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[kickasstransdumbass]

My sister on the road to el derado

“You don’t use loquatious unless you’re gay.”

Edit: she says the white dude is obviously infatuated with the other dude

[khadijashari]

All Smiles! So Proud of my brother @rojamesxix 🙌🏿🔥🔥| KILLED IT TONIGHT!!! #LA #NYC #Fam #GrammyNominated #Elderado #YouAlreadyKnewThat 🙌🏿❤❤❤

[rootbeercarguy]

At a car meetup at a&w back in 2019

[yestolerancepro]

Jigsaw Piece’s Don’t put your son on Stage Mrs Brown A look at the Representation of Disability in the Arts  The Extended Edition

Introduction

Hello There Ben Brown here one of the aims of the Tolerance project is campaigning for disabled people to be represented better in the media this includes theatre TV Radio Cinema etc the BBC announced in the last few weeks of 2019 a raft of new projects to try achieve this aim you can read about it here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-50631991 so it made good sense to me to bring this blog forward

Then not long after this I read that a study in America had just been published saying that viewers would like to see better representation of people with disabilities on the shows they watched from this article in the LA times https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-09-17/disability-representation-study-ruderman-family-foundation

This was followed by another article in another American publication called Deadline that the American TV Station CBS would CBS has also agreed to audition people with disabilities for its future shows see here https://deadline.com/2019/06/cbs-ruder-family-foundation-actors-disabilities-audition-1202635630/

This blog started as an idea called Disability on the Box looking at how disability was represented on our television screens in the process of writing it and researching it the article was revised quite a few times in this final revised version I decided to open it  up to all the arts and not just Television Special Thanks go out to Ruth Sharpe who helped me edit the piece all those years ago and to Gemma Blagbourgh for the short interview.

The late, great writer, Douglas Adams, once said that good ideas and old ideas don’t die, they just gather dust on the shelf and this article is living proof of that. I have always wanted to write an article on disabled people in the arts  and my fourth attempt (what your reading now) will at last be seen by a wider audience. So the old saying if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again is true in this case. I first wrote about disabled people in television in a piece for very short-lived publication called, In Ya Face, a publication aimed at young people in the mid 90s. I used the subject again for a unpublished article I wrote in 2001, which looked at how the popular television series, Doctor Who, approached the subject of disabilityduring its first 30 years on television and beyond.

This article revisits those last two pieces, as well as other areas and asks has the way disabled people been represented on television and film got worse or better in the last few years?

Television and Theatre

I don’t know about you, but I love a great night in front of the television  and watch a variety of programmes  from soaps to quizzes, as well as documentaries, but I have started to notice something of a gap in my television viewing - why is there a lack of disabled actors on television these days? Disabled men and women have been excellently represented in other areas: for example we see disabled people in quizzes like Eggheads and Mastermind; comedy shows like  the brilliant, The Last Leg, on Channel 4; reality shows like the Undatables and Born to be Different. The articles featured in the links below talk about reality TV shows like Big Brother and how they leading the way in portraying real disabled people on our television sets the other looks at the undateables and what it says about disabled people  http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/dl-opinion/my-kitchen-rules-does-reality-tv-do-a-better-job-of-depicting-people-with-disability-20150130-132brx.html as well as http://disabilityhorizons.com/2014/01/the-undateables-whats-it-doing-for-disabled-people/

Talking about the Undateables its a great show its good that it shows people with a disability can have a love life too my only problem with the show is the title just because I am disabled does not make me undesirable to the opposite sex. Channel 4 has made great strides with its disability programming particularity in the area of disability sport I would love to see more of it all year round if possible the only problem with me is the title of the coverage  when it comes to channel 4s otherwise excellent para sport coverage just because bits of my body don’t does not make me superhuman here is a blog written by someone discussing the same subject

http://www.visualisetrainingandconsultancy.com/disabled-people-superhuman-simeon-wakely/

