Disability & Humour In the Movies
Ivan Brown, Ph.D. Toronto, Canada How are Disabilities Used in Movies? How are Disabilities Used in Movies?
Negative: Metaphor for something wrong, something lacking, something incomplete Metaphor for villain: bad or evil
“Excuse” for going beyond acceptable boundaries Sam Worthington Avatar 2009 Depiction as victim
Butterflies Are Free Wild Wild West 1999 The Elephant Man 1980 1972 Dr. Loveless How are Disabilities Used in Movies?
Positive: Builds awareness and positive attitudes Shows capabilities of people with disabilities
The Theory of Everything 2014
Children of a Lesser God 1986
I Am Sam 2001 My Left Foot 1989 Why does humour work well in movies?
• Escape • Entertainment • Move negatives to positives – at least safe
How does humour work?
Uses knowledge and feelings Turns them upside down – looks at in new way Unexpected, surprise Puts unusual things together Clues in the context Safe context
When is it ok to laugh?
PSPS Physically Socially Psychologically Safe
Marginalizing place (laughing at) – NO Integrating place (laughing with) – YES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ_okFDJcZc
Using humour and disability in mostly negative ways Humour from physical disability
Naked Gun 2 ½ 1991
Leslie Neilson – Det. Frank Drebin Richard Griffiths – Dr. Meinheimer
Humour from physical disability and intellectual disability
Gregory Go Boom 2013
Michael Cera
https://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=LE8kTPtLftI
Humour from physical disability and intellectual disability
Forrest Gump 1994 Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise (Lieutenant Dan )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh1QJsgvkns
Humour from intellectual disability and cultural differences
Borat 2006
Sacha Baron Cohen
Humour from psychiatric impairments and intellectual disability
Dumb and Dumber 2 2014
Jim Carey, Jeff Daniels
https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=DwOf2FPhb88
Using humour and disability in mostly positive ways Humour from sensory impairments
The Court Jester 1955
Danny Kaye Glynis Johns
Humour from words
Airplane! 1980 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Roger https://www.youtube.c Peter Graves: Clarence Over om/watch?v=xlDXQdgx_ Air traffic controller: Victor QU
Humour is one way to explore difficult topics in a “safer” place Does Humour Make the Negative into Positive?
Use disability In a safe place - PSPS To have fun, explore new things, be creative Use disability as a vehicle to laugh WITH, not laugh AT
Websites listing films about disability
Intellectual disability in film http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/films/
General disability in film http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/disabilitymovies.html http://disabilitymovies.com/ http://www.tc.umn.edu/~rbeach/teachingmedia/student_units/ module5/disabilities_timmons.pdf https://mubi.com/lists/disability-in-film http://disabilityfilms.tripod.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_about_disabilities