Representing Disability in an Ableist World: Essays on Mass Media. Beth A. Haller. Louisville, KY: The Advocado Press, 2010. 213 pp.
Sophisticated and highly readable, Representing Disability in an Ableist World is a work that can be appreciated both by those who are already familiar with disability studies scholarship concerning media and by those who are seeking a comprehensive introduction to it. Written by Beth A. Haller, a professor of journalism at Towson University as well as the author of the popular blog Media dis&dat (http://media-dis-n-dat.blogspot.com/), the work surveys important issues surrounding the representation of disability in culture.
Beginning with the premise that media narratives “ignore, devalue or misrepresent disability issues,” Haller methodically moves through ten chapters that discuss a wide variety of case studies, genres, misrepresentations, assumptions, and media (both old and new). Haller demonstrates a formidable expertise at deconstructing ableist narratives while showing the readers the stakes involved in their deconstruction.
Reading the book, I felt energized not only by Haller’s strong arguments decrying negative representations of disability that one would expect to find in such a book but also through her nuanced analysis of less stereotypical representations. In particular, what I enjoyed most is the way Haller continuously returns to the reality of an active, engaged disability community that both responds to the media that purports to depict them, and then generates original representation that counters those depictions. For instance, Haller’s first chapter looks at disability-related content on the Internet, emphasizing the multiple ways disability activists have created a range of digital media. Of course, Haller does not argue that the Internet represents a kind of technological utopia for people with disabilities; rather, she argues that new media provide an opportunity for more sophisticated representation, often without the gatekeeping, filters, and interests associated with the traditional media. Plenty of examples help prove her case, and those with an interest in disability representation might find themselves rapidly underlining Haller’s resources of blogs, YouTube videos, and Twitter feeds to return to later.
Besides her strong use of resources and scholarship, Haller’s overall tone is one of the book’s great assets. There is a sense of cautious optimism as she discusses the changing media landscape. As readers, we are treated in chapter 8 to an analysis of texts such as the work of John Callahan and the development of his Pelswick animated series on Nickelodeon. In this chapter, Haller traces a development of multiple phases of disability humor throughout the twentieth century: The first is represented by the spectacle of the freak show and the second phase is best represented by “sick humor” (such as Helen Keller jokes, etc.). The third phase, in which disability is also the focus of the comedy, is characterized by the significant difference that the humor is generated and controlled by people with disabilities themselves. Haller argues that work such as Pelswick and others help usher in a fourth phase, in which disability humor is simply part of a “humor landscape… disability is just part of the diverse humor panorama, not the reason for the comedy.” Haller’s emphasis in discussing the third and fourth phases is on the role of the disabled creator of the humor.
Her emphasis on the power of disability creators and activists is welcome and extends to other chapters as well. In another case, she discusses the responses to such relatively recent films as Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby and Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder. In her analysis, Haller focuses on the activism generated by controversial storyline elements within the films. She clearly demonstrates that disability advocates made a strong impact that directly influenced coverage by the mainstream media, and thus the public at large was made aware of negative disability stereotypes.
One can also see the power of advocacy in Haller’s analysis of the decline in cultural position of the annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon. The arguments against the Jerry Lewis telethon within the disability rights community are well-rehearsed, but Haller’s analysis articulates so well the pitiable and stigmatized attitudes that have been associated with the event that it almost reads like a farewell letter (and, indeed, Lewis has announced that this year will be his last). “Happily,” she says, “the subject of this chapter is becoming less and less relevant to the disability rights community.”
Even so, the study of ableism within the media on the whole is increasingly relevant, and Haller’s book is a wonderful way to explore the past, present, and future depictions of representations of disability. Those who are beginning to take an interest in disability studies scholarship may find particular value in chapter 2, where Haller discusses in great detail her research methods, with an emphasis of conducting qualitative and quantitative analysis in media research. Haller’s work is perfect for adoption in a course on disability studies or other applicable courses.
NEIL PATRICK SHEPARD
Davenport University