The Access Radio Hour blends music by disabled artists and conversations about disability at Emerson. Hosted by Access: Student Disability Union's Vice President for Community, Greyson Acquaviva, this accessible radio show brings disability to WECB every Friday from 3-4pm EST.
The audio of this conversation can be found here.
Greyson:
Hello, and welcome to The Access Radio Hour. I'm your host, Greyson Acquaviva. Today, we have a very special episode, for it is also a fundraiser for The Georgia Project. Today, I also have my frequent co-host, Harper McKenzie. Welcome back to the show.
Harper:
Hey, thanks for having me.
Greyson:
I always am glad to have you here. So today we're doing something a little bit different than usual. We usually, of course, do an interview with someone at Emerson, but because this is being broadcasted on FM and totally wide, worldwide, or nationwide, I guess. We'll be also talking about little bit about disability and how it is portrayed in the media. And you have to have some experience with this as your, as you did a class in this and also your major is very related to this. So, let's just get started.
Harper:
Yeah, for sure. This is a great topic to talk about, so we're super happy to discuss it and dive into some, some TV shows that we think are kind of doing a good job of, you know, representing disability. There's a lot of bad rap out there, but we wanted to focus on the good. So we first want to talk about the show Superstore, which I have seen the whole thing twice, Greyson has seen a little bit of it. And it's basically a workplace comedy about some employees that work at basically like a big box store, kind of like Walmart. And they have a character Garrett, who was a black wheelchair user, and I think there's a lot of really good stuff in the way they have Garrett on the show and, like, represent disability through Garrett. I think a lot of that comes back to, like, stereotypes subversion. It's not just that Garrett, like, doesn't fulfill, you know, common disability stereotypes, but it's that he sort of flips them on their head and like, you know, it's very nuanced within these, these areas that we often think about disability in the media. Do you agree with that, Greyson?
Greyson:
Yeah, Harper, I definitely agree with that. I think stereotypes are very prominent in portraying disability in the media. I think Superstore does a great job of making Garrett sort are more human and that and that he's not necessarily an angel or like the innocent can do no good. Or also the polar opposite where he's not like the evil one, you know, maniacal sort of, you know, bad guy in a way and who always like is plotting revenge or something. So, it's nice that he's basically normal, like most characters where they're human. And they definitely have— they're not the greatest, but not the worst. And that and that's important. But as, as someone with a disability, we're human. We're not like some sort of, you know, weird, different people. We're just people that are born with something different than other people, you know, but it doesn't make us any less human than anyone else.
Harper:
Right, right. And I think that humanity of like, you know, making mistakes, but also doing good things, and just being a very nuanced person is something that you don't see a whole lot in disability representation. And I think it's just really refreshing to have a character that like, you know, is just as flawed as like anyone else and really represents that. And I think another really great thing that Superstore does is that Garrett is, you know, his disability as a part of his character, it's not ignored, but it's also like, not the central focus of his role on the show. Like, you know, I think maybe even most of the time, like, the storylines he's a part of aren't related to his disability, like, it's just a part of him. And I think that's really important too. Because like, like you were saying, like, disability is just one factor and one part of who we are. Like, we exist outside of our disabilities, and the things that are related to that. And so, to see Garrett, like, you know, engaging in all sorts of storylines, and, you know, bringing up disability when it's relevant. Like, one of my favorite examples of this is just this kind of throwaway line where like, he mentioned that like, “Oh, I can't like shovel snow, like my boss is asking me to do so I'm just gonna, like, ask for a different assignment.” And like, you know, it's all totally fine. He just does a different thing. And he can still do his job. And like, you know, he's just like anyone else on the show, but his disability is a part of it, which is really nice to see.
Greyson:
Yeah, definitely agree. It's really nice to see that. And I love that the jokes are always punch up rather than punch down. That's important when it comes to you know, disabilities, but really anything tackling humor, where it could be potentially offensive to people. So, it's important, again, with that punch up sort of style of comedy there. But yeah, I definitely agree with you on that. And I definitely think that the people that create the character, it was very nuanced, and that's important and it's not really one thing or the other, like polar extreme opposites. It's more of in the middle. And he has he has a personality and he has something that is important to that.
Harper:
Right and he's like a super cool guy too. Like, he's a character that everyone like aspires to be more like, which is really neat to see that as well, that, like, the disabled character is like the cool guy; that says reputation. I mean, there's so much I could go into about Garrett because I think like, you know, any disability stereotype that you find—and there's a lot— like Garrett subverts them. And we could go into all of them, but we won't, because I do want to get to our next show that sort of capitalizes on what was wrong with Garrett's representation. Because as much as I love Garrett and Superstore, there's one major fatal flaw. And that is that it's— Garrett is not authentically cast. The actor that plays him is not actually a wheelchair user. Which is a huge issue because authentic casting is super important. And authentic casting is something that our next show does very, very well. So that show is Everything's Going To Be Okay, which we’ve both see it and both love immensely.
Greyson:
Yes, it's a great show. If you've never seen anything of Josh Thomas's work I rec— highly recommend it. Not only Everything's Going To Be Okay, but also his other show which, was Please Like Me but yes, we're talking Everything's Going To Be Okay for it—
Harper:
Yeah, It's so great.
Greyson:
You go. No, I'm still amazed by it.
