Thank you, Glee!
by admin on November 12, 2009
in disability, down syndrome
It may be no surprise to you that I’m a big fan of “Glee“. BIG. HUGE.
Well, I just watched last night’s episode, “Wheels“.
First you should know that I’ve been wondering where the hell all the shows have gone with people with Down syndrome in them. I have seen some commercials which is a more recent, positive development, but it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen a show where anyone had Down syndrome and was beginning to wonder why in that “I need to write a letter” kind of way.
Then came “Wheels”. I’ll admit, that when the girl – Becky – with Down syndrome appeared, I was nervous. “Glee” is about as irreverent as you can get and I honestly wondered, as I watched an entire episode plotted around kids with disabilities, if this was PC and if I should even be watching it.
Then I got OVER MYSELF.
Because being “PC” is a load of crap and, in this episode, the writers hit a nail on the head. I stayed with it, treading nervously through the Sue Sylvester pieces, and was rewarded with an episode that was funny, irreverent, empowering, and not a bit PC. It treated people with disabilities with dignity and with laughter – in short, like they were people without disabilities. And you saw the irony of being “PC” – how in the long run, it can be condescending and demeaning.
Good job, writers! I highly recommend this show if you like irreverent (yes, I need a thesaurus ok??) comedY, music, and smart, witty writing.
There are other recent shows that employ actors with down syndrome. A very prominent example is ABC Family’s Secret Life of the American Teenager. Two actors on that show have down syndrome. One is a regular cast member that is in almost every episode and the other is supporting. Secret Life is preparing for it’s fourth season and these actors have been on the show since the first season.
True, Glee is a more entertaining show, but I don’t think Glee deserves nearly as much credit as Secret Life. Glee spent one episode showcasing what people with disabilities go through on a daily basis. But Secret Life does something entirely more substantial. Nearly every week the audience sees people with down syndrome on the show, but it never focuses on down syndrome. What I mean is, you, as an audience member, do not get the feeling that the show/story line is focusing on the differences between ‘normal’ and down syndrome. Instead, the audience gets the feeling the story line is like any other story line – this one just happens to involve someone who happens to have down syndrome. I can’t recall any story lines from the previous three seasons that were about down syndrome, let alone even mentioned down syndrome. I love that.
I think the difference between what Glee did and what Secret Life does gets back to Sue’s point when she said, “You’re asking me to treat this girl differently because she has a disability. When, actually, she just wants to be treated like everybody else.” If that’s true, then Glee was actually hypocritical of its own scripted parable.
Glee comes from the perspective of Will. It employed the down syndrome actors in roles that exploited their genetic abnormality. The story line was created for an actor with down syndrome in order to showcase down syndrome and, ultimately, to preach acceptance. In other words, ‘Glee’ treated the actors differently because they had a disability.
Secret Life, on the other hand, comes from the perspective of Sue. It employs actors with down syndrome and gives them story lines that have nothing to do with their abnormality or discrimination. The actors with down syndrome on Secret Life do roles any other actor could do. Their roles aren’t about their disability. The best part? Secret Life is a huge hit with it’s target audience – teenagers.
*smiles*
I didnt see the show this last week, but my hubby did and said it was good.
I love where you said they were people without disabilities. In my world, a world full of toddlers, they all have abilities…and they all have needs.
It’s good to know the world is become more aware of differences and removing some of the negative stereotype and fear.
Toni´s last blog ..To My Husband
Hi E, thank you for letting me know about “Secret Life”. I’d only seen one or 2 ads for it at all, and they focused on teen pregnancy so I was not enticed. I will watch it – perhaps I can post a “recommended TV” list – or an awards type list – for shows/films featuring people with disabilities. Do you know of such a resource?
I agree with many of your points, but “Glee” already HAS a disabled cast member – a situation that’s only been touched on when it affected what he did or when he was mocked. Remember that pretty much the entire cast of Glee has been mocked – this is, after all, a stereotypical American high school, so I was interested to see how they would handle this disability. And yes, it showed that she was different – but let’s face it, that’s how most people view people and kids with Down syndrome. As Amelia starts to make friends, I’m now finding I have this suspicion under my collar of “why are they doing this?” No, that’s not fair, I know, but life isn’t, something that my kids may find out perhaps a little earlier than others.
Often, the show comes from the perspective of Will, but he was trying SO hard to be PC that he came off as a jerk (to put it mildly). I liked to see the twist – that Sue was the compassionate one, but unfortunately, I find that most people are more like Will: “tread lightly, they have a disability!” And I’m sure I was guilty of that before I had Amelia, so it was great to see how people who don’t know anyone with a disability can have a skewed view, as well as how anyone who only knows ONE particular disability can skew their view of everyone else.
In thinking about your comment about showcasing Down syndrome, I realized that this disability can be an elephant in the room: you can’t exactly hide it. Not that you’d want to but it carries with it some things that make people flinch – unfair or wrong as that is. That got me thinking about the high rate of abortion among women who get the amnio and find out their fetus has Down syndrome: Maybe it’s LESS about health/medical issues or dealing with a disability that often affects learning, and more about watching your child go through discrimination and pain about something that can never be changed.
Much to think about, but seeing people with Down syndrome in the mainstream is the only way to get others thinking, IMO. Thanks again, E, for such a thought-provoking comment!
Hi Toni, I love what you said, because in the world of toddlers it is obvious that kids are differently-abled. We lose that as adults, but it’s still true, if you think about it. I love when my kids can do something I can’t or that I’m scared of and won’t (yes, they do!). It proves that we are all different, and we are all disabled, as well as abled. Just my 2 cents
I absolutely LOVE Glee and I couldn’t agree with you more. It was a phenominal episode and so very well written.
Glad you agree! I think we can be too worried about being PC, and I find that can be harmful to our kids too. It’s too hard to walk on eggshells all the time, so I enjoy a show that doesn’t.