Disabilities: Comedy’s last unmentionable
Simon Minty is the co-founder and producer of Abnormally Funny People, a group of stand up comedians with disabilities. He believes that disability has been missed in the evolution of comedy because of this pity aspect.
“With things like race or gender people have deep rooted bigotry… and they know not to say that, but you don’t feel sorry for them necessarily, it’s a different sort of exclusion or discrimination. It’s silly because there’s so much fun to be had with the subject.”
There are no reasons to exclude anyone from the comedy scene though. It’s how to break down barriers. Comedy can be seen as a standard currency around the world. Slapstick will get a chuckle from almost anyone from anywhere regardless of creed, gender or able-bodiedness.
Disability can be seen to have had a small role for many years, but it’s never grown to a mainstream subject with other topics. Peter Cook wrote a sketch called “One Leg Too Few” which he first performed with Dudley Moore in 1960.
Read more here: Comedy’s last unmentionable | The Linc.
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About The Author
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts is founder of Support for Special Needs and has been a regular contributor since its inception in May 2010. A mom to two kids with special needs, she didn't want other parents to feel what is the often isolating world of raising a child (or two!) with disabilities. Her kids had kidney transplants at the age of eight and will need liver transplants in the future as a result of ARPKD/CHF. They both have vision disorders and learning disabilities.