I agree with you, Brittany, about how the media portrays disabled people as "other." These people should simply NOT be considered a separate group from society. They are the same as you and me, just with a little something different. For example, I have a speech impediment and society doesn't see me as something "different." My friends and family know that I have this "disability" and they do not see me as something different...they still see me as the funny young adult I still am.
I believe that the media does want people to stick to this idea of "normalcy" but (as we have been discussing in class) what is normalcy? Why do we follow this stupid idea of who is "normal" and who is abnormal? Why can't we just not focus on either "side of the coin" and just continue with our life? I believe the answer is...there would be no news really. The new reporters thrive on something that is not normal or something that is interesting for a brief moment. Ex) The news would do a report on someone's house burning down for 2 minutes vs. a house that belonged to a disable child for 5 minutes. The media thrives on people's weaknesses and that is HOW they make their "cash flow!!!"
We focus too much on a person's disability and the stereotypes behind it too. There are many videos out their on YouTube that depict someone's disability as a good thing and as a bad thing too, depending on that user's belief system. Ex) I had a cousin who had Down Syndrome (God Rest Her Soul) and the media depicts them as an "other" or something different. I bet their are numerous videos on YouTube that mock people with this disability and that is just WRONG!! We should feel honored to have a person like that in our life~ they teach us how not to judge people in the "wrong light" but as someone who is fighting to work around their disability.
~Chad S.
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