", Meanwhile, the Internet is doing what the Internet does: Turning the whole thing into a meme. This says to me that more people in the literary world than just Arnopp feel that it is acceptable to create such prejudice against people with Down syndrome. If this novel had actually been written hundreds of years ago, I could perhaps understand why such antiquated perceptions of Down syndrome were being peddled as entertainment. The show, which has a history of crossing the line at every opportunity, took a shot at Palin last night, mocking her son with Down syndrome. "Extra Large Medium" is the 12th episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. Slightly further along in the novel, we come to a sentence in which Arnopp describes Sister Frances as “a simpleton.” The definition of simpleton is “someone who is not very intelligent.” Down syndrome is classed as a learning disability/intellectual disability, meaning that it can take people with the condition longer to learn skills. One particularly shocking line reads that Sister Frances is “lumbering behind them like a performing bear.” The use of the adjective “lumbering” creates a disrespectful image of how the character walks, but it is the use of the comparison of Sister Frances to a “performing bear” that is the most shocking. Girl with Down syndrome will serve as honorary cheerleader following controversy. This issue of prejudice against people with learning disabilities being portrayed in historical fiction needs to be held with just as much weight. "These trolls are cowardly, nasty people who should be punished for the damage they are doing to people with their comments," she says. The overall impression created by Arnopp is that this woman is a nuisance to those around her and needs to be excluded by ignoring her. Every pregnant woman in Iceland is given an option of a prenatal test that can detect Down syndrome with 85 percent accuracy. In 1896, 20 years after Langdon Down first described "mongoloids," Telford Smith reported that giving thyroid therapy improved physical and mental conditions of these children. Perpetuating this prejudiced view of people with Down syndrome is unacceptable, irresponsible and dangerous. And 4chan is busy trying to pin the whole thing on 9gag (the meme actually originated on FunnyJunk). All Grace Key wanted was to be a part of Calhoun (Ga.) High’s cheerleading squad. "Down's Syndrome Girl" is a musical number sung by Stewie to Chris in order to prepare for his date with Ellen in "Extra Large Medium". Feb 23, 2020 News. I chose to read “Sisters of Arden” by Judith Arnopp, as I heard it contained a character with Down syndrome. The New Zealand Down Syndrome Association said it has fielded ... * Girl with Down syndrome … She “joyfully joins her discordant notes with the others.” This perpetuation of guiding the reader to laugh at this character is tiresome to endure. Joelle Kelly's four-year-old daughter Josee was born with Down syndrome Here, she shares her thoughts and common misconceptions about the condition By Laura House For Daily Mail Australia It remains to be seen what, if anything, will come of humanizing the meme. In the US and most other places, likely nothing. And it is right that these examples are being banned and removed from our culture. And if you don’t hit your deadline, you’re in trouble! 2021 Mighty Proud Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Kalista Hesch Authorities in Thailand are to inspect all the clinics in the country offering surrogacy services to see if they are operating within the law after a … You've got to look your best tonight, You tubby little parasite, 'Cause there's a lovely lady and she's waiting for you. Terms. Thyroid, DS and Controversy Before the genetic reason of Down Syndrome was known, many people thought that DS was caused by hypothyroidism. The constant references to Sister Frances being different from the other characters are sickening to read. She is slow in both thought and action; Sister Dorothea swears she must have been dropped on her head as an infant.” Do I even need to explain why this description of a character is unacceptable? She writes that Sister Frances was “treading on people’s toes and causing uproar.” This cheap attempt at humor is at the cost of people with Down syndrome. Arnopp encourages her readers to mock and laugh at Sister Frances by repeatedly describing her as not being able to sing very well. Arnopp writes, “Sister Frances isn’t given to words. Michael Cox and Taylor Anderton from Queensland want to get married and have children but their concerned parents fear they will never be ready because of their Down Syndrome. Using the technique of dehumanization, Arnopp reduces Sister Frances’ status to that of an animal. The Atlantic has come under fire for a controversial article about the alarming rate of people choosing to abort unborn children with disabilities. For some, this is a move toward greater inclusion; for others, it seems like just a tokenizing PR move. I’m unsure where Arnopp has gathered her information about Down syndrome, but her work shows a clear and abhorrent prejudice against people with the condition. © The novel was published in 2018, but I have only just found the time to read it now, as toddlers do tend to keep you busy! According to Liz, the photo was taken from the website of a local support group for parents of children with disabilities. All she wanted to do was cheer. It