Paterson: SNL skits amplify bias against people with disabilities
February 13th, 2009From ABC News Political Punch blog, AP/USA Today and elsewhere:
New York Gov. David Paterson, who is legally blind, says a recent Saturday Night Live skit mocking him as clueless and bumbling is offensive to people with disabilities. It is the second such skit to air on the show in recent weeks.
“I would say decidedly that they are mocking my disability,” Paterson said. “Apparently anybody who is blind or deaf or has an ambulatory disability or any kind of physical affect that gets to a leadership position in this country is going to be portrayed as if a bunch of third graders are ridiculing them on Saturday Night Live.”
He said such portrayals are particularly hurtful in light of the fact that public prejudice makes it difficult for people with disabilities to find and keep jobs. “One of the biggest problems ï¬nding work for the disabled are attitudes,” he said. “And these programs which present themselves as comic relief in many ways are degrading people.”
“… “I’ll bet you that SNL would think twice if they did the same kind of routine and made fun of someone’s race, religion or national origin right
now, ” Paterson said.
Neither the network nor Saturday Night Live planned to comment on Paterson’s remarks, according to an NBC spokeswoman.
See also:
The vision thing — Michael McGough on the Los Angeles Times Opinion blog. An excerpt:
Bad taste is not bigotry. Those who equate the two may have eyes, but they do not see.
A governor’s sense of humor is put to a rigorous test — By Clyde Haberman in the New York Times. An excerpt:
Comedy writers with frat-boy sensibilities seem to feel they have a license to go for cheap laughs about blindness, as if Mr. Paterson were Mr. Magoo come to life.
Earlier posts here, here, here, and here.
(AP photo)
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