Apparently, many think Saturday Night Live's portrayal of New York governor David Paterson went too far. Fred Armisen played Paterson and exaggerated the effect the governor's blindness has on his ability to orient himself. Paterson was not amused, and neither was National Federation of the Blind spokesman Chris Danielsen, who said, "The biggest problem faced by blind people is not blindness itself, but the stereotypes held by the general public. The idea that blind people are incapable of the simplest tasks and are perpetually disoriented and befuddled is absolutely wrong."I definitely agree with Danielsen on his last point. Because it's impossible for me to imagine being blind, I marvel at the dozens of blind people I see navigating the streets of downtown Chicago. Many blind people are capable of living their lives with little dependence on others.
However, SNL is in the comedy business, and a lot of comedy is an exaggeration of the truth; no one ever said Armisen's impression is the truth. Moreover, the sketch didn't only poke fun at Paterson's blindness but also his past cocaine use and his supposed lack of readiness to take office.
Quoting South Park's classic "Cartoon Wars" two-part episodes, "It's either all OK, or none of it is." If you're offended by SNL's depiction of Paterson, then you'd better be equally offended by any jokes about O.J. Simpson's murder trial or Michael Jackson's alleged child molestation. Victims of child abuse are often emotionally scarred for life, and no matter what you think of O.J., two people are dead. To me, those jokes are no worse or better than the Paterson jokes.
I read one blind person's comment in the blogosphere that he just wants to be treated like everyone else and doesn't want to be ridiculed. But here's the thing: People make fun of other people. If we don't have a little fun at your expense, then we're not treating you like everyone else. If you think the blind shouldn't be made fun of, then we can't make fun of the overweight, the elderly, or anyone else who's feelings might potentially be hurt.
I don't want to live in that world.
