Super Cripple Advertisement Analysis

The social group I will be discussing in today’s contemporary society will be the disabled. In the media, the disabled are generally portrayed as incapable, non-sexual and pitiful beings. However, we have seen the emergence of the ‘super cripple’ more in our contemporary society. There is also the deviant, sinister and evil stereotype, where the disabled person is naturally crooked and operates outside of society’s norms. These stereotypes are particularly evident on television, film and advertising.
Firstly, contemporary society is now addressing some of the common stereotypes associated with being disabled. For example, there is a stereotype about the disabled which states that they are loveless and non-sexual. The channel 4 show ‘The Undateables’,
In this advert, we see the showcase of multiple ‘Super Cripples’. These are people who overcome every challenge, and they are people who ‘’don’t think of themselves as disabled’’. This is evident in the Paralympic trailer, as we see multiple athletes overcoming their disability and being triumphant in their sport. This is done by the upbeat, motivational music, and the multiple low-angle shots done to portray their superiority. In a similar advert, Samsung’s Paralympic advert ‘Everyone can take part’ shows a great deal of commitment and strength. The athletes are treated as normal bodied athletes. For instance, there are scenes of rigorous training, where the athlete’s coaches are pushing them to their limit – similar to how they would train a normal bodied athlete. We hear a coach in one scene shout ‘one more’ where we see the athlete clearly in pain, but as oppose to the conventional sympathy we may give, the coach adds brutality. This changing convention shows how contemporary society is changing its attitudes towards the
Characters such as Lieutenant Dan from Forrest Gump, or Artie from Glee – all show paraplegic characters represented as the ‘angry cripple’. The angry cripple, is someone who is angry and difficult, and takes out inner hurt and rage on the world. They are normally deep in self-pity and are not social. They are common drunks and have no ambition. Lieutenant Dan from Forest Gump is a prime example of this. He is a drunk, and living off government welfare, due to him being a retired veteran. In a scene with Forrest Gump, who is also someone with a disability (learning difficulties), we see how Lieutenant Dan is satirical in his conversations. As he crosses the road for example, he is almost hit by an on coming taxi, he responds with ‘’Hey, I’m walking