This is an angry piece. I hesitate a bit to post it, but not because of the anger. I hesitate because part of me wants to present a united front when it comes to disability; also, I don’t want any person with a disability to feel excluded in any way, because we get enough of that already. But if disability is to move further into mainstream consciousness, nuances within this particular minority -- and the ways the mainstream ignores these nuances -- will have to be addressed.
I’m sick of the under-representation of physically disabled women in the media. Hell, I’m sick of the under-representation of any disabled person in the media, but I can’t remember the last time I saw a physically disabled woman on TV. Well, actually, there was that one Seinfeld where Kramer dates a woman who uses a wheelchair, but I consider that a very crappy representation (Kramer: “She’s got everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman - except for the walking!” [big laffs]).
The general media I’ve seen seems to find only two images of disability/wheelchair use tolerable: the Big and Tough Straight White Guy with massive biceps (Murderball, anyone?), and the Pitiful Yet Inspirational Straight White Guy who is portrayed as just about dead anyway.
Heaven forbid we see a physically disabled woman on TV - I bet most of you can figure out why. How absurd of me, to ask for a physically disabled woman when overweight women are not allowed, when women over 65 are not allowed, when women of color are only sprinkled here and there. It hurts to know that your body is considered so unacceptable that it must be erased, that it must be treated like it doesn’t even exist. Former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt had polio and used a wheelchair - he made sure that he was never photographed in it. If anything is seen as weakness and imperfection, it is a physically disabled person, and the president and everyone around him knew it.
This is why the physically disabled people/wheelchair users we see in the media half the time are strong white males (as opposed to weak white males, the other half). The imperfection and weakness of disability is seen as so debilitating that the only thing that can combat the image of worthlessness is to give the physically disabled person the highest social mark there is: white hetero male.
This is why I am tired of seeing strong, white, manly (and sometimes endearingly handsome!) disabled wheelchair users in the media. It is a multiple insult to me. It tells me that the image of me (disabled woman) would never portray “strong”. It tells me that a disabled person is palatable to the public only if that person is at the top of the food chain in every other way (rich and genius is often added to white, male and hetero). It then reminds me of the ways that I am not at the top of that food chain. Then it reminds me that the public only really wants to see things that they can fit into boxes, and disabled people are either strong inspirational males or males worthy of pity, darn it, and don’t you show me otherwise!
I recently saw a commercial for my local transit service: strong, white, male wheelchair user. I remember the series Dark Angel: handsome, wealthy, white hetero male wheelchair user. How about the X-Men: white, strong, male wheelchair user is not only a superhero, but also a genius. Fourth of July, starring our favorite Tom Cruise in a chair. Forrest Gump: Lt. Dan, angry white hetero male war vet with no legs. House: the rich, handsome, genius, white hetero male doctor. Avatar...God, I feel like I could go on and on…
I used to be glad when I saw anyone who used a wheelchair portrayed in the media. Now I feel like throwing something at the screen every time I am reminded that “people like me” are acceptable, but only if we assume the persona of a white, hetero male, which often comes off like the entertainment industry is trying to put icing on a pile of dog crap. “Here’s a disabled person (aren’t we progressive), but don’t worry, he’s perfect in every other way, so you won’t catch anything or have to think too hard about it.”
It's indicative of society's inability to deal with, or understand, intersectionality. Disability by itself is so intimidating that it often obliterates any other issues; hence the "blank slate" of the hetero white male upon which the disability is projected. They want us to think about disability with these characters, but they do not connect it with anything else. Even when disability is being portrayed on the big screen alongside an entire cast of characters, it stands alone.
(I plan on posting more about my rehab experiences later. To be honest, it’s not an easy place for me to go to, so I do have to screw up my courage a bit to get there. Anger is so much easier, you know?)