'Disabled' Mannequins Remind Us That Beautiful Doesn't Mean 'Perfect' (VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/03/disabled-mannequins-video_n_4379586.html
Pro Infirmis is an organization for disabled people. The video shows the whole process that a number of mannequins are created based on real people with disability. It is very inspiring. The video reminds me of the discussion we had during class about the disabled culture and how media representation shapes people's thinking towards disable people.
In China, the media representation about people with disability both physical and mental is very narrow-minded. It always indicates that the disabled community is an inferior community to "normal" people. People with disability are describe as "imperfect"and "misfortune". However, seriously, who is perfect? What are the standards of "perfectness"? Who gets the say to set those standards?
Constantly, Chinese media associates "disability" with "helpless" and never with "beauty". It never brings up the idea that beautiful does not require for perfectness and people with disability are as beautiful as or even more beautiful than people without disability. In the future, media should focused on promoting the beauty and equality of people with disability. Let people embrace the idea that people with disability are not just about "misfortune" and "helpless".
At the end of the day, let people ask themselves: "who is perfect"?
I think you raise some serious questions. What is perfection? Even those who are labeled as beautiful and close to perfect, they have issues too. It's all about power and perspective, and those in power are so afraid of people with disabilities that the rational thing for them to do in their mind is to shut it out. I love that this campaign is creating mannequins to resemble people with disabilities. Not only are these people underrepresented in media, but when they are, it's usually in a negative fashion. I love that you shared this, thank you!
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