activism

Camp and Politics

turtleLeave a comment

Crip Camp is a very insightful and informational documentary. I think this movie should be seen by students for multiple reasons, a large one being the understanding of activism. Activism is the taking of action, specifically in a political or social setting. The film highlights the ins and outs of a disability activist group and how they went about advocating and fighting for their rights and the changes they wanted to see in the world. I think this is important because all of their actions as a group were nonviolent. They relied on sit-ins, hunger strikes, and information to change the minds of politicians and citizens in America. Not only that, but the film also shows how different groups of people come together for common causes. To support and learn from each other, an example of this is the Black Panthers group providing meals for the disabled who were protesting inside a political building for over twenty days, “A broad array of nondisabled ally groups supported the twenty-five-day occupation by disability activists of the HEW regional headquarters in San Francisco.” (23).

I think this is important for students to learn because it not only gives them the inspiration to fight for what they believe is right in a nonviolent way but how to advocate and help the community around them in order to improve the lives of others. The film shows a sense of community and comradery throughout the film that is a valuable thing for a child to learn and understand, find happiness in a community, relate to others, and be able to learn from them. I think this documentary will also teach high school students about disability and what it is to be disabled. It’s an accurate representation of the experience of those with disabilities and widens children’s minds to how to incorporate them into their lives, to look at their peers and the people in their community as people first, not defined by their disability the way society often phrases it.

“Stop the Telethon!”: Picketing with Jerry’s Orphans in “The Kids are Alright”

Clover2 Comments

Jerry Springer’s Labor Day Telethon (in partnership with the Muscular Dystrophy Association) aired on television in America for over 48 years, collecting donations intended to increase accessibility to wheelchairs and medication—as well as fund research towards a cure, or eradication, of the disease. Always a lavish affair, the telethon kept a keen spotlight on “Jerry’s Kids”, a rotating set of poster children living with dystrophy, often brought out for PR events and photoshoots, as well as for stage performances during the annual fundraiser. 

Springer’s televised affection for the kids was intensely marketable for the charity, but as the years went by, growing numbers of “Jerry’s Kids” felt more abandoned, alienated, and pitied than supported by Springer and the MDA. That, in combination with an obvious misappropriation of funding by the parent charity, was impetus enough for former poster child Mike Ervin to establish his activist group, “Jerry’s Orphans”, in honor of those exploited by the fundraiser—and with the goal of ending Springer’s telethon for good. 

Shot in the mid-to-late 1990s, the documentary The Kids are Alright follows Ervin, and Jerry’s Orphans, as they attempt to infiltrate an MDA charity event in Chicago, bring awareness to those present of the exploitation they support, and encourage the public not to endorse such dehumanization of the disabled by the MDA. 

Much of the film is carried out interview-style, as Ervin details the history of his own activism and experiences of discrimination as a wheelchair-bound individual⁠—but a large part still is devoted to recording the late-night meetings of Jerry’s Orphans as they do telephonic outreach and event coordinating towards the big day. Arriving on site in Chicago bearing slogans such as “Piss on pity!”, the protesters dodge past guards to try to invade the event. Partially successful, the group engage in discussions with several of the event’s attendees and staff, establishing their presence and dispelling the white lies of the “charity mentality”, which promotes blanket pity as helpful. Pity, to Jerry’s Orphans, is but a detrimental pigeonhole for those on the receiving end. And with the money pity collects, the MDA’s proposed ‘cures’ for dystrophy (mainly of prenatal detection and abortion), just stands as another flagrant offense to Ervin’s growing community. Of course, in protesting the charity event, Jerry’s Orphans were quickly requested to leave the premises by its administrators.

Something major to take away from this film? The blatant irony of an event designed specifically for the livelihoods of its poster children turning its back on the many, desperate voices of those same children, grown up. Though no official statement was given by Jerry Springer (or the MDA) in the film, Springer reportedly spoke of Ervin’s activism as such: “Pity? You don’t want to be pitied because you’re a cripple in a wheelchair? Stay in your house!”. Ervin spoke of Springer’s contempt coolly, stating: “I pity those who pity me”.

Worthy of four stars, The Kids are Alright is a low-polish, yet intimate showcase of grassroots activism, moving only as quickly as events unfold from the foyers, basements, and local pizza parlors of real Americans with real grievances, working together to bring justice to their cause.

