Critical Perspectives - thesis proposal OGR

Eleanor Luckett
Disability as a social construct and the effect
of Hollywood cinema in developing and
propagating these values and behaviours.

I know this probably too long and wordy but I got stuck...
Thesis synopsis
For my dissertation I wanted to talk about disability representation In Hollywood
cinema. I intend to explore how it has developed, and how changing social situations
have affected disabled representation. I will talk about the effect that media has on
society and whether this is in fact a cyclical relationship with the media being affected
by societal attitudes as much as it affects society. I am to argue that this psychological
influence of media representation of disability and especially disability as abject;
impacts behaviours of society in general, upon the disabled they meet within their
communities. I will then use specific case studies to support and clearly present these
arguments, drawing from a range of physical differences, to reach a balanced and
accurate conclusion.
Chapter 1 summary
I will begin by clearly defining what I intend disability to mean for the purpose of this
essay. For this discourse, I intend to use disability to mean those with physical
difference. I will exclude mental health and body modification from this definition for
clarity of the point; I will also reject any intentionally self inflicted injuries. I will begin
by introducing a little of the history of disability within filmmaking and performance
media, covering the history of the freakshow and how this developed into early
Bohemian filmmaking. This should build the basis of the discourse in terms of
contextual arrangement I wish to then discuss the effect that freak shows had upon
individuals viewing them and how this still occurs in modern shows of the kind
leading into chapter 2.
Chapter 2 summary
Following from the previous chapter I intend to begin to discuss the psychological
effect that occurs when individuals view disability. This will cover disability as abject,
and its effect upon representation. It will then explore how these representations
effect, and are affected by, societal values; and whether this relationship is in fact
cyclical rather than a cause and effect. I would then argue that the societal behaviours
and attitudes formed, affect individuals treatment outside of media as these ideas and
behaviours become lodged in the Zeitgeist, leading to undesirable or challenging
behaviours towards those disabled disabled individuals represented in the media this
way. This will lead into chapter 3 where I will discuss specific cases.
 Chapter 3 summary
In chapter 3 I intend to use three comparisons as key studies to show how media
attitudes towards disability have changed; and yet how they are not entirely helpful to
the disabled community. One of the key studies I intend to use is the character of
Richard III by William Shakespeare; and how this disabled character, up until very
recently, has always been played by an able-bodied actor who is costumed to look
disabled. However this is changing with the inclusivity of physically disabled actors
such as Mat Fraser. Fraser has previously only played spectacle disabled roles, but is
said to be looking forward to the challenge of taking on Richard III.
Another case study I intend to use is the representation of disabled characters within
wheelchairs; using Kevin McHale from Glee and Liz Carr from Silent Witness, as key
examples of the differences in character creation between roles written as disabled
characters and characters Britain who happen to have actors who are disabled playing
them and how this affects the representation of the individual.

The final case study I intend to use is and exploration of the role of dwarfism with in
Hollywood Cinema. I intend to compare the role allocation of Peter Dinklage with
Warwick Davis, in terms of the roles they are asked to play (often mythical creatures
rather than human beings). I will then explore how these representations affect the
treatment of individuals with dwarfism.
Quotes
“What Fascinates me is that for us; the physical body, and the way that is objectified, is
that we are patients, we are being done to” - Carr, L (2010) Is the human body
obsolete? - Stelare In conversation with Liz Carr

“Our disabled people are closer to a genuine cyborg body than the simple gestures
made by some artists. You have to manage it on a day-to-day basis; you have to move
your body around in ways that are different to a bipedal locomoting body, and I’m
fascinated by how we can build social spaces that allow for that kind of difference.” -
Stelare (2010) Is the human body obsolete? - Stelare In conversation with Liz Carr
“You quickly discover when you have some impediment, all of a sudden, how do you
manage?” - Stelare (2010) Is the human body obsolete? - Stelare In conversation with
Liz Carr

“Perhaps the biggest bane of my life is those fantasy films – the Harry Potter is, the
Lord of the rings, the snow whites. I think people think I live in the woods. I think they
think I’m a wizard. I have even had people touch me thinking I’m a leprechaun.” -
Minty, S (2012) Abnormally funny people

“What are the values that bind together those who have held privilege and power, and
those whose bodies have marked them as outsiders, as deviance, and as problems for
the civic order? What are the dominant narratives, images, and discourses that can turn
non-normative bodies into sites of appropriate citizenship? And how does this
accommodation of difference help rejuvenate the citizenship of those with cultural
power?” - Meeuf 2017
“Far from simply affirming the importance of inclusion in the entertainment media,
each of these celebrity bodies acts as a site of contestation for the most pressing social
issues of a day, including disability. These celebrities resonate in contemporary culture
because their bodies that the burdens of our cultural anxiety is creating often
contradictory cultural spaces where ideas about in inclusion, inequality, and cultural
change clash with one another.” - Meeuf 2017

