I went to a new GP today. The appointment was a long one, as I recounted my not inconsiderable medical history. The conversation was a bit stilted. As a result, the thirty minutes seemed like sixty. It surprised me that a doctor nowadays would have such an awkward ‘bedside manner’. Then, suddenly, the conversation became [...]
If you are into news or football, or both, you won’t have escaped noticing the furor, and public debate that followed, surrounding two of Sky’s (former) faces of the beautiful game. That Richard Keys and Andy Gray have left the channel following remarks about the professional capability of a woman linesman, and the sexist banter [...]
The description heroes has been applied liberally over the last few days to describe the Chilean miners. Every time I’ve heard this I’ve winced a little bit, in a very similar way to the way I feel when I hear disabled people referred to as heroic. The miners have been through an ordeal that they [...]
In response to my last blog entry, a comic-collecting friend reminded me that, ever since the 60’s, Marvel Comics has introduced many characters (often super-powered) with imperfections. This contrasts with the other big comic company, DC, creator of smart and traditionally handsome figures like Superman and Batman. Marvel characters have ranged from the science nerd, [...]
Last week, I noticed in the newspaper that a new superhero is coming to US bookstores. The Silver Scorpion, a Muslim boy in a wheelchair, will be arriving there in November. Perhaps this is indicative of a fresh more positive portrayal of disabled people. In fact, a wheelchair manufacturer I know was recently approached about [...]
Have you noticed that most "bad" characters in film, TV or literature have their flawed character manifested physically in some way? So, there is the James Bond villain with a scar or in a wheelchair or with metal teeth. There's Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame and there's Captain Hook in Peter Pan. From a [...]