most often occurs in pregnancy of women who are over thirty-five years of age. In a written statement, officials with the Calhoun City Schools announced she would be made an honorary cheerleader. Gerber/Facebook. When you use that power you have to create further bias, prejudice and discrimination against a minority community, there has to be some form of accountability. In terms of how Arnopp’s decision to create a derogatory caricature of a woman with Down syndrome sits with me in modern society, it raises a number of grave concerns. Let us not perpetuate the myth of prejudice. Oops! Fox’s “Glee” is generating controversy after depicting a character with Down syndrome bringing a gun to school. Arnopp also uses infantilization to depict Sister Frances. It justifies to the reader that the author believes it is acceptable to laugh at people with Down syndrome. Common effects of Down syndrome include a smaller stature, a slight flattening of the rear of the skull, slightly upward slanting eyes, a degree of mental retardation, and heart and eyesight problems. This week, the pureed food purveyors appointed its first-ever “spokesbaby” with Down syndrome. Arnopp builds on the prejudiced image of her character by using the word “simple” repeatedly to describe Sister Frances throughout the novel. Six months ago, Liz Crowter discovered that her daughter had become the subject of a particularly nasty Internet meme — and, given the Internet, that's saying something. Many applauded the company’s decision to choose Lucas, but some slammed the choice as a marketing move, according to People. Directed by John Holmquist and written by Steve Callaghan, the episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 14, 2010. On Monday, Calhoun High School student Grace Key, who has Down syndrome, got her wish. I want to believe that Ariel and Deborah Levy love the heck out of their little girl with Down syndrome. She was given a platform to spin these prejudiced pictures of a woman with a learning disability. Arnopp has created the character of Sister Frances, who has Down syndrome. Privacy They don’t. Meet the newest colors of Reece’s Rainbow… Home with their forever families! Though the 45-year-old from Coventry told The Sun she first spotted the meme late last year on Facebook, the macro has been in use since at least 2009, according to Know Your Meme. At one point, the author states the following: “No house would take her; her difficulties make her strange, people may find her off-putting.” This idea that nobody would want a person with Down syndrome to live with them spins a whole new and worrying avenue of prejudice for the reader. "They have no right to take Heidi's image and use it alongside these cruel sites. | This is further compounded by the scenes in which Sister Frances is beaten and abused as a result of her being “an idiot.” Hate crime against people with learning disabilities is at its highest-ever level in the U.K. Normalizing a character being physically assaulted as a result of having a learning disability is irresponsible in light of the current levels of hate crime in our society. She portrays her as childlike, as needing to be cared for, and alongside that she weaves into her writing the idea that Sister Frances is irritating. A similar controversy surrounded the "Extra Large Medium" episode of "Family Guy." The simile Arnopp has chosen to use further impresses upon the reader that the character with Down syndrome is not equal to her counterparts. Born with Down syndrome, Key already participated on the school’s swim team, and … The suggestion that we should laugh wryly at Sister Dorothea’s suggestion is derogatory in nature and immediately reduces Sister Frances to a caricature. Shortland Street's 'insensitive' Down syndrome baby storyline controversy . Girls have two X chromosomes and boys have an X and a Y. As an author, Arnopp should know that her writing influences anyone who reads it and she should perhaps reflect on how she is influencing the readers of this novel to buy into her own biased view of Down syndrome. ... the cheerleading coach invited a student with Down Syndrome to … M yth #3: Down’s Syndrome kids remain kids forever. The latest twist in the important controversy of Family Guy making fun of Trig Palin: An actress with Down syndrome said Sarah Palin "does not have a sense of humor." Lucas is the first spokesbaby to have Down syndrome. Mom chooses life for baby girl with Down syndrome after overcoming fear of the unknown December 21, 2020 Constitutional Nobody Survival Linzi Graham was 18 weeks pregnant with her third child when she learned her preborn baby had Down syndrome. A 24-year-old woman who has Down’s syndrome has launched a landmark case against the UK Government over the current discriminatory abortion law that singles out babies with disabilities allowing abortion right through to birth for conditions including Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot. The author has been allowed to use extremely derogatory words to describe a person with Down syndrome by her publisher. And not just an animal. It appears you entered an invalid email. The study included 49 boys and 56 girls (6-18 years old) born at least 35 weeks gestation with Down syndrome. As the mother of a little girl with Down syndrome, I have an interest in how people with my daughter’s condition are portrayed in literature. 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