Harper:
Everything's Going To Be Okay is basically like a comedy serious that’s also very, like touching and sweet and like emotional, but it's definitely funny too. And it's about these two like teenage sisters whose parents have passed away and they're, like, older stepbrother or half-brother moves from Australia to come, like, be their guardian. And like, it's, it's super great. And the older sister Matilda and her like friend group, like they're all autistic. And all of the autistic characters on the show are authentically cast, which is really huge and super important and like not something you see a lot when it comes to especially, you know, neurodivergent characters. But the show is just so authentic and everything it does. Like, I'm autistic and it's like the most accurate depiction of autism I've ever seen in the media. And like, it's just been so refreshing and, like, so powerful to, like, be able to see myself, like, especially as an autistic woman, like on screen for the first time in my whole life. Like it's just so, so neat to see a real true portrayal of autism that, like, isn't stereotypical and it's just like truly like it. Like that's, it's just it, you know?
Greyson:
Yeah, yeah. One thing I definitely love is a way they sort of portray autism in it and how they sort of film those sorts of scenes. One of the most pivotal moments in the in the show, which I don't want to give too much away, but this is really great film making wise and like a choice in the director's vision. When I think it's Matilda goes to New York and like, tries to, I think was, live on her own a bit? I think that's…
Harper:
Yeah, well, she's— one of her the one of the big storylines that she's, you know, working on is like getting her independent living skills down and like attempting to go into for college and like, yeah, there's this really great, yeah.
Greyson:
Yeah. Anyway, there’s this great, like, sequence where it It definitely shows really well what it's like to be autistic sometimes, especially with the over sensory. Sorry, yes, you were you saying?
Harper
Yeah, no, it was just, it's a sensory overload scene. And it's like, so well done. And I think it just like, yeah, I mean, it, chills, I can't watch it. Because it's so good.
Greyson:
Yeah, it's so good. Like, I was like, “oh my God, that's how I feel. Why is no one else ever shown this?” Like, I was amazed. And, like, I don't think I've ever really ever actually seen that portrayed in the show like that. I mean, you see it all the time with like, when someone's like, either drugged or being sick, but you never really see it when, on TV, like just being natural. But it was really, really amazing.
Harper:
The best thing is, it's like, that's like one of many things that they that they do that with.
Greyson:
Oh yeah.
Harper:
Like the show just, like, has such a great integration of like, autistic experience and autistic culture. Like, the show just like talks about and shows things like stimming and service animals, like special education and the sensory processing stuff. And it's just also like, shamelessly integrated into the show. And it's like, it's not even that these things play into the plot, which like, of course, they do. But more than that, they're just like they're there. They're a part of this landscape in which these characters just like go through storylines, about like, love and family and growing up, and it's just like, just so happens that autism is a piece of this story. It's so beautifully integrated. And that, to me, is what feels so true about it. Because it's like, this is just like the landscape and the background of like, the life that I live. And here it is on TV, which is so cool.
Greyson:
Yeah, definitely. And I think it's important to have that autistic representation when we look at it on screen.
Harper:
Yeah, for sure. And we can't talk about Everything's Going To Be Okay without talking about the like, sex and romance piece of it. Because like, I just think it's so like, notable that the show features like autistic characters like engaging with their sexuality and like exploring and falling in love. Because like, Matilda, as like a, you know, 18-year-old young woman is like, ready to explore her sexuality. And like, she leads this charge in her life where she wants to, like, lose her virginity and like experiment and figure stuff out. And like, the show lets her do that, which is like not something you always, you know, get with autistic characters. They're not often allowed to do that. But we get to see Matilda, and like these other autistic characters, like engaging with sex and like, what does that look like for them? And like falling in love because like, Matilda, and Drea, like, fall in love and start a relationship. And so then we see this really beautiful, like blossoming relationship between two autistic teenage girls. Like, this is intersectional. This is queer. And like, it's so meaningful, and their relationship is so uniquely like theirs. And like, integrates all of that like, autistic, like, culture and experience that we're talking about before, just like into their relationship. But at the same time, it's like, it's just so it's so natural, and it doesn't feel like they're like trying to show off or like scream in your face that like “this is autism.” It just is and it's so beautiful. And like, I just can't. I love it so much.
Greyson:
Yeah, Harper, you're totally right. I mean, that is amazing.
Harper:
Yeah, it's great stuff. And I think like, part of the reason. Well, maybe the main reason that it is such great stuff is it's that authentic casting, and that authentic representation. Like when you— you know, this is a show that like really set out to be intentional about, you know, representation, and like, you know, getting the autistic actors, listening to them, like integrating their real life experiences into the roles, but also like, you know, in the writing process, like looking to autistic advocates, and like organizations, and really trying to make a show that like disabled people, like autistic people in particular, would like enjoy and be excited by like, would be able to gush about it on the radio. And I just think that that's, you know, a really important piece of like media representation. So, it's just, it's wonderful. And I hope that more media can like follow in like, the that line of, you know, intentionality.
Greyson:
Oh, definitely. I think that's very important. And I think this is a great stepping stone into the right direction, I guess you could say. Definitely, we're seeing a lot more, I guess, portrayal or correct portrayal of people on the spectrum, as well as just people with disabilities in general on TV shows and in film. And it is really refreshing to see for its, it's taken way too long for that to happen for that representation to be there.
Harper:
But it’s so powerful.
Greyson:
It is so powerful. And I’m glad that they're finally able to do it sort of now. Or at least, it took long, but we finally got some.
Harper:
And the future is bright. I mean, there's so many like young disabled creators that I know are just gonna like, revolutionize the industry. So it's really exciting to think about.
Greyson:
Oh, yeah, I can't agree more. Well, that was a great conversation, Harper. Thank you so much for coming along and helping me talking about this.
Harper:
Of course. I'm always happy to talk about this topic.
Greyson:
Yes, I know you are and I definitely love talking about it too.