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Representations of people with disabilities in popular culture are scarce and often one-dimensional. When people with disabilities do show up in films or TV-series, their characters often reflect an ableist view of disabled bodies as either pitiful or inspirational—limited roles that reinforce assumptions about (and restrictions upon) disabled bodies. Disability has traditionally also functioned as a metaphor for all forms of “otherness” and experiences of alienation, powerlessness, and objectification. In this seminar, we will examine the influential role of popular culture on our perceptions of disability and able-bodiedness/able-mindedness. We will consider the ways in which the construction of “normal” and “abnormal” bodies and minds intersects with other normative regimes, in particular with the construction of gender norms. Considering the representation of disability in selected films (e.g. Forrest Gump, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The Other Sister), TV-series (e.g. Glee, Game of Thrones) and music videos (e.g. Lady Gaga, Viktoria Modesta), we will analyze in how far disability functions as a vehicle to solidify or challenge socially acceptable gender identities—and, conversely, in how far gender performances shape and determine representations of disability. Our analysis of selected visual material will be embedded in discussions of theoretical texts from the fields of gender studies, disability studies, and queer and crip theory. |