“Stars with non-normative bodies are the inverse of the online public shaming
phenomenon, providing resonant body image heroes that counter its rampant
negativity.” - Meeuf 2017

“the unspoken, assumed cultural values of film - values that seem so obviously true for
the culture that they are accepted as inevitable, normal, and natural rather than as
constructs of the culture itself.” - Mast, G. & Karin, B. (1992)
“The cultural practice of translating physical abnormality into social inferiority is so
deeply rooted as to have had an almost certain impact on both the formulation and
implementation of later public policy.” - Liachowitz, C (1988)

“If we agree with Linda Williams assertions that “there is not that much difference
between an object of desire and an object of horror as far as the male look is
concerned”, an observation that implies hierarchy of seeing in which the investigating
gaze, and other variations on the look can co-exist, we begin to draw near to an
understanding of the gratifications that able-bodied spectators - male ones at any rate -
seem to enjoy” - Norden, M. (1994)pg. 6
Bibliography
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● Black, R. & Hayes, M. (2003) ‘Troubling signs: disability, Hollywood movies and the construction of a discourse of pity’
In: Disability studies Quarterly 23 (2) Ohio: Ohio state university libraries
● Bogdan, R (1990) Freak Show: presenting human oddities for amusement and profit. Chicago: Chicago university press
● British Library (2013) Victorian Freak shows. At: www.bl.uk/learning/cult/bodies/freak/freakshow.html (Accessed
26/01/2019)
● Circus Freaks and sideshows [documentary online] pres. Arthur Kent. A&E networks (2000) 50 mins At:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPy6LeUpe7o (Accessed 22/01/2019)
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https://priceonomics.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-circus-freakshows/ (Accessed 26/01/2019)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&feature=youtube&v=57_8v-V3X9l (Accessed 22/01/2019)
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● Mencap (2017) Diversity at the Oscars: Disabled actors and organisations publish letter calling for more
opportunities for actors with a learning disability. At:
https://www.mencap.org.uk/press-release/diversity-oscars-disabled-actors-and-organisations-publish-letter-calling-
more (Accessed 22/01/2019)
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The body and physical difference: discourses of disability Michigan: The university of Michigan Press
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List of illustrations
Fig. 1 Freaks (1932) From Freaks Directed by Tod Browning [film still] USA:MGM At:
https://www.nfsa.gov.au/events/freaks\

Fig. 2 Kevin McHale (2016) From Glee Directed by Brad Falchuk [television still] USA:Fox At:
https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/arts/disabled-actor-ruderman-foundation-danny-woodburn-hollywood

Fig. 3 Clarissa Mullery (2017) From Silent Witness Directed by Nigel McCrery [television still] UK: BBC At:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/5kV9TqcRDr6jFhCy97LMSnj/clarissa-mullery
Reference documentary
● Circus Freaks and sideshows [documentary online] pres. Arthur Kent. A&E networks (2000) 50 mins At:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPy6LeUpe7o (Accessed 22/01/2019)
○ Documentary about the history of ‘others’ in performance arts
○ Shows imagery, as well as telling some of the real stories.
● Freak show [television documentary online] pres. Pearson. BBC UK (2016) 95 mins At:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&feature=youtube&v=57_8v-V3X9l (Accessed 22/01/2019)
○ Disabled presenter talking about what it’s like to be an ‘other’ in the modern day around the world.
○ Relatively recent programme - still very relevant.
Key images Fig. 1 Freaks (1932) From Freaks Directed
by Tod Browning [film still] USA:MGM
At: https://www.nfsa.gov.au/events/freaks\
-
First representation of disabled individuals
on film

Fig. 2 Kevin McHale (2016) From Glee

Directed by Brad Falchuk [television still]
Figure 1. Freaks (1932) USA:Fox At:
https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/arts/di
sabled-actor-ruderman-foundation-danny-
woodburn-hollywood
-Able-bodied actor playing disabled role

Fig. 3 Clarissa Mullery (2017) From Silent

Witness Directed by Nigel McCrery
[television still] UK: BBC At:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profile
s/5kV9TqcRDr6jFhCy97LMSnj/clarissa-m
ullery
-Actual disabled actress Figure 3. Clarissa Mullery (2017)
Figure 2. Kevin McHale (2016)