The Mainstream Is Not the Enemy: Maximizing Audiences for “Disabled Voices”

Main Article Content

Michael Noonan

Keywords

disability, comedy, collaboration, authorship

Abstract

The unique, powerful and compelling perspectives of people with disabilities have gone unheard by mainstream audiences for too long. In film and television, this lack has been largely blamed on broadcasters, distributors and audiences themselves, who are failing to fulfill their moral obligation to watch.  But finding an audience for ‘disabled voices’ means a shift in priorities for those who produce disability narratives. Successful film and television producers prioritize ratings and ticket sales, study and analyze what kinds of stories work, and ensure their product has the best possible chance of reaching a wide audience.  The producers of disability narratives need to do the same, prioritizing what an audience wants ahead of how people with disabilities are represented, who is making the representation and how it will impact on the “disability community.” I collaborated with three men with intellectual disabilities in the production of my PhD film in Australia in 2010.  My aim was to create a comedy film that would appeal to a mainstream audience and give the strongest possible “voice” to my collaborators, a process that required an abandonment of the “us and them” mentality and the forging of a new model of collaborative authorship.

 

To view supplemental materials that accompany this article(provided by the author), visit this link.

And here is a 45-minute doco about the author's PhD project (and is related to the article).

The password to view the contents is: dumtdownload

 

 
Abstract 463 | PDF Downloads 197 Word Downloads 139 Text Downloads 139

References

Anderson, D. (1997, January 6). A bunch of attitude. Sydney Morning Herald, The Guide, p.9.

ATV Central. (Producer). (1976). Link [Television program]. London: ATV Central.

Barnes, C. (1992). Disability imagery and the media: An exploration of the principles for media representations of disabled people. Krumlin: Halifax.

Barthes, R. (1996). The death of the author. In J. Caughie (Ed.), Theories of authorship. London and New York: Routledge.

Barton, L. (2005). Emancipatory research and disabled people: Some observations and questions. Educational Review, 57(3), 317-327.

BBC Television. (Producer). (1986). One in Four [Television program]. London: BBC Television.

Beatson, P. (1996). The future of disability television. New Zealand Journal of Disability Studies, 3(1), 86-97.

Bennett, H. (Executive producer). (1972). Six Million Dollar Man, The [Television program]. USA: Universal Television.

Bogdan, R. and Biklen, D. (1977). Handicapism. Social Policy, 15, 537-550.

Booth, T. (1996). Sounds of still voices: Issues in the use of narrative methods with people who have learning difficulties. In L. Barton (Ed.), Disability and Society. New York: Longman.

Callahan, J. (Executive producer). (2001). Quads! [Television program]. Canada: Nelvana, SBS Independent.

Carter-Long, L. (2010). DisTHIS! Film Series. Retrieved January 12, 2010, from http,//disthis.org/FTheDisabled.htm.

Charlton, J. I. (1998). Nothing about us without us: Disability oppression and empowerment. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Chermak, C. (Executive producer) (1967). Ironside [Television program]. USA: Universal Television.

Cornfeld, S. (Producer), & Cronenberg, D. (Director). (1986). The Fly [Motion picture]. USA: Brooksfilms.

Cosh, C. (2001). A guilty liberal pleasure. Newsmagazine (Canada), 28, 5.

Cottle, S. (1998). Making ethnic minority programmes inside the BBC: Professional pragmatics and cultural containment. Media, Culture and Society, 20(2), 295-317.

Cumberbatch, G. and Negrine, R. (1992). Images of disability on television. London: Routledge.

D’Elia, B. (Executive producer). (2004). Boston Legal [Television program]. USA: Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Dahl, M. (1993). The role of the media in promoting images of disability: Disability as metaphor, the evil crip. Canadian Journal of Communication, 18(1), 7.

Darke, P. (1997). Everywhere: Disability on film. In A. Pointon & C. Davies (Eds.), Framed: Interrogating disability in the media. London: British Film Institute.

Darke, P. (1998). Understanding cinematic representations of disability. In T. Shakespeare (Ed.), The Disability Reader: Social Science Perspectives. London and New York: Cassell.

Darke, P. (1999). The cinematic construction of physical disability as identified through the application of the social model of disability to six indicative films made since 1970 (Doctoral dissertation, University of Warwick, England). Retrieved from http://www.outside-centre.com/darke/paulphd/content.htm

David, L., Garlin, J. & Polone, G. (Executive producers). (2000). Curb Your Enthusiasm [Television program]. USA: HBO.

Davies, C. (1997). Window on the world - almost! In A. Pointon & C. Davies (Eds.), Framed: Interrogating disability in the media. London: British Film Institute.

