TwiHards, Gleeks, and Avatards: From my brain to the blog-i-verse (and more)

Twihards, Gleeks and Avatards. This is the name I came up with for a “pet project” that I have been thinking about for a long time. It mostly has to do with disability in pop culture (the supposed topic of this blog which I have neglected for a bit).

These names are each “labels” given respectively to fans of Twilight (TwiHards), Glee (Gleeks), and Avatar (Avatards). Each is play on both the movie/TV show and their fans and each has something to do with disability in some way. I shared a series of these ideas on Facebook today and realized that (1) I think I may have overwhelmed the person I shared it with (sorry!), and (2) maybe it’s time to share with the “outside world” and see what could happen (or if I could get any encouragement) if I did.  I am a nerd, after all.   Here it goes. Some subjects to be covered under this “project”:

1. Credit goes to Lawrence Carter-Long for this one (on disability and comedy on TV): Mr. Magoo to Josh Blue, Who’s Laughing Now? Disability on Screen

2. Prostheses, implants, and props, OH MY: Lady Gaga and others on the perception of disability “add-ons” (I guess this could be a thread on disability imagery too, but I'm mostly thinking of Lady Gaga).

An image of Lady Gaga in the video for her song "Paparazzi"

3.  See this blog for an entry on zombies and disability.  Of course I'd have zombies!!!!!

 

4. Share a Smile Becky, Avatar’s Jake Sully, and Rescue Hero Aiden Assist: Are Wheelchair Action Figures and Dolls For Real?

rescue hero "Aiden Assist": 

Aiden Assist, Paramedic.  (Perri Harris gets all the credit for this one).  "Being in a wheelchair has never once stopped Aiden Assist from assisting in a rescue and patching up a victim. Aiden can get to anyone trapped in a car wreck and have them out and be administering first aid before most paramedics could even make it to the scene." Perri teaches Disability and Pop Culture at SU and she actually has this door.  See this website for more character profiles (nice to see that he makes it above all the animal heroes and guest characters!).

Share a Smile Becky


Sorry can't get an image of Jake Sully to work here, but here's a link to it.

5. What the f*** is rehab anyways? Amy Winehouse and other public figures portraying mental illness and substance abuse, or does celebrity create disability?  I don't have the time to look for all the photos (or all the celebrities either) that I've collected on this but here are two:

6. “Oscar Pistorius has an unfair advantage”: Prostheses, wheelchair sports & other disabled athletes in the Popular Media
7. All kinds of stuff on disability & comics, especially super heroes.
8. Mutants, cyborgs, and other-ly bodies.  Thinking of Donna Haraway and Rosemarie Garland-Thomson's work as well.

9. Advertising and disability. 

10. "Art" art, including such artists and art projects as alison lapper, frida kahlo, scar art and more.  There is also Frank Frazetta, who after a series of strokes had to switch hands to paint and I don't think you could tell.  Fascinating artist, famous for his fantasy paintings, a lot of which were painted using his mind (in other words, I don't believe he used models, he merely visualized what he thought a particular painting should look like).

11. Music. Recent media coverage makes me think I need to add this category as well, and of course a major part of this title is Glee, after all!  

12.  The news media.  (ok, Beth Haller already covers this, but I love her work!)

13.  Lucky 13.  Okay, what else?  Film in general, I guess.  TV, radio, what other pop culture topics have I not included?  "Avatar" avatars, not blue native like cat people.  

Email me or post to Facebook to tell me your ideas.