Disability In News And Media

[From The Shadows]

Isn't Xavier both able bodied now and dead? I believe, after House of M, had the use of legs again, and died sometime around Messiah Complex, Second Coming or so, once more.

TYVM, Chia Head, means a lot.

Yes he's dead, and he was given his legs again. I still put him up on that list though because the majority of his career he was disabled and he was one of the few at the time he was created. And you are very welcome.

[Crimson Knight]

A Very Happy Early New Year wish, for all viewers, readers, listeners.

For all activists for disabled people, for all disabled people and, indeed, disabled characters.

Hope you've all been having a safe and merry Christmas.

[Crimson Knight]

I wish you all a great 2015, in representation and treatment of the disabled.

[Crimson Knight]

http://www.theguardian.com/film/film...lm-untouchable

In an article from November 2012, The Guardian asked whether cinema was finally moving with the times, in representation, or treatment, of disability, or disabled, people, on screen.

They bring up examples such as Rust And Bone, as well as Untouchable, and early on say that French cinema is changing the way disabled people are portrayed on screen.

Reading the article, how do YOU feel, about representation in French cinema, cinema generally, or cinema two years ago, as that was?

[PretenderNX01]

I find it interesting how the comic series had only been around a few years and then suddenly "let's make a superhero TV series with an all-female cast!" Great idea in concept even if it didn't last long.

I imagine someone at WB saw the possibility of a superhero version of "Charmed" and was sold on it.

Also, even if short lived, how would people note on Barbara in Birds of Prey? The show?.

Barbara was probably one of the decent parts of the show.
Even got a cool repaint of the movie costume with a better cowl

It's poster seemingly also influenced the Underworld movie poster.

It was very formulaic, freak of the week and the younger Canary wasn't that great. They're live action Dr Harley was kinda crazy fun though. But the stories were pretty basic and they pushed the "meta-human" is DC's equivalent of mutants in X-Men so everyone everywhere was a metahuman. Dude who runs the computer shop? Metahuman. That lady over there? Metahuman. And no one can know about their existence because...reasons.

Only one I've seen that really comes off Autistic, really, would be Cumberbatchs'/ Don't know is that intentional, a modern update, the actor, writing, directing, or something else, though.

I believe Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes has been described as autistic.

I know he's been described as seeming autistic, like I said I can think of characters that they give attributes of autism to but not sure they have come out and said in-story he has autism and try to make it a realistic portrayal of autism.

So, random things I think about in the shower include Smurfs. It was something about that romantic song they play in all cartoons and then to Smurfette and Clumsy Smurf and then to the time the Smurfs had a wedding of two fairies- one of whom was deaf.

Like I said earlier, the 80s tried to be more inclusive including disabilities and the Smurfs friend Laconia was deaf (and used actual American Sign Language).

Looking up some fansites, they seem to describer her as only being mute and not deaf but she'd have to be deaf for the plot to work. Gargamel has created an enchanted "Ghouliope" that will trap anyone who hears it's music and has it in place for the wedding, Laconia is the only one unaffected (as I presume can't hear the music) and then ties two pillows around Smurffete so she no longer hears the music and is free from the spell. The two of them plug up the pipes of the organ with cake until the machine explodes (the dream-wedding is ruined but Papa Smurf notes that all they need is their love for each other to be Woodelf and wife)

[Crimson Knight]

I imagine someone at WB saw the possibility of a superhero version of "Charmed" and was sold on it.


Barbara was probably one of the decent parts of the show.
Even got a cool repaint of the movie costume with a better cowl

It's poster seemingly also influenced the Underworld movie poster.

It was very formulaic, freak of the week and the younger Canary wasn't that great. They're live action Dr Harley was kinda crazy fun though. But the stories were pretty basic and they pushed the "meta-human" is DC's equivalent of mutants in X-Men so everyone everywhere was a metahuman. Dude who runs the computer shop? Metahuman. That lady over there? Metahuman. And no one can know about their existence because...reasons.




I know he's been described as seeming autistic, like I said I can think of characters that they give attributes of autism to but not sure they have come out and said in-story he has autism and try to make it a realistic portrayal of autism.

So, random things I think about in the shower include Smurfs. It was something about that romantic song they play in all cartoons and then to Smurfette and Clumsy Smurf and then to the time the Smurfs had a wedding of two fairies- one of whom was deaf.

Like I said earlier, the 80s tried to be more inclusive including disabilities and the Smurfs friend Laconia was deaf (and used actual American Sign Language).

Looking up some fansites, they seem to describer her as only being mute and not deaf but she'd have to be deaf for the plot to work. Gargamel has created an enchanted "Ghouliope" that will trap anyone who hears it's music and has it in place for the wedding, Laconia is the only one unaffected (as I presume can't hear the music) and then ties two pillows around Smurffete so she no longer hears the music and is free from the spell. The two of them plug up the pipes of the organ with cake until the machine explodes (the dream-wedding is ruined but Papa Smurf notes that all they need is their love for each other to be Woodelf and wife)

That's an advancement to be proud of, at the end.

60s, or 80s, as well, even better. Imagine they pulled that off in the films. Be even further exposure.

I do wonder in these shows, do they not flat out confirm they're Autistic, in case they get flak, or lambasted, for not enough of that character, using as butt of a joker, or not portrayed realistically, or accurately, as they might feel with Sheldon Cooper, for example?

Don't know about you, or others, but I think that Batgirl costume looks fairly good, myself. Wonder how it'd look, today, in the DCCU, or in live action media? Like, Titans, or Gotham?

[Kieran_Frost]

QUESTION: how do you feel about non-disabled actors plays disabled characters?