Not just that we need to see more disabled role models and they need to be on the TV all year round not just brought out for special occasions see  http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/jan-shure/yes-disability-sucks-but-_b_14634242.html and https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/28/disabled-people-movie-tv-becoming-bulletproof?CMP=share_btn_tw as well as this http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sophie-morgan/disabled-people-paralympics-tv_b_11693596.html?utm_content=bufferb5569&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

When it comes to acting and disability the talent is out there you just need to know where to find ir http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-39002345 all disabilities need to be covered the above article points out there is a lack of people on television with learning disabilities   http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sarah-gordy/learning-disability-on-screen_b_15043028.html?utm_content=buffer23cf7&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

When watching the television as a child, seeing disabled people on any programmes was a rare event. The first disabled person I ever saw on television was an actor called Nabil Shaban, who first appeared in the Dr Who story 'Vengeance on Varos' as Sil, a slug-like creature from the planet Thoros Beta. Nabil suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle-bone disease), but that didn’t matter as an 8-year old watching it at home, his performance to me was excellent and it seems the viewing public liked him as well. He was so popular as Sil that he came back a year later to play the same part in episodes 4 to 8  of the 14-part epic story,  'Trial of a Timelord'. You can read about Nabil Shaban here https://drwhointerviews.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/nabil-shaban-2000/ This wasn’t the first time Doctor Who had done this; profoundly deaf actor Tim Barlow played the part of Tyssan in the 1979 Doctor Who adventure 'Destiny of the Daleks'.

What’s that I hear you cry? Disabled people need good role models? There are good role models about - just look at the 2012 Paralympic Games; some excellent ones to choose there, so once again there is a gap in the market for a good role models on TV.

But, we hardly ever see good role models for disabled people or even disabled actors in dramas and when we do, they tend to fall into two categories; firstly, the disabled person, who has the long-term disability and is a wife beater or murderer; or secondly, the other side of the coin, where a nice non-disabled person suddenly finds himself in a wheelchair and has a complete personality transplant. Speaking as a person with a long-term disability, that’s not the way I am and if I was, I wouldn’t have many friends!

Another thing that annoys me is when a disabled part comes up in a drama, in most cases, although not all, the producers of the programme or film use a non-disabled actor. Now to me, this is just silly. If the part is written for a disabled person, it should given to a disabled person, because after all that person knows how that disability effects them in real life and would know how to portray it best on-screen. Hiring a non-disabled actor to play a disabled role on- screen is just lazy and the casting director has not thought about the pros and cons. Sure, it's quicker to hire a non-disabled actor, but I think you lose something. After all, a disabled person has to live being disabled every day, whereas a non-disabled actor, although still convincing, is playing at pretend and can go back to their normal life at the end of the day.

A recent Theatre play as part of the Manchester International festival came unstuck when they they cast a non disabled actor in a disability role because they said they couldn’t find anybody suitable they then came in for even more flack when the producers of they play attempted a rewrite without the disability role see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48952181 and https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48966317

But there are good news stories as well as bad ones this lady became the first disabled actress to win a Tony award for best I hope she is the first of many also look at the recent revival of the Peter Nichols a day in the death of Joe egg which always had a disabled character in it but until recently was alway played by a non disabled actor the play has done really well and I would love to someone at the BBC or Channel 4 remake it as a one off play or as a limited 6 part series

A Leading TV producer who works for ITV said recently  it's 'remiss and thoughtless' to make programmes without disabled people in them read what she had to say here   https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2019-04-10/its-remiss-and-thoughtless-for-producers-to-keep-making-programmes-without-disabled-people-in-them1/

One well known actress who starred in the American comedy drama the good place Janella Jamil was offered the role of a deaf character but turned it down because she felt it would be best offered to a deaf disabled actor instead the full interview is included here  https://themighty.com/2019/01/the-good-place-jameela-jamil-turned-down-deaf-role-disability-representation/

