Advocates in the blind community are unhappy with a Saturday Night Live skit that pokes fun at New York governor David Paterson, who happens to be blind. Here’s the clip:
I’m usually one who’s willing to give comedy writers wide latitude when it comes to disability. You’ll recall that I didn’t share the concerns of many disability activists regarding the film Tropic Thunder. And I admire the writers of shows like South Park and The Office, who frequently incorporate disability themes into their scripts. In fact, the SNL writers might want to watch those episodes for some tips on giving disability the comedic treatment without confusing nastiness for humor. Because that’s this skit’s big failure. It actually hopes to find the funny in a blind man holding a chart upside down. Or in the notion that a blind man is woefully unprepared for the challenges of leadership. The other shows I mentioned have a knack for finding the funny in everyone else’s reactions to a person’s disability, but this skit tells me that the kids running SNL have yet to smooth out the more dickish edges of their writing.
It’s too bad, too. The show was briefly funny during the election, but it looks like it’s rediscovering its capacity to suck.
Thanks to Rose for the tip.
