Comments on: ZOMG! Look! A Disabled Person Does Something!

By: Elizabeth McClung

Elizabeth McClung — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 00:54:28 +0000

They imply that Rudy is ‘slow’ as well as small, because there is no reason a small male couldn’t be a kicker, wide reciever or running back.

By: Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg

Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 14:17:16 +0000

Hi Elizabeth,

Thanks for letting me know about those movies. I’ve seen the movie Rudy, but didn’t consider it a disability film, since the issue for Rudy seems to be that he’s a rather small man, but not a disabled one. Am I remembering that correctly?

By: Elizabeth McClung

Elizabeth McClung — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:29:45 +0000

Just to let you know, there are already three ‘disability football’ movies, including one about making a field kick, and other about going out for ‘one play’ – that one is called Rudy. Sports is my thing, as are films. As for me, I always like the Brazilian boy with three functional legs who played ‘football’ (US soccer) until puberty, then switched to two legs. Great player, high scorer, oddly, no movie made.

If you want a film that makes people squirmy, and who no one thinks is ‘inspirational’, try Pumpkin with Christinna Ricci (sic). It might also bring up some squirmy parts in the self, as it did for me – on what constitutes ‘sports’ and ‘relationship’.

By: CelticRose

CelticRose — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:11:45 +0000

Thank you for this. I often get irritated by stories like this, and I wonder if it would even be a story if the person didn’t have a disability. Or why people can’t just be recognized for their accomplishments without having their personal lives dragged into it.