Media Representation of Disability
Added on 2022-11-09
6 Pages1789 Words340 Views
Film and Theatre
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Running head: MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF DISABILITY
Media Representation of Disability.
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note
Media Representation of Disability.
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note
Media Representation of Disability1
Introduction
The medium through which information is carried out and communicated is known as
media. Media plays a very important role in our everyday life. It helps us making aware about
what is happening in the society and also all across the globe. The information shared in
media reaches out to a large area of population. The different forms of media are press;
magazines and newspapers, radio, television, cinematography or film, advertising and
internet. It will be very justifying to state that media plays an extremely significant role in
daily life of people and everyone consumes media to an extent level by any of its forms.
However, the impact of information shared in media not always tend to benefit the society
specifically in case of disability (Hughes, 2015.) Media has continuously seen to be
discriminate the disabled section of society and contributed to forming a biased opinion
among the people. It stereotypes the disabled people in a very limited way. In this report, the
representation of disability through media will be discussed by analyzing an episode
‘Howard’s quick survey on Stephen Hawking’s toy’ from a popular series ‘The Big Bang
Theory.’
Language in the video clip
The language used in the video clip is American English technically but there is other
form of language used as well. The language of gestures and perceptions an individual has
which reflects the beliefs and identity of an individual. It is shown through the toy made in
the video clip. When Howard says that people say offensive, hilarious and a great idea, it is
the language of the other people and their perception towards the Stephen Hawking’s remote
control toy. The toy was showing the former is sitting on a wheelchair and operating a laptop.
The toy was made as a tribute to one of the greatest scientists Sir Stephen Hawking but the
way it was shown on the episode was more about making a jest out of a person sitting on
Introduction
The medium through which information is carried out and communicated is known as
media. Media plays a very important role in our everyday life. It helps us making aware about
what is happening in the society and also all across the globe. The information shared in
media reaches out to a large area of population. The different forms of media are press;
magazines and newspapers, radio, television, cinematography or film, advertising and
internet. It will be very justifying to state that media plays an extremely significant role in
daily life of people and everyone consumes media to an extent level by any of its forms.
However, the impact of information shared in media not always tend to benefit the society
specifically in case of disability (Hughes, 2015.) Media has continuously seen to be
discriminate the disabled section of society and contributed to forming a biased opinion
among the people. It stereotypes the disabled people in a very limited way. In this report, the
representation of disability through media will be discussed by analyzing an episode
‘Howard’s quick survey on Stephen Hawking’s toy’ from a popular series ‘The Big Bang
Theory.’
Language in the video clip
The language used in the video clip is American English technically but there is other
form of language used as well. The language of gestures and perceptions an individual has
which reflects the beliefs and identity of an individual. It is shown through the toy made in
the video clip. When Howard says that people say offensive, hilarious and a great idea, it is
the language of the other people and their perception towards the Stephen Hawking’s remote
control toy. The toy was showing the former is sitting on a wheelchair and operating a laptop.
The toy was made as a tribute to one of the greatest scientists Sir Stephen Hawking but the
way it was shown on the episode was more about making a jest out of a person sitting on
Media Representation of Disability2
wheelchair. The gestures of Howard was more on the mocking side but the way his friends
reacted was a bit different (Tech, 2016.) The questions lies on showing disrespect or any sort
of agony towards that specific category (Rodan & Ellis, 2016.) Therefore, the entire thing
was presented in a hilarious way with a background music of laughter that overall denotes a
language of mockery that has been shown on the video towards disabled people. This sends
out a message to its viewers in the same manner it is shown that might be a misguidance, it is
also unethical towards the disabled community (Pinchevski & Peters, 2016.)
Representation of Disabled Person
The American people tend to show disabled people both in a negative and positive
way. The perception of representing the disabled people on media in a positive way leads to
an affirmation towards their identity of disability even after media gives a message that is
perceived as unrealistic. Whereas, on the other hand, the negative representation of media
leads to an identity of denial towards the people with disability. As per (Devotta et al. 2013)
the implications of media and how much the viewers are consuming it plays an important role
in shaping the belief system of its consumers. The media constitutes of a significant cultural
product which reproduces and reflects both prevailing attitudes and norms about disability of
people. A part of media representation shows disabled people as a victim to the society. The
people of society who do not belong to the specific community of disability show or act
offensively towards the later people which might turn into crime and make them victim in the
society. They are also ridiculed for their disability by various activities like way of talking,
way of behaving, hand movements, facial expressions and so on. In a way the representation
of media has shown them as an object of pity who are only capable of either sympathy of
mockery that is highly unethical. They are shown as an object of curiosity by the media in a
very discriminated way. Some organizations and disabled people draw an attention towards
the imagery of disability into the media and discrimination. For example, the toy in the
wheelchair. The gestures of Howard was more on the mocking side but the way his friends
reacted was a bit different (Tech, 2016.) The questions lies on showing disrespect or any sort
of agony towards that specific category (Rodan & Ellis, 2016.) Therefore, the entire thing
was presented in a hilarious way with a background music of laughter that overall denotes a
language of mockery that has been shown on the video towards disabled people. This sends
out a message to its viewers in the same manner it is shown that might be a misguidance, it is
also unethical towards the disabled community (Pinchevski & Peters, 2016.)
Representation of Disabled Person
The American people tend to show disabled people both in a negative and positive
way. The perception of representing the disabled people on media in a positive way leads to
an affirmation towards their identity of disability even after media gives a message that is
perceived as unrealistic. Whereas, on the other hand, the negative representation of media
leads to an identity of denial towards the people with disability. As per (Devotta et al. 2013)
the implications of media and how much the viewers are consuming it plays an important role
in shaping the belief system of its consumers. The media constitutes of a significant cultural
product which reproduces and reflects both prevailing attitudes and norms about disability of
people. A part of media representation shows disabled people as a victim to the society. The
people of society who do not belong to the specific community of disability show or act
offensively towards the later people which might turn into crime and make them victim in the
society. They are also ridiculed for their disability by various activities like way of talking,
way of behaving, hand movements, facial expressions and so on. In a way the representation
of media has shown them as an object of pity who are only capable of either sympathy of
mockery that is highly unethical. They are shown as an object of curiosity by the media in a
very discriminated way. Some organizations and disabled people draw an attention towards
the imagery of disability into the media and discrimination. For example, the toy in the
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