as having different interests, personalities, attitudes, behaviours from people who don’t have disabilities? If so, how?
· Is their disability represented as being important in their life?
· Are people without disabilities represented stereotypically as being normal / better / more
powerful? If so, how?
· Are people with disabilities represented stereotypically as being abnormal /weak/ pathetic?
If so, how?
· How do other characters in the clip treat the characters with disability?
· What is the message the clip is trying to portray about sexuality?
Examples of disability in TV drama that you can analyse for practise:
Secret Diary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auSAGvpM7W8
Touch Of Frost http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gl8jVX9WWM
The Street http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80K5P1qqQOI
A whole collection of film and tv clips that feature disability
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