One report found that 95% of roles written for disabled charactors were given to non disabled actors  http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/disabled-actors-television-study-1201813686/ But its not just a case of getting disabled people on television the project has to be the right and the correct one the above articles looks at when is the right and wrong time to use disabled actors on film tv and in theatre http://www.disabilityartsonline.org.uk/disabled-actors-in-the-theatre

Ironically when myself and Gemma Blagbrough were making the original Tolerance film, it very nearly didn’t get made because the producer didn’t want to use disabled actors. In the end, two disabled roles were created for the film. Gemma Blagbrough played the cinema manager and I asked her what were her memories of her first and only acting role. Did she enjoy the experience?

Yes I really enjoyed the whole experience of working on the Tolerance video the only thing I didn’t like were the early morning the earliest being half past 5 in the morning when I had to film my scenes

it was long hours I wanted to show people with a disability that A you can work and B you can work in positions of authority

As I said this is not always the case, but when the casting director does go the extra mile, disabled actors always give good performances. In past years, we have seen a disabled student in Grange Hill Francesca Martinez played the part of Rachel a suffer of cerebral palsy who was in the programme for 5 years you can read about here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/comedy/9605179/Francesca-Martinez-on-starring-in-Grange-Hill-and-being-called-the-wobbly-lady.html  (a part my drama teacher wanted me to go for, but that’s another story!); a Downs Syndrome murder suspect in A Touch of Frost; and a wheelchair-using teenager in the Spanish-themed soap Elderado Julie Fernandez played the part of Vanessa for all its short lived run on BBC TV you can find her website here http://www.juliefernandez.com/media.html

 Another good case in point is Lilac Jackson A young girl who has cerebral palsy, will soon be appearing in the channel 4 drama  alongside Broadchurch actor David Tennant. It appeared young Lilac  liked the experience her mum commented She absolutely loved it. It was, I can’t lie, it was quite overwhelming on the first day. I think I spent the entire morning crying my eyes out thinking ‘oh my God, we’ve gone from this little, scrappy 34-week-old baby who nobody expected to survive to here we are about to film scenes with David Tennant’.

And she walked on to set, we were filming on the beach that day and it was just where she was meant to be

So my message to television and film casting directors and producers is, please give disabled actors a chance; you never know, you could make some classic TV and win yourself an award or two. Come on, you know it makes sense .

Cinema

I go to the cinema quite a lot mostly with my mum and dad but I have never seen a film with a disabled actor or character in it it could be a case that I don’t watch enough films or that disabled actors don’t get a chance to show there skills or that scripts are not been written with disabled parts in them or a mix of all 3 but this could be about to change with this campaign https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/its-time-to-make-disability-visible-in-cinema/  

But if you know where to look there are films about which feature disability as these 2 links feature 2 top 10 lists of films which use the theme of disability the best https://www.ranker.com/list/best-disability-movies-list/all-genre-movies-lists and http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2015/10-great-movies-about-disability/

Of course Cinema is full of many genres the above article looks at many of these again looking at the theme of disability https://www.filminquiry.com/disability-in-film-genres/ The well known disability campaign group disability horizons published a 2 part blog on disability in the media you read there assessment on the subject here http://disabilityhorizons.com/2012/09/disability-and-the-media-tv-and-film/  perharps the most devicive film over the last few years to feature disability is the film based on the best selling book me before you I have spoken to a few freinds who have seen this film who say its very good and a bit of a tearjerker its the way it handles the subject of disability thats the issue on the whole not in a positive way see

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jun/02/me-before-you-disabled-backlash-not-pitied and https://www.bustle.com/articles/165337-what-me-before-yous-depiction-of-disability-means-to-me-as-a-disabled-person as well as https://factfamily.org/blog/2016/06/me-before-you-disability/ The film has drawn some praise as well from some quarters https://www.eonline.com/uk/news/767981/me-before-you-draws-criticism-and-praise-from-disability-activists