Davies, C. (1997a). Disability for sale 2: The writer and the producer. In A. Pointon & C. Davies (Eds.), Framed: Interrogating disability in the media. London: British Film Institute.

De Heer, R. (Producer), & De Heer, R. (Director). (1998). Dance Me To My Song [Motion picture]. Australia: Smile Production, Vertigo Productions Pty Ltd.

Dowse, L. (2009). It’s like being in a zoo: Researching with people with intellectual disability. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 9(3), 141-153.

Duncan, K., Goggin, G. & Newell, C. (2005). “Don’t talk about me... like I’m not here”: Disability in Australian national cinema. Metro, 146/7, 152-59.

Eastwood, C. & Haggis, P. (Producers), & Eastwood, C. (Director). (2004). Million Dollar Baby [Motion picture]. USA: Warner Bros.

Ellis, K. (2007). Disability as visual shorthand: Theme and style in Australian cinema in the 1990s. Metro,152, 135-139.

Erickson, G. (2007). DVD Savant: Goodbye CP. Retrieved May 3, 2010, from http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s2300cp.html.

Everett, G. (Producer), & Leonard, B. (Director). (1992). Lawnmower Man, The [Motion picture]. UK: Allied Vision.

Farrant, T. & Charatsis, T. J. (Producers), & Farrant, T. (Director). (1990). Struck by Lightning [Motion picture]. Australia: Dark Horse Pictures.

Farrelly, B., Farrelly, P. & Thomas, B. (Producers), & Farrelly, B. & Farrelly, P. (Directors). (2000). Me, Myself and Irene [Motion picture]. USA: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Fox, M., Gluck, W. & Laybourne, S. (Executive producers). (2013). The Michael J Fox Show [Television program]. USA: Sony Pictures Television.

Gervais, R. (Executive producer). (2012). Derek [Television program]. UK: BBC.
Gilligan, V. & Johnson, M. (Executive producers). (2008). Breaking Bad [Television program]. USA: AMC.

Goggin, G. (2009). Disability, media, and the politics of vulnerability. Asia Pacific Media Educator, 19, June 2008/July 2009.

Goggin, G. and Newell, C. (2003). Imagining diversity: Disability and Australian film. Proceedings of the Australian and New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA) Designing Communication for Diversity conference,. Queensland University of Technology, 9-11 July 2003. Retrieved from http,//www.bgsb.qut.edu.au/conferences/ANZCA03/Proceedings/default.htm

Hall, S. (1988). New Ethnicities. In K. Mercer (Ed.) Black Film, British Cinema. London: British Film Institute.

Hara, K. (Director). (1972). Goodbye CP [Motion picture]. Japan: Facets.

Harnett, A. (2000). Escaping the “Evil Avenger” and the “Supercrip”: Images of disability in popular television. Irish Communications Review, 8, 21-29.

Hyun Park, J. C. (2010). From Charlie Chan to The Karate Kid: Changing perceptions to oriental style. Asian Currents, November 2010, 15-16.

Jaeger, P. T. and Bowman, C.A. (2005). Understanding disability: Inclusion, access, diversity and civil rights. London: Praeger.

Kabillio, E. (Producer), & Kabillio, E. (Director). (2001). Keeping It Real [Motion picture]. USA: Mad Dog Films Inc.

Kent, N. & Paterson, A. (Producers) & Tucker, A. (Director). (1998). Hilary and Jackie [Motion picture]. UK: Channel Four Films.

Kimpton-Nye, A. (1997). Gump and Co. In A. Pointon & C. Davies (Eds.), Framed: Interrogating disability in the media. London: British Film Institute.

King, M., King, R. & Zucker, D.W. (Executive producers). (2009). The Good Wife [Television program]. USA: CBS Television.

Klobas, L. E. (1988). Disability drama in television and film. London: McFarland and Co.

Larsen, R. and Haller, B.A. (2002). The case of Freaks: Public perception of real disability. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 29(4), 164-172.

Longmore, P. K. (1987). Screening stereotypes: Images of disabled people in television and motion pictures. In A. J. Gartner (Ed.), Images of the disabled: disabling images. New York: Praeger.

Lynch, Y. (1997). All the world’s a stage. In A. Pointon & C. Davies (Eds.), Framed: Interrogating disability in the media. London: British Film Institute.

Mason, G. (Producer). (1996). House Gang [Television program]. Australia: SBS-TV.

McIntyre, P. (2003, July 24). Free-to-airs feel ripple from Telstra’s TV splash, Australian Media Guide, p.11.

McKee, A. (2000). Stereotype. In R. Pearson and P. Simpson (Eds.), Routledge Critical Dictionary of Film and Television Theory, 424-5. London and New York: Routledge.

McKee, A. (2004). The public sphere: An introduction. Cambridge: University of Cambridge.

