Spotlight on Glee

Throughout the past two seasons of glee they have featured a character with Down’s Syndrome.  While this is a dynamic character that has played an important role in the series thus far, I would like to focus on another character for this entry.  Since I have started observing disability in the media, I have noticed the many actors playing individuals with disabilities, when in fact they do not have them.  This season on Glee, there is a character that is diagnosed with Asperger’s.  This character speaks her mind and is not shy about her thoughts and feelings.  While these are typically positive traits in an individual, the character uses them to say negative and inappropriate things.  Almost every time this character makes on of these bold statements, she blames it on her Asperger’s.  The disorder is a front for this character to say what she wants at all times.  While this show boasts itself for being open to diversity, using a actor to portray a character with autism in a negative light does not bode well for the show in my eyes. 

Introduction

In the past few weeks, it has struck me to see the numerous appearances of characters and story-lines regarding disability on television.  Over the next several weeks I will highlight the presence of disability in the media, specifically television.  Today I saw a re-run of a popular show, Arrested Development.  In this episode, "Ocean, Walker," Charlize Theron plays a woman who has only developed to the mental age of a first-grader.  This character was on several episodes and was involved with one of the series' main characters, Michael Bluthe.  Michael was naieve to the fact that his girlfriend was developmentally delayed.    He did not realize this until his son made a video tape of the woman and showed it to his father.  Michael's son, George-Michael, showed his father the video and sympathetically said to his father, "I think she is retarded."  While this offensive word was used on the television program, I do not believe that its use was intended to be offensive.  Theron's portrayal of this character consisted of speaking like a child and coming up with imaginative, childish solutions to every-day problems.