Yet Another Comedy About Disability: Hold Your Applause For Netflix's 'Special'

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The entertainment industry has a long history of using humor to talk about disability. Will Netflix's 'Special' be any different?

These shows are created mostly with the general, “non-disabled” audience in mind, and people with disabilities are portrayed as less than human. Humor adds a level of comfort for people to absorb a serious topic without feeling guilty or pitiful. Even though comedy is a great way to break the ice, topics like disability deserve to be delved further into.’s Ryan uses a lot of self­-deprecation to make others feel more comfortable about his disability.

In the trailer, there’s a scene where Ryan asks, “If you could get rid of the thing you hate most about yourself, the thing no one else understands, wouldn’t you do it?” Ryan’s way of coping with his disability is to make fun of it, and even mask it before anyone else can. The underlying message of this show can possibly be damaging for young people who might be in similar shoes as Ryan and watching it. It can penetrate the notion that their existence is something society should make fun of, and that they should strive for as much “normalcy” as possible.

It is too early to critique the show in its entirety before its release on April 12. However, considering how few shows there are on disabilities and most of them being comedies, in 2019 it’s time to start moving away from the “funny” narrative of disability, and reach for something more authentic and more nuanced.I focus on the intersectionality of race, socioeconomic status, and politics on people with disabilities, especially women. I hold a master’s degree from Columbia Univer...

 

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Is Sarah Kim telling Ryan O’Connell how he should talk about his own disability and life experience?

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