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Blind plan protest of Julianne Moore movie
This whole story, reported on The Huffington Post, has irony written all over it: An organization for blind people is planning a protest of “Blindness” because it shows blind people as monsters. Raise your hands — how many of you go to creepy thrillers because they’re so real?
Here we go: Blind people quarantined in a mental asylum, attacking each other, soiling themselves, trading sex for food. For Marc Maurer, who’s blind, such a scenario — as shown in the movie “Blindness” — is not a clever allegory for a breakdown in society. Instead, it’s an offensive and chilling depiction that Maurer fears could undermine efforts to integrate blind people into the mainstream.
“The movie portrays blind people as monsters, and I believe it to be a lie,” said Maurer, president of the Baltimore-based National Federation of the Blind. “Blindness doesn’t turn decent people into monsters.” Whew. Glad he cleared that up.
The organization plans to protest the movie at 75 theaters around the country when it’s released Friday, Oct. 3. Blind people and their allies will hand out fliers and carry signs. Among the slogans: “I’m not an actor. But I play a blind person in real life.”
The movie reinforces inaccurate stereotypes, including that the blind cannot care for themselves and are perpetually disoriented, according to the NFB.
“We face a 70 percent unemployment rate and other social problems because people don’t think we can do anything, and this movie is not going to help — at all,” said Christopher Danielsen, a spokesman for the organization.
Miramax released a statement that read, in part, “We are saddened to learn that the National Federation of the Blind plans to protest the film `Blindness.’” No they’re not. All together now: Any publicity is … what? That’s right, good publicity!!!
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Comments
By Kelly
October 1, 2008 10:45 AM | Link to this
The premise of the movie DOES play into erroneous stereotypes and is quite offensive to those who are visually impaired (and those who are not!) If you feel they are being too sensitive, trying walking a mile in their shoes (which they can’t even see!)By DEE
October 1, 2008 3:30 PM | Link to this
Come on people, most movies are “fictional”. For those who don’t know what fictional means it means that its NOT REAL!!!! For those of you who can’t sort out fictional from nonfictional don’t GO!!!!By What?
October 1, 2008 5:07 PM | Link to this
Puhleeze! It’s a movie,a story,a made up situation regarding the circumstances of their blindness, which is thrust upon millions at once, without warning, and their reaction to it. There is no correlation to an actual blind person, the circumstances of their blindness and how they live their lives. If this actually happened, I would imagine people would be frightened and might react in the same way. It’s a story and is not meant to reflect reality.By thinkaboutit
October 1, 2008 5:13 PM | Link to this
WOW, you know I think I’m going to protest all the cop shows that depict cops as evil,self serving, thugs in uniform. Being a police officer, I am very stressed by this dipiction of police officers, it causes most in society to not like police officers and we are most often discriminated against. Give me a break it’s a movie, no body protested “Children of the corn” Wake up people go protest something important!!!!By Jonathon
October 1, 2008 8:00 PM | Link to this
People…ITS CALLED A MOVIE! Get a grip. I cant believe how ridiculous our world has become. “Hey I just watched a movie and the killer had a limp. All people that walk with a limp are being shown as killers! I PROTEST BECAUSE I WALK WITH A LIMP!” (sounds pretty dumb huh)