Denise, What does ":D" mean?  -Kathy





----- Original Message -----
From: Denise D. Goodman <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 1999 10:45 AM
Subject: Re: Movies-Disability Image


> Gee, I must be odd woman out.  I actually told my husband I would go see
> Deuce Bigalo: Gigalo.  It didn't really strike me as a PWD basher.  I
guess
> I'm less sensative.  When I saw the ads my mind didn't focus in the ladies
> with disabilities, (out of the six or so women they showed, only two had
> disabilites {one with Terrets & one wearing prosthesis).  All the other
> "ladies" were able-bodied, if not a bit extreme.  What stuck out in my
mind
> from the ads was the lead character, the Gigalo.  He is a complete and
total
> looser and they highlight all his faults.
>
> Although it is wrong to stero-type people, it is done all the time in
movies.
>  You take a few traits and exaggerate them for dramtic/comic effect.
There
> are also more than a handful of movies that show PWD's in a normal light.
> Not as tragic pitiful creatures, or sainted souls, just folks doing what
all
> folks do.  Point in fact, right now there is a movie out I plan to see
called
> the Bone Doctor.  Denzel Washington plays I believe a quadraplegic.  He is
> one of the two main stars/charcaters in the movie.  He is a foresnic
> dectective who helps solve the case and I don't think he even leaves his
> room.  (Can't be certain haven't seen the flick yet.)  This to my mind
shows
> how a PWD can be productive member of society.  Then of course there was
old,
> "Iron-side."  Raymond Burr as a crime solving dective, who just happened
to
> be in a wheel chair.  You didn't pity Iron-side, only the crooks he was
> after.  What about Forrest Gump?  A boy who was most definetly a bit
> different, yet had a most wonderous life.  Fictious of course, but the
movie
> in my opinion didn't shed a bad light on him at all.  In fact the way he
> helped Lt. Dan come to grips with his own disability, showing him life was
> worth living was wonderful.  Gump does the same thing for his best girl,
who
> is able-bodied, but emotionally troubled.
>
> You take the good with the bad.  Yes, sometimes movies shed a poor light
on
> PWD just as they do with African-Americans, or showing the Irish as
> wife/beating drunkards, or "folically challenged men" with twenty extra
> pounds, glasses and a penchant for computers as "Dilbert" type nerds.
> Anyway, I guess what I wanted to say is I take it all with a grain of
salt.
> As long as the balance doesn't tip too far in the wrong direction I say-
if
> you want to patronize a bad movie do it, if not- protest buy not plunking
> down your $6.50.  - And them thar is my few cents :D  - Denise.
>