New movie wrong in its portrayal of blind individuals
Katherine Schneider
Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: Letters
I can't decide whether or not to picket the movie "Blindness" when it comes to a theater in Eau Claire. It's an allegory, I know, but the images in it of blind people groping and behaving badly will stay in the back of people's minds. I know - I've been blind from birth and have battled those negative images for 59 years.
In third grade it was the poem in the reader about the seven blind men who went to see the elephant. The metaphorical use of blindness to mean not understanding others' perspectives was lost on third graders who taunted me on the playground with "you're so stupid you don't know what an elephant looks like."
At church every year I hear a sermon preached on "The Man Born Blind" usually featuring comments about how awful it would be to be blind and ending with the singing of "Amazing Grace" I know they're talking about insight, not physical sight.
But all those metaphorical and allegorical uses stick in the back of people's minds and add up to blindness being one of the most feared disabilities. The positive public service messages of organizations of and for the blind can't prevail. Unemployment of the blind hovers around 70%. People's attitudes towards those of us who are out there working, raising families, volunteering in our communities, etc. using adaptive techniques and devices are "you're amazing..." No, we're not; we want the same things out of life that everybody else does, we just may have to accomplish them a bit differently and sometimes need a little help from our friends.
I'm still torn about picketing the movie "Blindness" with all of its unrealistic stereotypes. They didn't even hire blind actors and actresses to play the parts; we probably wouldn't get it "right!"
I don't believe in censorship, but I don't believe in perpetuating harmful images of groups of people either. As George Herbert said (quotation found using my talking computer), "Living well is the best revenge." I guess I'll read a good book or take a walk in the fine fall weather with my seeing eye dog. I'll bet you can find something better to do than going to see this movie too.
Katherine Schneider, Ph.D.
professor emerita
In third grade it was the poem in the reader about the seven blind men who went to see the elephant. The metaphorical use of blindness to mean not understanding others' perspectives was lost on third graders who taunted me on the playground with "you're so stupid you don't know what an elephant looks like."
At church every year I hear a sermon preached on "The Man Born Blind" usually featuring comments about how awful it would be to be blind and ending with the singing of "Amazing Grace" I know they're talking about insight, not physical sight.
But all those metaphorical and allegorical uses stick in the back of people's minds and add up to blindness being one of the most feared disabilities. The positive public service messages of organizations of and for the blind can't prevail. Unemployment of the blind hovers around 70%. People's attitudes towards those of us who are out there working, raising families, volunteering in our communities, etc. using adaptive techniques and devices are "you're amazing..." No, we're not; we want the same things out of life that everybody else does, we just may have to accomplish them a bit differently and sometimes need a little help from our friends.
I'm still torn about picketing the movie "Blindness" with all of its unrealistic stereotypes. They didn't even hire blind actors and actresses to play the parts; we probably wouldn't get it "right!"
I don't believe in censorship, but I don't believe in perpetuating harmful images of groups of people either. As George Herbert said (quotation found using my talking computer), "Living well is the best revenge." I guess I'll read a good book or take a walk in the fine fall weather with my seeing eye dog. I'll bet you can find something better to do than going to see this movie too.
Katherine Schneider, Ph.D.
professor emerita
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