Disability Thinking Weekday: 12/13/24
Friday Video Share: "(The Muppet) Christmas Carol vs. Disability Tropes"
How about another holiday-themed video with a disability twist?
Critiquing the disability tropes in “A Christmas Carol” is hardly a new idea. Tiny Tim might be the best-known and most exasperating disabled character, at least for disabled disabled readers and audiences. The “crippled” little tyke is the archetype of condescension and “inspiration porn” upon which scores of others in literature, movies, and TV are based. But this take is especially good. First of all, it’s brilliant to choose the Muppet version of the story — which is a delight no matter what stereotypes it trades in, and subtly satirizes. But the YouTuber’s deft balance between criticism and enjoyment strengthens the whole idea of deconstructing beloved but problematic disability depictions. We can enjoy classic portrayals like this and roll our eyes at the same time — and keep hoping for better.
Enjoy! And have a great weekend!
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As explained in the December 2 edition, this newsletter is moving from Substack to Ghost on January 1, 2025. I had asked for people to help me with the approximately $400 in moving expenses, by renewing their paid subscriptions early. Unfortunately, Substack doesn’t seem to allow this. So there are two options if you want to provide some extra support for the move:
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