[nfb-talk] the Extreme Makeover episode

[ckrugman at sbcglobal.net]

those are good points.
Chuck
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2010 4:04 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] the Extreme Makeover episode


> 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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