Words

    While we were discussing Mairs's Disability piece and how media misrepresents disabled people, Joe Swanson immediately came into my mind. Before reading this piece, I never really thought much of him; he was just a handicapped character that would occasionally provide comedic relief through his ignorance. However, now that I think about it, what's funny to me may not necessarily be funny to others. I know I don't find Asian jokes to be very funny; I'm sure handicapped people don't find the portrayal of people like Joe Swanson to be very funny either. However, this brings light to a separate issue. Maybe kids learn to make fun of others by seeing such ridicule in comedic television shows, thus thinking it's acceptable. These examples of ridicule and mockery are perceived as normal because the characters themselves lack the "complexities that round out a character and make her whole" (Mairs 14). What I mean is, people never see how the name calling, the racist, sexist jokes actually affect the characters' emotions. Just like how their outfits never change, cartoon characters in Family Guy, The Simpsons, and many other shows lack any change in their personalities. They can be made fun of, physically beaten or or even die (Kenny from Southpark), yet the next day they're back to normal. Kids may interpret this as a green flag to make fun of others, as long as some people find it funny. The saying "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is total bogus. Words hurt. A lot. The earlier they realize how distorted the media is and how powerful words are, the better.

SNOW DAY!!!!!