If I Had Endless Miseducation: Jerry Lewis and His Orphans

Limbo1 Comment

The short film “The Kids Are Alright” provides us a look into the lives of folks with muscular dystrophy. Specifically, we are following former kids who were used by Jerry Lewis in the infamous telethon to raise money for a cure. Now, not all members were associated with being one of “Jerry’s Orphans.” That is because this group of activists had a larger goal to spread visibility about disability. While not everyone had the honor to be ignorantly cussed out by bitter Lewis in a Vanity Fair interview, everyone had felt the pain of being disregarded as “other,” or “not enough” in their everyday lives. The telethon was formatted to rack up pity-points from the audience through shameless manipulation and lies. It is not wrong to raise money for helpful organizations, but these donors are unaware of where this money is going or how it is being used. That is where we set the scene as our activists speak out against the shady organization and Lewis’ failure to listen (as well as the rest of our nation). 

Mike Ervin, leader of the movement “Jerry’s Orphans,” guides us through every protest and what it all really means to him. Ervin’s frustration partially comes from the narratives surrounding the disabled community. One major issue, disabled folks’ voices are typically put on mute or never broadcasted in any form. Secondly, able-bodied people paint pictures of misery, pain, and suffering when speaking on behalf of the disabled community. Take for example the goal of finding a cure. Ervin himself never felt the need for a cure. He describes his life as a fulfilled one and wishes to distance himself from dialogue that enables the idea of fixing him. Ervin also organized protests alongside peers to be peaceful and educational. Sit-ins started occurring during the telethon with powerful messages like, “Piss on pity,” encouraging pride in the disabled community for a change. Education about muscular dystrophy and the Muscular Dystrophy Association was readily available through helpful pamphlets handed out by the activists. This chosen mode of protest and resources should have been enough to push people to realize we need to do better. Ervin and his peers had done most of the work through serious research, sharing their experiences, and being kind but firm in the face of ignorance. All the audience had to do was put in effort past that point, like read or listen.  

Overall, this film receives a gleaming 4 out of 5 stars. Given his major role in activism, the film chose to center around Ervin, but it would have been nice to hear more voices. I think one of the many vital lessons to learn from this film is how activism works. The telethon audience donating money to an organization they have not read up on can sum up many American activists today. It is much easier to do no research, read nothing, listen to no one and forget the next day. Ervin’s team did activism the correct way and needed others to step up to do the exact same. Nothing gets done without proper action. The pacing in this film felt a little off or rushed for the sake of time and storytelling. I wish they had a better timeline of events, or extended it.

Piss on Pity

unsureunderwaterobot2 Comments

The Kids are Alright is a short documentary breaking down the inappropriate and dehumanizing nature of Jerry Lewis’ Labor Day Telethon for folks with Muscular Dystrophy. Mike Ervin, an ex-poster child for Jerry’s fundraiser, speaks up about being exploited as a source of pity to raise money. The conflict of this film is the mistreatment of disabled folks and the saviorism that exasperates this mistreatment. The rhetor of this film, Ervin, explains his first hand experience in the field of disability activism – as a disabled person. Ervin tries to amplify the voices of folks living with MD in hopes of abolishing pitiful fundraisers like those held by Jerry Lewis and the MDA. Throughout the film Ervin uses storytelling as a means to get his point across. He addresses his own ethos, as a man living with muscular dystrophy. He uses pathos, by expressing his human reaction to being pitied. Ironically, the fundraisers he fights against use a false pathos (pity) in order to sell charity. Ervin’s logos show up through statistics of poorly used MDA funds and the wrong “cure”. What I mean is, the telethon only supplies 30% of the MDA’s annual funds and of that so much is allocated to fancy scientist conferences and advertising campaigns. Ervin questions the viewer what “a cure” for MD even looks like and how do we get there. Is it funneling money into politically charged conferences? Or is it providing disabled folks with chairs, ramps, autonomy, and resources? This film really had me questioning where “charity” funds are going and from whom they are requested. I couldn’t help but think, if this is how a white, seemingly financially stable, man is treated in the world, how are QTPOC disabled folks feeling. As mentioned in the film, disability is not a monolith, every disabled person is a human with individual complexities, and I’d love to continue to learn more from different facets moving forward.

Overall the film was 4/5 due to only focusing in on one man, rather than getting a few perspectives. Although, it almost feels backwards for me, as someone without MD, to be rating how MD is portrayed in a film. Hmph.