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What a wonderful thing is metaphor
May. 22nd, 2019 11:29 amAt some point in the future I am going to be on a panel discussing images of people with disabilities in horror, so I thought I would do a little googling and see what books/films I may have missed.
Which is when I ran across an archived thread where a numer of people were criticizing blind people's objects to the film version of "Blindness," based on the book by Jose Saramago. There was a lot of mocking of blind people who obviously had not "read the book" (quote: "Get it? blind people can't read"), and quote: "Don't these people know what metaphor is?".
Why yes, I do know what a metaphor is but, you see, I do not have metaphorical blindness. I am a real blind person who thinks that using a real specific physical characteristic to signify all that is to be criticized in our society is insulting, because it is not *just* used metaphorically, but utilizes negative stereotypes in pursuit of its "metaphor."
I have this game I like to play, call it Stereotype Mad Libs, in which I substitute the stereotyped group of people with some other group of people. So, instead of saying nonfunctioning eyes make people instantly ignorant and aggressive, I can say having a penis makes people ignorant and aggressive or, to be even more metaphorical, having a di--oh, wait, this post is intended to be work-safe,...got it.
*Having* a duck makes a person *be* a duck. I'm not *actually* saying that everyone with a duck behaves like a duck, this is just a metaphorical duck of which I speak so, please, all you people who have a duck, get a sense of humor, a sense of perspective, a little thicker skin. See, by *using* the stereotype of ducks I am exposing the many, many ways ducks can be used to represent the negative aspects of society and, when I make the film, I promise to frame the ducks with all the dignity and sensitivity they deserve.
Excuse me, I have to go stab something now.
Which is when I ran across an archived thread where a numer of people were criticizing blind people's objects to the film version of "Blindness," based on the book by Jose Saramago. There was a lot of mocking of blind people who obviously had not "read the book" (quote: "Get it? blind people can't read"), and quote: "Don't these people know what metaphor is?".
Why yes, I do know what a metaphor is but, you see, I do not have metaphorical blindness. I am a real blind person who thinks that using a real specific physical characteristic to signify all that is to be criticized in our society is insulting, because it is not *just* used metaphorically, but utilizes negative stereotypes in pursuit of its "metaphor."
I have this game I like to play, call it Stereotype Mad Libs, in which I substitute the stereotyped group of people with some other group of people. So, instead of saying nonfunctioning eyes make people instantly ignorant and aggressive, I can say having a penis makes people ignorant and aggressive or, to be even more metaphorical, having a di--oh, wait, this post is intended to be work-safe,...got it.
*Having* a duck makes a person *be* a duck. I'm not *actually* saying that everyone with a duck behaves like a duck, this is just a metaphorical duck of which I speak so, please, all you people who have a duck, get a sense of humor, a sense of perspective, a little thicker skin. See, by *using* the stereotype of ducks I am exposing the many, many ways ducks can be used to represent the negative aspects of society and, when I make the film, I promise to frame the ducks with all the dignity and sensitivity they deserve.
Excuse me, I have to go stab something now.
