[nfb-talk] the Extreme Makeover episode

Mike Freeman k7uij at panix.com
Mon Dec 13 00:04:16 UTC 2010


Chuck:

Ultimately, NFB policy is determined by resolutions passed at NFB national 
conventions.  WE did pass resolutions on the TV comedy "Good and Evil" way 
back when and on the movie "Blindness".  I don't remember in either case 
whether we passed the resolutions before the movies came out or afterward --  
I think the "Blindness" resolution came afterward.  However, we empower our 
leadership to take action between conventions when it feels immediate action 
is warranted.  In both cases, it was, and, given NFB philosophy, the 
action/reaction we should take was pretty obvious!

I don't remember whether there were resolutions pertaining to offensive 
episodes of Extreme Home Makeover.  However, it's worth observing that 
trying to demonstrate opposition to television series is far harder for a 
small minority than it is to demonstrate opposition to movies.  One can't 
really picket millions of television sets whereas one *can* picket movie 
theaters as we did.  Yes, we can send protests to networks and perhaps 
picket but the impact is nowhere near as dramatic.

Moreover, although we loom large in our own social compass, we are a rather 
small minority -- much smaller than, say, the gay fraction of the general 
population.  So such tried-and-true tactics of the protest groups' arsenal 
as economic boycotts are ineffective as, largely, are e-petitions and 
similar efforts.

We also have the problem outlined by Dr. Jernigan in the banquet speech "Is 
the Press Against Us?".  The press doesn't understand our philosophy, being 
more accustomed to thinking of us as pitiable and helpless -- so they don't 
write our story generally in the way we would prefer it be written.  Same 
goes with TV shows.  I may be flamed for what I shall say next, but ... I 
doubt that a portrayal of a normal blind person going about his/her business 
would garner much ad revenue.  Why?  Because precisely it would be ordinary 
and one garners revenue from the sensational, the miraculous, the pitiable 
and the wondrous.

I think we did try to communicate with Extreme Home Makeover when other 
blind persons' homes were renovated or rebuilt but the discussions didn't 
get very far.

And for you, Ray, the house really *was* falling apart and definitely needed 
at least a renovation, if not razing and rebuilding as was done here.  The 
problem is that people will get the impression that it's because of the 
blindness that this was necessary and, as a corollary, that most blind 
persons live in such conditions.  Like yuch, man!

Of course, with attitudes such as those people had, who among us would have 
hired them?

Mike Freeman, member
Board of Directors
National Federation of the Blind

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <ckrugman at sbcglobal.net>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2010 3:29 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] the Extreme Makeover episode


> what official position does NFB take in dealing with media such as ABC on 
> this type of issue? Being a member of the gay community I know when there 
> are questionable portrayals that occur there is an organization that 
> immediately contacts the media and demands that corrections be made or 
> errors be corrected. This includes apologies and it encourages its members 
> to write letters and boycott media outlets until such issues are 
> addressed. for reference check the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against 
> Defamation at www.glaad.org.
> Chuck
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ray Foret Jr" <rforetjr at att.net>
> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2010 6:17 PM
> Subject: [nfb-talk] the Extreme Makeover episode
>
>
>> Okay,
>>
>> I just finished watching the episode of "Extreme Home Make Over" we've 
>> all been talking about.  Quite apart from the fact of the over-emphasis 
>> on the technology and the sensationalism we all expected, I found 
>> something even more disturbing than those things.  I'll get to it in just 
>> a moment; but first, I need to say something.  I watched the entire 
>> episode and really tried to find anything at all positive about the 
>> things in the show.  I only found two things; and, of those two things, 
>> only one truly had potential to work.  The fact that Andre uses a guide 
>> dog.  Now, not being a guide dog user myself, I don't feel I'm qualified 
>> to judge about the way he was using her; so, I'll defer to any guide dog 
>> users who may wish to comment.  The other thing I found was that they 
>> want to work to help the disabled.  Mind you, that is a worthy objective 
>> in and of itself; and, no one whom so ever can quarrel with that. 
>> However, I fear that unless this couple gets seriously good independent 
>> living training, they will not be able to fulfill their objective.
>>
>> Now, we come to the thing I found most disturbing of all.  The absolute 
>> dependance of this couple on their children and their inability to get 
>> around what I suppose was a perfectly normal home before it was torn 
>> down. Many things I can and did expect of that show; but, I was hoping 
>> for some vestige of independence on the part of that couple.  It was very 
>> much worse than I feared it would be.
>> Now, I know exactly what will happen when and if we complain to ABC. 
>> They will either defend themselves or else they will say and or do 
>> nothing.
>>
>> It's a wonder I didn't become physically ill during the show.
>>
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!
>>
>> Now A Very Proud and very happy Mac user!!!
>>
>> Skype Name:
>> barefootedray
>>
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>
>
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