McNair, B. (2000). Journalism and democracy: An evaluation of the political public sphere. London and New York: Routledge.

McRuer, R. (2006). Crip theory. New York and London: New York University Press.

Meekosha, H. (2000). A disabled genius in the family: Personal musings on the tale of two sisters. Disability and society, 15(5), 811-815.

Mercer, K. (1990). Black art and the burden of representation. Third Text: Third World Perspectives on Contemporary Art & Culture, 10(4), Spring 1990, 61-78.

Mercer, K. (1994). Welcome to the Jungle. London: Routledge.

Miller, G. (Producer), & Miller, G. & Ogilvie, G. (Director). (1987). Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome [Motion picture]. Australia: Kennedy Miller Productions.

Morris, J. (1996). Pride against prejudice: A personal politics of disability. London: The Women’s Press.

Mulhern, K. (1997). The only cripple in the room. In A. Pointon & C. Davies (Eds.), Framed: Interrogating disability in the media. London: British Film Institute.

Nelson, J. A. (2003). The invisible cultural group: Images of disability. In P. M. Lester and S. D. Ross (Eds.), Images that injure. London: Praeger.

Noonan, M. (Executive producer). (2007). Unlikely Travellers [Television program]. Australia: ABC-TV.

Noonan, M. (Producer), & Noonan, M. (Director). (2010). Down Under Mystery Tour [Motion picture]. Australia: Boom-In-Shot Productions/Mental Leap.

Norden, M. F. (1994). Politics, movies and physical disability. In M. F. Norden (Ed.), The cinema of isolation: A history of physical disability in the movies. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press.

Oliver, M. (1996). Understanding disability: From theory to practice. New York: St Martin’s Press.

Olsen, C. & Fowler-Smith, P. (Producers), & Olsen, C. & Fowler-Smith, P. (Directors) (1998). My One Legged Dream Lover [Motion picture]. Australia: Dream Lover Films.

Oztam (2007, November 19). Ratings report. Retrieved from http://www.oztam.com.au/Default.aspx

Pointon, A. (1997). Introduction. In A. Pointon & C. Davies (Eds.), Framed: Interrogating disability in the media. London: British Film Institute.

Pointon, A. (1997a). Doors to performance and production. In A. Pointon & C. Davies (Eds.), Framed: Interrogating disability in the media. London: British Film Institute.

Ross, K. (1996). Black and White Media. Oxford: Polity Press.

Safran, S. P. (1998a). The first century of disability portrayal in film: An analysis of the literature. The Journal of Special Education, 31(4), 467-479.

Serpico, J. (Executive producer). (2004). Rescue Me [Television program]. USA: FX Network.

Shakespeare, T. (1999). Art and lies? Representations of disability on film. In M. Corker and S. French (Eds.), Disability Discourse.. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Shakespeare, T. (2006). Disability rights and wrongs. Oxon: Routledge.

Smith, R. (Producer), & Sinise, G. (Director). (1992). Of Mice and Men [Motion picture]. USA: MGM.

Sontag, S. (1978). Illness as metaphor. New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux.

Starkey, S., Tisch, S. & Finerman, W. (Producers), & Zemeckis, R. (Director). (1994). Forest Gump [Motion picture]. USA: Paramount Pictures.

Sutherland, A. (1997). Black hats and twisted bodies. In A. Pointon & C. Davies (Eds.), Framed: Interrogating disability in the media. London: British Film Institute.

Thomson, R. G. (2000). Staring back: Self-representations of disabled performance artists. American Quarterly, 52(2), 334-338.

Thomson, R. G. (2001). Seeing the disabled: Visual rhetorics of disability in popular photography. In P. K. Longmore and L. Umanksy (Eds.), The new disability history: American perspectives, 335-374. New York and London: New York University Press.

Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation. (1976). Fundamental principles of disability. London: UPIAS. Retrieved from http://disability-studies.leeds.ac.uk/files/library/UPIAS-UPIAS.pdf

Wells, J. (Executive producer). (1999). The West Wing [Television program]. USA: Warner Bros. Television.

Whittington-Walsh, F. (2002). From freaks to savants: Disability and hegemony from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) to Sling Blade (1997). Disability and Society, 17(6), 695-707.

Williams, E. (2008, March 8). The brother of all conflicts. The Australian, p.22.

Williams, S. (1997, January 6). House with an encouraging view. The Australian, p.14.

Wolfson, K. and Norden, M. F. (2000). Film images of people with disabilities. In O. Braithwaite and T. L. Thompson (Eds.), Handbook of communication and people with disabilities: Research and application. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Zarb, G. (1992). On the road to Damascus: First steps toward changing the relations of disability research production. Disability and society, 7(2), 125-138.