Friday, February 5, 2010
Aimee Mullins
I received a link to this video from a friend who thought I may find it interesting. Well ... it turns out I did find it quite interesting, and therefore, I would like to share it with you.
Aimee Mullins is a record-breaker at the Paralympic Games in 1996, and has built a career as a model, actor and activist for women, sports and the next generation of prosthetics. I was impressed during her discussion on the way others fear people with prosthetic body parts -- she brings up a great point when she reminds us that there are women (and men) everywhere with "false" body parts such as breast implants, hips replacements, false jawlines, hair implants, and more ... but we don't view them with as much awkwardness as we view someone with prosthetic legs. It's interesting food for thought, don't you think!? I began to wonder why this is, and have not been able to come up with an ingenious answer. I'm wondering if any of you have ideas or thoughts. If so, please share!
:) Happy Friday boys and girls. I hope you're looking forward to a nice, relaxing, football filled weekend just as much as I am!!
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So! Quick thoughts on the blog question of the day.
If someone is missing a leg, they would use prosthetics to regain a natural human figure and/or regain their ability to walk. form/function
When someone receives a breast implant, they are trying to enhance their look. (or maybe to restore natural human shape after breast cancer?) form
I think that it is sometimes harder to tell whether or not a person has had plastic surgery. If we don't know, then people are less likely to care. Once someone has been accused of altering their body like this, I wouldn't say that people are afraid of it, but they do tend to be mean. I have seen far too many shows on E! that display all of hollywood's "worst plastic surgeries."
When you see someone with a stiff leg or a hook for a hand, it is very obvious that something is not right. These body parts, especially the hand, are important parts of human interaction. I talk with my hands all the time, shake hands with people... that sort of thing. How do you act when you encounter a situation in which someone has a fake right hand and you would normally shake it? Having been taught to ignore these differences our entire lives, what do we do when we can't run away from it? I think this unknown tends to create some angst in many people. You never know how sensitive the other person might be to their "disability." How did they lose their leg? Do people stare and bother them about it all the time?
Now, I have a story to tell you. It is more about disability than prosthetics though.
My friend dressed up as a blind comic hero for a comic convention. To play the part, he had a stick and actually walked around as if he were blind. People were SO nice to him the entire time he was there. People would go out of their way to get doors for him, get out of his way, and pretty much help him with everything. People seem to think that they know how to act around people with disability and that is to help them, but what do they do when they can help themselves? Can they help themselves?
I don't know if I even brought up any good ideas here. I am all confused now! lol
What do others think?
Matt
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