[nabs-l] National Federation of the Blind CommentsonSaturday Night Live Segment

Wed Dec 17 00:34:38 UTC 2008

Hi listers,
	One thing to consider is that the people that are made fun of on SNL
usually do something to provoke the parodies that are created by the
comedy writers. Also, when you put yourself or are put in the public's
eye you are going to get feedback of every kind, including a little
teasing. I watch SNL when I can, and find some things funny and some
things not so funny. The Governor Patterson skit wasn't very humorous
to me for the simple fact that I found the skit to be poorly written
and to use very dry humor. We also have to remember that SNL makes fun
of everyone and that by Patterson's lack of skills and alternative
techniques he kind of set himself up for this to happen. I don't
necessarily think that the NFB should get up in arms about this for
the simple fact that shows like SNL and Mad TV make fun of minority
groups all the time and we don't hear about African Americans
Hispanics or Asians sending out massive press releases. If we just let
it die down then after a while people will go about their lives and
forget about the awkward blind man portrayed on SNL.
	Sorry if this doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I'm just a little
frazzled from trying to get last minute things done before its all due
at the end of the Semester.

Best Wishes,
Domonique


On 12/16/08, Jessica Kostiw <jessicac.kostiw at gmail.com> wrote:
> Joe, you do have a good point.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 10:36 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] National Federation of the Blind CommentsonSaturday
> Night Live Segment
>
>
>> Wait, are we talking about the video clip or the press release?  ...
>> Kidding, Santa will surely drop coal in my stocking for taking it there,
>> but
>> it seems to me that just as the New York governor has a certain amount of
>> political capital, the NFB has an equal amount of publicity quota.  I have
>> never known the organization to feel so sensitive about every little thing
>> that is thrown around about blindness.  We should not make official
>> statements for comical nonsense that will be forgotten in a few days and
>> reserve those for when statements are required to drive real impacts about
>> real issues.  I, for one, found it gratifying that SNL informed millions
>> of
>> people out there that a blind person is capable of becoming a governor.
>> As
>> for the humor, I found it gratifying that the producers thought blind
>> people
>> important enough to be swept up in jokes just like any other member of
>> society.  Next time I hope Dr. Maurer is invited on the show.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Joe Orozco
>>
>> "Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity."--James
>> M.
>> Barrie
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf
>> Of T. Joseph Carter
>> Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 6:39 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] National Federation of the Blind Comments onSaturday
>> Night Live Segment
>>
>> Well that was five minutes of my life I'll never get back.
>>
>> That was supposed to be funny?  It was just stupid.
>>
>> Joseph
>>
>> On Mon, Dec 15, 2008 at 04:43:37PM -0500, pyyhkala at gmail.com wrote:
>>>Hi,
>>>
>>>Here are some more articles, and a link to the skit.  I also have an
>>>article I liked on Facebook, see below.
>>>
>>>NY Times:
>>>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/nyregion/15skit.html?_r=1&ref=todaysp
>>>aper (the article has more detail on the controversy)
>>>
>>>You can also watch the skit in question at this link:
>>>http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/update-gov-paterson/
>>>881501/
>>>
>>>You can read what the public is saying on Twitter at the link below
>>>that does a real time search:
>>>http://search.twitter.com/search?q=snl+blind
>>>If using Jaws on the above Twitter page, if you press the number 2 (for
>>>heading level 2) it will take you directly to the comments that people
>>>post.  Twitter is a micro blogging service.
>>>
>>>Best,
>>>Mika
>>>Twitter Micro blog:
>>>http://twitter.com/pyyhkala
>>>Facebook:
>>>http://profile.to/mika
>>>
>>>On 12/15/08, Linda Stover <liamskitten at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Hello,
>>>>
>>>> Could someone provide more info or links to more info concerning this
>>>> particular situation?  I think it would be extremely helpful to
>>>> understand if this is a spoof directed specifically at blindness, or
>>>> if the spoof is more directed to certain "blindisms" that the
>>>> governor frequently exhibits.  I know that when I was watching
>>>> segments of this nature concerning the election on the show, certain
>>>> quirks/phrases/mannerisms were used to excess to perhaps heighten
>>>> humor/absurdity.  Keeping this in mind, I'm wondering as I said what
>>>> exactly the comics were paridying.
>>>> Courtney
>>>>
>>>> On 12/15/08, Beth <thebluesisloose at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> Ijust watched CNN and they said something about this segment of SNL.
>>>>> I don't watch SLNL, but I support Paterson, and someday I want to be
>>>>> Governor, so there's no excuse for attacking Gov. Paerson for any
>>>>> reason.
>>>>> Beth
>>>>>
>>>>> On 12/15/08, Freeh, Jessica <JFreeh at nfb.org> wrote:
>>>>>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> CONTACT:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Chris Danielsen
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Public Relations Specialist
>>>>>>
>>>>>> National Federation of the Blind
>>>>>>
>>>>>> (410) 659-9314, extension 2330
>>>>>>
>>>>>> (410) 262-1281 (Cell)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> <mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> National Federation of the Blind
>>>>>> Comments on Saturday Night Live Segment
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Largest Organization of the Blind Criticizes Attack on Blind
>>>>>> Americans
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Baltimore, Maryland (December 15, 2008): Chris Danielsen, spokesman
>>>>>> for the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The biggest
>>>>>> problem faced by blind people is not blindness itself, but the
>>>>>> stereotypes held by the general public about blindness and blind
>>>>>> people.  The idea that blind people are incapable of the simplest
>>>>>> tasks and are perpetually disoriented and befuddled is absolutely
>>>>>> wrong.  This misconception contributes to an unemployment rate
>>>>>> among blind people that stubbornly remains at 70 percent.  That is
>>>>>> why the National Federation of the Blind is disappointed that
>>>>>> Saturday Night Live chose to portray Governor Paterson in a comedy
>>>>>> routine that focused almost exclusively on his blindness.
>>>>>> Attacking the Governor because he is blind is an attack on all
>>>>>> blind Americans-blind children, blind adults, blind seniors, and
>>>>>> newly blinded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  The
>>>>>> National Federation of the Blind urges the producers of Saturday
>>>>>> Night Live to consider the serious negative impact that
>>>>>> misinformation and stereotypes have on blind people before
>>>>>> continuing in this unfortunate vein of humor."
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ###
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>>>>>
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