 I don’t want to end this article on being totally negative so I will leave with this link https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2012/nov/12/disability-in-film-untouchable

 Pictures

Pictures 1 and 2 Screengrabs from the Tolerance film Micheal Weaver as the Blind Person at the train station Gemma Blagbourgh as the manager at the UCI cinema

Picture 3 Francesca Martinez as Rachel in Grange Hill

 Title cards for other shows that have featured People with a disability including Touch of Frost the last leg eggheads and Elderado 

A publicity photo from the controversal film me before you

 Notes

In this extended edition I have included an extra section on Disability in the cinema which was missing from the blog when it was first published I have also included an interview with Nabil Shaban from 2000 replacing the dead link that slipped through the editing process when the article was first published sorry about that

I have also added some improved screengrabs from the Tolerance film taken directly out of the new digital copy that Ian Medley did for us earlier this year

If you have read this article and would like to help the Tolerance Project  find out more information or give a small donation at their gofund me pagehttps://gofund.me/5cf25de4  Or Follow us on Twitter @TolerancePro

[monstrousaffections1]

The Adventures of Ruth and Arach

Ruth wakes from her slumber to see Arach kneeling by the wall, hitting his forehead on the wall over and over. She gets up and sits on the end of the bed. "So um.. how's the escape plan coming?" Arach ceases his head abuse "Alright.. alright.." He turns to her. "I'm getting something..." and turns back giving his head three more thumps against the wall. He turns back to her. "Ok." Comes over and kneels in front of her. "Hears the plan. In the dead of night you and I will grab some provisions, hijack one of those hell horses and then we ride outta Pandemonium like there's no tomorrow." He says with enthusiasm. She gives him a look. "Across the deserts of hell, yeah?" "yeah" "On a horse?" "You got it." "Great. Sensational and that's your plan is it?" she asks, a little sceptical. Arach gives her a nervous look. "That's.. pretty much it." "Well I like it." She agrees. "So how do we get outta hear?" Arach begins to think. "In the dead of night you and I will grab some provisions, hijack one of those... horses.." Ruth's smile slowly disappears. "Great.." she says, doing a double facepalm. Arach's ears prick as he hears the sound of Asmodeus’s Lion, Buddy, prowling the hall, He sits up. "I have an idea." He grabs a leg bone of uneaten ham from a plate they were given and goes to the door. Buddy stretches and yawns as he goes down the hall. He sticks his arm out the bars of the door, holding the lam. "Hey!" he whispers. "Leo." he whispers again to get Buddy's attention. "Hey Leo!" "Want a nice lamb?? Come and get it!" He smiles seeing he has the lion's attention. "But. You have to do a trick first." Buddy goes over and sits, tilting his head. "All you have to do, is find a pry bar. A long piece of iron with a hooky thing on the end." Ruth stares at Arach. "Arach.. your talking to a Lion.." "Ssh ssh.. Yes, that's it Leo, find the pry bar." Ruth facepalms, "Yes, find the pry bar.. He can't understand pry bar.. he's a dumb lion.." Buddy looks at Ruth with a insulted expression before getting up and turning away, not before he jumps on the door to just take the lamb anyways. Arach yelps "Aah!" and falls backwards. Before turning on Ruth "OH NIce Going Ruth!" "What were you expecting!? Be glad he didn't take your arm!" "YOu Pissed Him Off, He was Gonna get us a Pry bar!" "You Hit Your Head Too Hard You Idiot!" Buddy trots off with the lamb with a smile, going to Asmodeus who looks confused down at the Lion for having a lamb out of no where. A few hours later. Arach gets another idea. "...I can just turn into a cockroach.. and go through the bars." Ruth stares at him. "YOur ReAlizIng THis NOw???" she yells, exasperated. 

[snuffysnu2u]

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[tuesdaysfather]

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