Ignorance – Lack of knowledge, learning, information.
Careless – Having no concern or care, not paying attention.
When trying to find the perfect words to describe the youngest Jenner’s latest mishap, those two may be some of the first to come to mind.
In case you haven’t heard, Kylie Jenner posed seductively in a wheelchair for a spread in Interview magazine.
And to say the internet didn’t take it too kindly would be an understatement. As it shouldn’t. When you are seen as the “perfection embodiment” of physical beauty and attraction, posing with an object people often get the wrong type of attention for is a bit tasteless.
Although it is extremely easy to bash the young star’s inability to see the reality of her actions, I am proposing we look at another term to describe this Hollywood misstep.
Accepted.
Dictionary.com defines accepted as, “generally approved; usually regarded as normal, right.” Could it be that the reason Jenner’s photos even passed the editorial process is due to the fact that we as a society don’t simply view disabled people as people? Rather they are nothing more than a source of inspiration or a metaphor for some internal struggle we face as “normal” individuals.
How many times have you seen a movie trailer about a disabled person riddled with the taglines of “inspirational” or “heart-warming? The question arises, who is the inspiration for? The movie-goer who just watched The Theory of Everything and feels they are ready to conquer their tasking work project? Or the people living with ALS who need to know that their diagnosis doesn’t mean their life is over?
Twitter user and teen living with CRPS, Ophelia Brown, shared a similar sentiment to Jenner in a tweet:
@KylieJenner wow being in a wheelchair is so fun and fashionable! #Ableism is the ultimate fashion statement! pic.twitter.com/lOScQnODhy — @bandaidknees
As we explained through our awareness raising effort for CRPS, #NERVEmber, living with these painful chronic illnesses is not glamorous.
Real people are dealing with real issues day in and day out. Their struggles are not meant to be used as a producer’s artistic expression. Their voices are not there to echo celebrities internal battles.
They are simply to be supported, treated, and given the opportunity to live life as anyone would. Nothing more.
So as we as a culture analyze Kylie Jenner’s behavior and point social network fingers at her glaring inability to see the future repercussions of her actions, take the time to turn that finger around. Have you viewed patients as a source of selfish inspiration or are you doing something to actively change society’s perceptions of these people? Ask yourself that and only then will you be able to cast the first stone.
