Sticks and stones...
And the normalisation of prejudice.Everyone knows that saying isn’t true.
Would you love your child to be referred to as ‘an abortion that made it’ in the name of a cheap joke? We’re pretty sure you wouldn’t. Material like that isn’t just lazy, it’s destructive.
This kind of material helps to normalise prejudices.
To our knowledge, it wouldn’t be acceptable in this country, in this day and age for a comedian to include racist material in their act, nor would it be for any other minority. Yet it seems it’s acceptable to ridicule people with dwarfism. How does that work we ask?
That’s the problem with material like Jimmy Carr’s. What is dressed up as ‘comedy’ and ‘free speech’ has a real effect on people. If you don’t think it does, you haven’t lived in the shoes of the people this material targets and makes fun of. They will tell you that the effects are real.
The proof is there if we open our eyes.
- 96% have experienced staring or pointing.
- 77% have been on the receiving-end of verbal abuse.
- 75% feel they often attract unwanted attention.
- 63% of respondents have often felt unsafe when out.
- 33% have been physically touched by people in public.
- 12% have experienced physical violence
There are many examples of people with dwarfism enduring intrusion, abuse and even violence as a result of this normalisation of prejudice. Take a look at Jonathan Novick’s video of him going about his life in New York, that’s just a little taste of what’s going on. Or maybe take a look at this ITV article and video featuring paralympic swimmer Will Perry, who describes the daily abuse he endures.
The impact is real and the impact is negative. Whilst other minorities have made progress in the realms of inclusion and acceptance, it seems there’s a long way to go for people with dwarfism. In the meantime, they have to go about their daily lives in the glare of the public and subject to all manner of intrusion and abuse.