(By the way, “crip” is sometimes used as a reclamation of the offensive word “cripple,” so please don’t use it, as a noun or a verb, to describe a person, anxiety, debt, economy, or anything at all.) “The Artist” in Meal Ticket has an excellent oratory ability, so that the audience does not question the value of his existence or contribution to society as it normally would. Hence the term, “ supercrip.” You can hardly come across a blind character without reference to how their “other senses” are heightened, so as to minimize concern, pity, or discomfort toward them-unless of course those are the intended reactions. Classic Blunder #2: The “Supercrip” Trope & Inspiration Pornĭisabled characters often have a talent or skill-if not an outright superpower-that allows them to “overcome” their disability. While Harry Melling is fine as actors go, he is representing a culture that he is not a part of, and undoubtedly knows little about. Excuses for not doing this hinder diversity and equal representation, as well as keeping the realities of disability at arm’s length. Suffice it to say, Hollywood should let disabled actors play disabled roles. This issue has resurfaced recently with Bryan Cranston being criticized for starring as a wealthy quadriplegic in The Upside, a remake of the 2011 French film The Intouchables. Others have written already about this, as have I, so I won’t spend too much time here. Classic Blunder #1: The Nondisabled Actor So I decided to give you this, featuring what I am calling The Classic Blunders of disability representation, dehumanizing devices all, which Meal Ticket expertly displays. While there was a piece examining the portrayal of Native Americans in the film, I could only find one tweet from a disabled filmmaker referencing the ableism in this vignette. I looked to see if anyone else had written anything related to my reaction. In fact, I turned it off and had to finish the rest later because I found it repeatedly offensive. It was the third vignette, Meal Ticket, that most got under my skin. Yet I think that presents too easy of an escape from any critique and there are things here for which to take responsibility. You might say that this style should convince the viewer not to take the subject matter too seriously. Clearly they were out to show some of the worst of human nature and circumstance, with a dash of their mellifluous and absurdist humor. I was immediately struck by the cynicism, black humor, and atrocity pervading the film. So I felt optimistic about watching their latest film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, an anthology of short stories set in the American Old West. I don’t love every one of their movies, but The Big Lebowski is an all time favorite.
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