some people see glee as a boundary-breaking show depicting gays, straights, disabled, and able-bodied people of all races pursuing a common passion for singing and dancing. this is usually a secondary factor of why someone may like glee, as im sure most just like it for the peppy renditions of hit songs. i, too, like the musicals, but as i watch the show longer and longer something sinister seems to be lurking just beneath the surface.
the disabled people. they are not sinister themselves, but their characters placed in the wider context of the school is. i am bad with names but im just going to say that there are two: Becky, who has downs, and the guy in the wheelchair.
in episode ten, Becky tries to start a relationship with the wheelchair guy. they go on a date, and she sends him a naked picture of herself, and asks for another date, but eventually she gets rejected. this scenario is commendable. depicting disabled people as normal people who are more than their disability is, in a way, progressive. they even play on the fact that disabled people have sex lives, which is shocking for most people who do not have much experience with the disabled. what was most touching was becky’s last monologue when she says that sometimes it really sucks to have downs syndrome.
HOWEVER. i am curious as to WHY Becky is portrayed as co-captain of the cheerios and WHY the guy in the wheelchair is so “normal” despite his disability, WHY he is seemingly so well-adjusted. in portraying these characters as such, they are, in a way, romanticizing the more complex, emotional, issues of disability.sure, it can be motivating to see these people do well despite their varied disabilities. but imagine actually disabled people watching this. wouldnt they think its a bunch of bullshit? is the idea of a girl with downs actually and successfully melding physically and psychologically with her “normal” team REALLY that convincing? isnt it a little bit insulting to assume that it could be done so easily? what would be MORE motivating, is to see how these people deal with the complex emotional, psychological, and physical barriers they face everyday and still SURVIVE.
maybe its because im an architecture student, but dont you ever think of how the wheelchair guy gets onto that stage? how does he get around the school? the show makes it seem like he just magically “appears” there, but this is not the case for many physically disabled people, especially those in wheelchairs. and social acceptance is not easy for younger people with disabilities attending mainstream schools. though the guy in a wheelchair is a guy in a wheelchair, he is still articulate, still able to function in a relatively normal manner. this is not the case in most cases. and we ALL know that. the characters of disabled people on glee is a cop out, clearly playing down the handicap that has a significant impact on other’s perception of them and their perceptions of themselves.
anyone who has been on a bus realizes the barriers that those who are physically disabled face everyday. most people feel uncomfortable around the disabled. those barriers are not just physical, they are also psychological. being disabled is not rosy. being disabled is difficult. and glee seems to outrightly deny and ignore that fact.
