Deadline Hollywood By David Robb: Film Analysis

Despite the social progress the United States has made for becoming a more welcoming and diversified community, the disabled and handicapped still have yet to reach full integration into the film industry. David Robb, an author for Deadline Hollywood, wrote a piece analyzing the recent report conducted by the Ruderman Family Foundation examining the roles of those with disabilities across TV networks. “Actors with Disabilities Find Little Work In TV, But CBS & Fox Lead Way in Hiring and Auditioning: Study” gives an overview of the current situation that those with disabled face within trying to enter the film industry through, both, qualitative and quantitative research. Today, it is very unlikely for someone to turn on the TV and to see a

Robb provides the information on why it is quite difficult, to near impossible, for the disabled to enter the film industry. The socialization around the disabled, as well as the institutional discrimination, is denying the opportunities for those with disabilities to audition and be a part of the television and movie industry within the United States.

The disabled are unable to get parts, or even audition, for a majority of production companies due to the preconceived ideas about the disabled due to the institutional discrimination within the film industry. Daryl Mitchell, a disabled actor on NCIS: New Orleans, sees the hardship and struggle that the disabled face, when trying to enter the acting world; “When producers or casting directors head the word ‘disability’ they think ‘inability’…” (Robb 2017). Mitchell, addresses, the pre-notion in which

According the Ruderman Family Foundation, “20% of Americans have a disability, only 1.7% of characters on TV last season were visibly disabled.” (Robb 2017). Some major TV networks, including Disney channel, Bravo, and CW, don’t have a single character on any TV show with a disabled character, nor does it have any disabled within any of the TV show’s cast. (Robb 2017). As children are being socialized, or internalizing and accepting the social norms and values of society, it is important to learn that the disabled are not to be neglected, but seen as human beings and to not be treated differently from oneself. (Wright 2017). TV shows and movies are agents of socialization, or groups that reinforcing the ideology of a society, for many children, especially since the United States is a society where technology is prevalent in a majority of children’s lives. (Wright 2017). Many networks need to re-socialize their television shows, in the sense that they need to incorporate the minorities that are being excluded, including the disabled. Fox and CBS are taking the steps and moving toward this move on incorporating disabled characters and disabled actors within their networks. (Robb 2017). In order for society to have the next generation with