#abilitiesindisabilities

Becky Jackson is a character on Glee that has down syndrome and is unfortunately a walking stereotype because of it. Becky is played by Lauren Potter, a disability rights activist, actor, singer and dancer. The fact that Becky is featured on television may be groundbreaking, but the stereotyping that occurs unfortunately takes away from the progress.

 The character of Becky has so much potential for complexity, but writers continually put her into a box. Similar to how homonormativity sets standards for how gay people “should act”, there are unwritten rules used in the depiction of characters with disability. Often times, Becky is caricaturized with stereotypes. Often times, Becky is pinned as the comic relief. She says obscene language for shock value, and is often found making fun of the other characters. This perpetuates the stereotypes that people with disabilities are sinister or laughable.

 Unfortunately, the character of Becky had potential to be a new voice and standard for representation of people with disabilities, but the writing served our societal ideologies and not the disabled community. People with disabilities deserve to be portrayed with complexity, not as an evil sidekick to Coach Sue Sylvester that plots against the Glee club. The comedy of the show is problematic, because it serves the ableism agenda. Becky provides a service to Sue, and without Sue she is unable to live a regular life. When she is “unsupervised”, she brings a gun to school and accidentally shoots it, causing a frenzy. Sue takes responsibility, perpetuating the idea that people with disabilities are their own worst enemy, and need to be assisted.

Glee is regarded as being one of the most diverse shows in television history, featuring roles with a diversity of ethnicities, sexual orientation and class. Glee has even branched out past the societal norm, featuring characters with disabilities. Characters with disabilities usually take up less than 1% of television roles, so this should be great news! Why would there be an issue?

 Unfortunately, because portrayals of people with disabilities are so slim, it is difficult for critics to accurately judge the messages without the response, “at least they are being featured”. Actors and actresses with disabilities often address this issue. They often fall into the predicament of challenging problematic portrayals, or going without work. Stereotypical roles are unfortunately their only chance at “making it” in the television and film industry, so they feel like they are not in the position to “pick and choose”.

Do you feel inspired by these images? Do you feel like you can now conquer the world?

You shouldn’t.