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From: Scott
Date: 21 Oct 2012
Time: 20:38:46 -0500
Remote Name: 64.134.160.8
Hi Renee - Thanks for your post. The topic of how stuttering is portrayed in the movies is a very interesting one. There are certainly many awful portrayals, where stuttering is used to indicate a lack of intelligence or for comedic effect. This unfortunately serves to reinforce stereotypes and can lead to increased bullying. There are several ways to respond -- some have led boycotts of companies like Warner Brothers for their use of Porky Pig; others (like Bob Quesal, coauthor on this paper) have embraced Porky as a symbol, to say "that doesn't bother me." I think that we need to recognize that it will probably be difficult to change society quickly - it happens over time - but one thing that we can do is work on insulating the child so that he is not as concerned about these media portrayals. The more the child can accept his own stuttering, the less affected he will be by messages of ignorance or bigotry. We all have a long way to go, but a combination of protecting the child and strengthening the child will lead to a child who is less concerned about what others (including the media) might think. Thanks again for your post. S