Bravo

I had a chance to watch the episode of This American Life featuring Mike Phillips that I mentioned here previously. It’s brilliant. Ira Glass never allows Mike’s disability to become a source of morbid fascination, but he is frank in describing the precariousness of Mike’s circumstances. The conflict between Mike and his mom over his desire for more independence mirrors the experiences of many of us with severe disabilities and it’s a conflict that is fraught with good intentions. Glass understands this and gives both Mike and his mom sympathetic portrayals. And I’m glad to see the media engage in honest discussions of disability and sexuality. And Mike’s choice of Johnny Depp as his proxy voice is perfect. Mike and everyone else involved in this production should be proud of what they accomplished here.

Thanks to certain anonymous sources for getting me a copy of the episode.