[stylist] New Book, blindness on TV

Sat Feb 15 20:03:35 UTC 2014

Yeah, but it's success is more dependent upon what viewers think than
the actual writing, acting or what the creator intends. The creator and
writers may have one idea in mind, but as we know, the public sees what
they want to see no matter what we portray to it.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cheryl
Orgas & William Meeker
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2014 11:45 AM
To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [stylist] New Book, blindness on TV

Several things bode well for the portrayal of a blind character in
"Growing Up Fisher."

1.  The blind guy is one of the heads of the family, not the main
character. I believe the sighted public is not ready for a blind main
character. Rather, blindness is most effectively approached obliquely.

2.  The show's creator has experience living with a blind person.
Sighted people who relate most easily to me have been used to being
around a person with a disability.

3.  The show's creator has perspective about blindness.   He says
"...blindness is like the seventeenth thing wrong with him...".

4.  The show's creator intends to portray the character as a distinct
person rather than as an Everyman.  He said "I don't want this to be
every visually impaired person's story."  For me, a unique, distinct
character is more engaging and memorable than an Everyman.

The weak point may be in the blind character's portrayal.  The actor
playing the blind dad is sighted, and talks about "Your whole life is
naturally fixed on picked up movements," and "throwing things out of
focus,"  although it's possible that he is alluding to his character's
having some residual vision.  Regardless, the show's success or failure
will depend on much more than the blind character.

Bill Meeker

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chris
Kuell
Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 7:50 AM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] New Book, blindness on TV

I don't know if anyone has been watching the Winter Olympics, or can
tell from the commercials, but NBC is plugging a new show called
'Growing up Fisher' that is about a family with a blind father. My wife
says the commercials show him riding a bike, cooking, and cutting down a
tree with a chainsaw. The show is based on the life of one of the
writers who grew up with a blind father. Maybe there's hope after all.

Here's what I found in USA today:

PASADENA, Calif. - NBC's Growing Up Fisher is another family comedy, but
there's a difference: the father, Mel Fisher (J.K. Simmons), is blind
(pictured). It's not arbitrary. Fisher, which premieres following
Olympics coverage on Feb. 23 (10:30 p.m. ET/PT), is based on the
childhood of series creator DJ Nash. It moves to its regular Tuesday
slot (9:30 p.m. ET/PT) on Feb. 25. "My dad went blind when he was 11 and
hid his blindness (to) pretty much everyone outside the family" until he
and his wife divorced and he got a guide dog, Nash said Sunday at the
Television Critics Association winter press tour. A scene where the
father cuts down a tree with a chainsaw is based on his own experiences.
Fisher's premise is not a gimmick, said executive producer Jason
Bateman, who provides the voiceover for Mel's son, Henry, looking back
on his youth. 
"It's his true story. Cynicism, be gone," he said.

The show, which is set in the present day, looks at the Fisher family
after Mel and his wife, Joyce (Jenna Elfman), decide to divorce. They
remain "amazing parents" to teenage daughter Katie (Ava Deluca-Verley)
and 11-year-old son Henry (Eli Baker).

There were challenges to the situation at the time, Nash said, but
"looking back, I wouldn't change a thing." Simmons, who is not blind,
said he had help from Nash, a visually impaired consultant and another
consultant in learning how to play a man who can't see.

"Your whole life is naturally fixed on picked-up movement, so it's a
simple case of throwing your eyes out of focus," he said. "The main
things I learned (were) all the other bits of behavior, how you handle
things, what you do with your hands, how you interact physically with
other people."

Although Mel's blindness may stand out initially, Nash said that's only
one aspect of the character's personality and one element of the
family's story.

Some viewers may "see the first thing about Mel is that he's blind. My
dad being blind is like the 17th thing wrong with him. He's stubborn. He
hugs too much. He's a lawyer. There's a lot of craziness going on over
there," he said. "I don't want this to be every visually impaired
person's story. ... 
We're trying to tell Henry's perspective of what that was like and how
it informs who he is as a father today."

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bridgit Pollpeter" <bpollpeter at hotmail.com>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2014 10:51 PM
Subject: Re: [stylist] My New Book

> It's very true. And most of us have come across literary characters 
> who are less than positive examples of blindness, so why not combat it

> by writing our own strong, independent blind characters? Writing in 
> any form is a potentially great tool for change. When you look at 
> history, it's not politicians or their legislation that has made the 
> most change, but it is the artistic community who have organized and 
> used their talents to create change. The Civil Rights movement, LBGT 
> issues, feminism... The deepest change has occurred through art, 
> theatre, music, dance and yes, writing. So why can't the disabled 
> community do the same?
>
> Bridgit
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of P. 
> Campbell
> Sent: Monday, February 10, 2014 6:39 AM
> To: newmanrl at cox.net; Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [stylist] My New Book
>
>
>    Thank you.  I feel that fiction, accurate fiction, is a good way to

> promote the blind.  People who will not read an article, no matter how

> well written, will read fiction.
>
> I feel that in some cases this is equally true where the blind 
> themselves are concerned.  This is especially true for young people, 
> who often feel
>
> that their problems are unique to them.  Reading about a character who

> may have the same problems is often inspiring.
>
> "Mrs. Campbell, I didn't know that happened to other people." or "Do 
> other people feel that way, too?"  are things I often hear from young 
> people who
> are blind.
>
> Phyllis
>
>
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