B.S. Indeed

I watched the first season of “Penn & Teller: Bull**** on DVD and found it interesting. The quirky Vegas magicians turn an illusionist’s eye on those who endeavor to dupe people for profit. (TV psychics, for instance.) Easy targets, yes, but entertaining nonetheless.

Later, I found out that “Bull****” had done an episode on The Americans with Disabilities Act., entitled “Handicapped Parking”.

The first interview subject is Marianne Catrall, whose daughter is blind and has autism. She has taken it upon herself to photograph drivers who misuse disabled parking spaces. Penn argues that it is “way easy” to obtain a parking permit because all you have to do is get “some doctor” to sign it. To buttress this oh-so astute argument, Penn says that the ADA’s definition of disability is very broad, noting that the criteria includes those who have trouble keeping track of money and those who have trouble using the telephone. (Does he mean the mentally disabled, who just so happen to use that accounting assistance to maintain a level of independence?) Actually, there is a little bit of the titular substance in whom the ADA classifies as disabled: Substance-Abusers, a fact completely unaddressed by Penn and Teller.

Penn asks whether police officers “have better things to do” than enforcing “thoughtfulness.” Well, yes, that is precisely why the bulk of enforcement falls to deputized civilians. But, you can hardly argue the need for the space in the first place, can you?

Unfortunately, Penn does.

When an interviewee compares fight for accessibility to the civil rights movement, Penn denounces that as B.S. making the argument that Jim Crow Laws prevented black people from getting on the bus, whereas disabled people cannot board due to the Laws of Physics. Now, I have read how other people have dismissed this as the nonsense as it is, but I think we can learn something from following it to its logical conclusion, (if we can stomach it.)

So, in Penn’s view, the wrongness of segregation did not lie in the discrimination against someone on the basis of the color of their skin, but rather that such behavior was sanctioned by The Big Bad Government. As such, if a business-owner chose to, he could post a Whites-Only sign in his window. Imagine the outcry if Showtime had aired an episode arguing that.

The above illustrates one of the biggest problems we face as disabled citizens: It is still OK to treat us as concepts-as problems to be solved- rather than human beings with needs. They used to solve the “problem” of disabled people by shoving us out of sight. We were warehoused in terrible institutions. It is because of the ADA and earlier legislation that we are granted access to our communities. Wasn’t access the crux of the civil rights movement? Black people wanted access to the segregated schools, access to lunch counters, access to voting booths. Now we are not hidden away, but we fight against apathy and indifference, and those things do not lend themselves to being held up for public scorn. We must use the power of law because we have seen that only under threat of litigation do the changes get made.

Penn believes that business owners would make accommodations on their own because it is good for business, but sadly this is not the case. Take as a small example that a movie theater I attend is wonderfully accessible on the inside, but ask them for a door-opener and all you get is a polite nod. Businesses will only do what is required of them and nothing more.

In the course of the episode Penn manages to argue against handicapped parking, building/street accessibility, and adaptive public transit, citing cost concerns. What’s left? Well, the episode begins with Penn in a wheelchair, navigating the obstacles around the set, and he remarks, “Man, if I had to do this everyday, I’d never leave my one-story house.” This sounds like Penn’s advice to those of us that do….

“Handicapped Parking” appears on the 5th season DVD of Bull****


Side-note: I recently went on a trip to Vegas and because of this episode I boycotted Penn and Teller and chose David Copperfield instead. While searching for a seating chart, I Googled the venue and “wheelchair” It turns out that the MGM Grand had settled with the government over a claim that it was not in compliance with the ADA, during Janet Reno’s tenure. I can tell you that the seating is now excellent and I can thank the ADA for improving my experience.

"UP"

"Up" marks Pixar's return to otherworldly excellence. This next statement might send me to Animation Hell for blasphemy, but Pixar's last few efforts have lacked heart, the worst offender being "Wall-E" where the short at the beginning had more humor and whimsy in its brief length than the feature. "Up" brings Pixar back to the Gold Standard established by "The Incredibles" and I am beyond grateful.

Ed Asner is perfectly cast as Carl Fredricksen, an old man who needs to escape from authorities who want to remove him from his home. He rigs many balloons to his house and takes off to honor a promise he made to his late-wife. However, Carl doesn't know that Russell-- a Wilderness Explorer intent on earning his Assisting the Elderly Badge-- has been stranded on his front porch. It would be horribly unkind of me to say much more about the plot, so I will end my summary here. But, I must add that much of Pixar's enduring charm is due to perfect little moments in their films. One such moment is when we see Carl get out of bed and begin cracking his back. (oh, how I relate....) Also, I feel obligated to warn you that the opening scenes are very somber, so be prepared.....

Note: I saw this film in 3-D at Bridgeport, the experience is certainly worth the extra cost. (Plus, the wheelchair seats are excellent.)

"The Taking of Pelham 123"

Denzel Washington reunites with director Tony Scott for the first time since "Deja vu" Both of the Scotts are brilliant film-makers, but I believe Tony is definitely more fun than his brother Ridley. Tony's style is one that bursts with frenetic energy and is well-suited for the "thinking-man's" action pictures he is known for.
"Pelham" is remake of a film starring Walter Matthau and the story revolves around the hijacking of a subway train, Pelham 123. The chief hostage-taker is John Travolta at his unhinged bad-ass best. Denzel Washington plays a dispatcher in his battered-everyman style. If you're looking for anything new here, you won't find it, but if you are looking for an adrenaline rush with visual verve, look no further......

Note: In keeping with the title of this blog, I must mention that I saw this film in auditorium 1 of Tigard 11 cinemas, (the complex's biggest screen) the wheelchair seats are excellent in this auditorium, and decent in the other medium-sized auditoriums. The smaller auditoriums still have seats in the back only.