I know some LGBT fans get very annoyed at non-gay actors playing gay characters (recently one actor called it "blackface for gay men"); and certainly the issue of trans roles played by non-trans actors got a lot of movement during Dallas Buyers Club (in regards to Jared Leto). What's everyone's thoughts on this for disabled actors?

[Crimson Knight]

QUESTION: how do you feel about non-disabled actors plays disabled characters?

I know some LGBT fans get very annoyed at non-gay actors playing gay characters (recently one actor called it "blackface for gay men"); and certainly the issue of trans roles played by non-trans actors got a lot of movement during Dallas Buyers Club (in regards to Jared Leto). What's everyone's thoughts on this for disabled actors?

Well, I would say if a disabled person, like a person with Dyspraxia portraying someone with Dyspraxia, or a wheelchair bound individual, is able to act the part, apart from the aspect requiring the character to be disabled, and are up for it, then go for it.

But, if they can find the right person foir certain disabled roles, like Matt Murdock, I wouldn't want to be without Ben Affleck or Charlie Cox myself, even if they're not blind. Not going to say they're not diabled, because you never know, until you know.

McAvoy is a fantastic Xavier, and Stewart an awesome one too, but yet again, with this particular character, you could, by film, or comic, portray him as able bodied, as in DOFP, Origins, or TLS, depending on the instrument within the story used, or the time set.

Or, as has been done with McAvoy and Stewart both, at times and often, disabled.

Aside from that, if there's a man out there, up to shave their head, or is bald, and is physically disabled, work in the role, grand, that's the important thing.

An great example of authenticity, a disabled person, or actor, playing a disabled character, would be with this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQyr7nDLS4M

The above link is to a video, of part of, or all, of the first episode of an Irish, Rte made animated series about a young girl called Punky, with Down Syndrome.

It's basically about her, her life with it, with the family, in school, grandmother, brother, mother, all of that, day to day.

And, interestingly enough, she's voiced by a woman with Down Syndrome, named Aimée Richardson.

And, at 40 episodes, 2 Seasons, even if just 7 minutes each, that's worked out well.

But, that's what I think, anyway.

[Crimson Knight]

I know there's an awful lot of blind, deaf and wheelchair bound characters around, but what about mute?

Or, otherwise physically disabled, like, any characters you're aware of with the motor disability, Dyspraxia?

[KOSLOX]

QUESTION: who are everyone's favourite disabled comic characters?

Do characters with cybernetic replacements qualify? If so Misty Knight is my favorite.

[Crimson Knight]

Do characters with cybernetic replacements qualify? If so Misty Knight is my favorite.

Would Cable not as well, or Bucky? With the arm, for one, eye for the other?

[KOSLOX]

Would Cable not as well, or Bucky? With the arm, for one, eye for the other?

I guess they would since if those prostetics were to fail they'd lose the use of the benefits they grant, but... that's true of flesh and bone also so I'm not sure. It's not like real world prostetics that don't generally function quite as well as natural limbs.

[Kieran_Frost]

I guess they would since if those prostetics were to fail they'd lose the use of the benefits they grant, but... that's true of flesh and bone also so I'm not sure. It's not like real world prosthetics that don't generally function quite as well as natural limbs.

That's why I favour real prosthetics like John Walker or just no prosthetics like Daken will have; the whole "I have no arm, but actually I have an arm that does everything my other arm did and better" feels a disingenuous form of disability.

[Crimson Knight]

That's why I favour real prosthetics like John Walker or just no prosthetics like Daken will have; the whole "I have no arm, but actually I have an arm that does everything my other arm did and better" feels a disingenuous form of disability.

Can make for some fairly cool stories though, or moves that wouldn't be possible otherwise. Buckys' arm maybe hitting Tony while off him, Cables' eye flashing yellow on a cover to X-Force.

Good stuff, therein.

And, sure, I don't know, I wouldn't really say there's an false, or disingenuous, or not real, disability. Like, in South Park. Jimmy asking Stan and the rest whether he thought they, people who gained disabilities through life, but weren't born with it, weren't really disabled, and, though Cartman was tempted, Stan, or the Jewish fella, agreed not to touch in with whatever length of pole, I think.

So, I think, whether hampered or not, whether these prostethics are SO good that they may as well be living the same life, isn't at all a bad thing, and something all the better in advancements to help people get back to a life they'd want.

A dangerous territory, to class one degree, or kind, of disabity, as that, I think.

[Abishai100]

You know, comic books have gained the dubious social stigma of being a sub-cult community catering to sentiments/needs of people anxious about ostracism, perhaps even more so than likened reclusion-comfort art-fantasy sub-culture groups such as the science-fiction inquisition Star Trek fan base.

However, I've enjoyed reading and collecting comic books ever since I was young, and while it can be argued that American comic book superhero avatars such as Aquaman (DC Comics) and Spider-Man (Marvel Comics) cater to social interest in catering to sentiments of 'armchair warrior' privacy, I know that specifically, the X-Men (Marvel Comics) empire deals focusedly with ideas about ostracism, handicap, disability, and bigotry.

Professor Xaver, the fictional leader of the mutant superhero X-Men, encourages humanity to treat people with mutations with respect and kindness. X-Men heroes and villains such as Cyclops (a hero with super-laser vision beams but dependency on eyesight protection) and Gorgeous George (a villain who can stretch his body like clay with great strength, representing human anxieties about body size, deformity, giantism, and dwarfism) capture our curiosity about using art to talk about peer pressure, body image, and genetic handicaps or deformities.

The writers of the X-Men empire possess the accreditation to be recognized as art diplomats of society's dialogue about real life handicaps and disabilities. The base they provide in theory helps comic book fans liberally reference politics-oriented esteem-themed superhero/supervillain avatars such as Poison Ivy (DC Comics), a radical eco-terrorist, in discussions about using art to talk about civics.