Disfigured newsreader for Five

[Minstadave]

I think saying you can't help your feelings and reactions is incredibly naive, if you really wanted to change how you felt about facial disfigurement all you need to do is work with or meet a few people with it. You'll soon realise these are normal people and that you yourself or your friends or family could well have a car accident or get caught in a house fire and you're relegated to some hidden, unseen sub-society.

Much better than sitting on your pulpit claiming you can't help the way you react so it's ok to be ignorant and offensive.

To me I can see absolutely no reason why increasing the public awareness of this is bad, people may not feel comfortable with it initially, but then we all need to grow up and realise we don't live in some idyllic world, no matter how pretty the people on TV are.

The comparison with racism is entirely valid too.

 

[gambitt]

I think saying you can't help your feelings and reactions is incredibly naive, if you really wanted to change how you felt about facial disfigurement all you need to do is work with or meet a few people with it. You'll soon realise these are normal people and that you yourself or your friends or family could well have a car accident or get caught in a house fire and you're relegated to some hidden, unseen sub-society.

I don't want to change my feelings about it, I am quite happy with my current view thank you very much! I'm not denying they are normal people but that doesn't mean I want watch them on TV. For the same reason I don't want to see morbidly obese people reading the news. If I was disfigured I would just get on with my life as I do now with my office job and not go shoving myself into the public eye just because I happened to be unlucky in life.

The comparison with racism is entirely valid too.

No it isn't. And simply stating it again without backing it up with an argument doesn't make it valid at all.

 

[markweatherill]

Imagine if a newsreader were in a wheelchair, would that be acceptable?
How about if he or she had broken their leg and it was temporary - would that be OK because they'd still be 'human' and not one of 'those'?
(Just throwing rhetorical questions out, not directed towards anyone)

 

[gambitt]

Nothing wrong with that. A newsreader is just that - someone who reads the news. They are not supposed to be making a stand, either political or personal and I see no reason why the public "need to be made aware" of disfigured people. Some people are luckier than others in life and sooner people accept that rather than trying to thrust the unlucky ones into the spotlight, the better.

 

[Freefaller]

Wow, I can't believe how many intolerant people there are here. Does it really bother people that much how a person looks who is telling the news!? I mean, really?!

Does it really bother people seeing disabled people or people that have disabilities or impairments? I find that quite sad really.

 

[gambitt]

What's next? Put a guy on the news with a speech impediment or stutter because we have to be tolerant and "make the public aware" of these people?

I just believe in keeping things simple for administrative tasks.

 

[JBuk]

Wow, I can't believe how many intolerant people there are here. Does it really bother people that much how a person looks who is telling the news!? I mean, really?!

Does it really bother people seeing disabled people or people that have disabilities or impairments? I find that quite sad really.

You seem suprised , people have been intolerant to people who are "different" since the beginning of time

 

[Freefaller]

You seem suprised , people have been intolerant to people who are "different" since the beginning of time

I am surprised, but then I have friends who have had amputations and have been disfigured so I don't see it as "odd" or "different"... heck everyone looks different, have different hair styles, skin colour, cultural backgrounds etc... why should an injury or any other visible thing be such a big issue?

I'm just surprised at it being such a big thing. I find it odd.

 

[JBuk]

I am surprised, but then I have friends who have had amputations and have been disfigured so I don't see it as "odd" or "different"... heck everyone looks different, have different hair styles, skin colour, cultural backgrounds etc... why should an injury or any other visible thing be such a big issue?

I'm just surprised at it being such a big thing. I find it odd.

I've no idea why it's such an issue for a lot of people, I can only guess it's a mixture of many things such as being scared as they're not used to it, seeing it as a weakness, etc.

 

[dirtydog]

Define intolerance? I am entirely tolerant of people with disabilities etc. and I have every sympathy with them. But for certain jobs they aren't the best choice because their appearance or how they make people 'feel' is part of the job description.

 

[JBuk]

Define intolerance? I am entirely tolerant of people with disabilities etc. and I have every sympathy with them. But for certain jobs they aren't the best choice because their appearance or how they make people 'feel' is part of the job description.

So would you not say you're intolerant of their appearance in that context?

 

[Freefaller]

I've no idea why it's such an issue for a lot of people, I can only guess it's a mixture of many things such as being scared as they're not used to it, seeing it as a weakness, etc.

You're probably right. I was just surprised to see it on OcUK as there's such a broad and wide ground of people on here from all sorts of backgrounds, and age groups that I'd have thought that with member's education on here undoubtedly slightly higher than average, would have been more welcoming/accepting of such an initiative.... Maybe I'm just living in my own little world though!

Define intolerance? I am entirely tolerant of people with disabilities etc. and I have every sympathy with them. But for certain jobs they aren't the best choice because their appearance or how they make people 'feel' is part of the job description.

I wasn't implying that you are or aren't, however, why should a newscaster with a bit of a blistered face (come on, it really isn't THAT horrific - if you spend any time in war zones you see a lot worse day-to-day) be so off putting? It really isn't? As long as he can speak properly and convey the news accurately - does it really matter?

Ok I admit, lingerie modelling doesn't work so well if you've had a mammectomy, or generic beauty products (which I find pathetic anyway) will always want to be as shallow as possible and use as much of a pre-conceived idea of "beauty" as possible - unfortunately, we'll never be able to rid ourselves of such feelings.

However for functional roles such as a news presenter, or a shop keeper or whatever you want to choose - if they are able to do the job without any issues, then why does it matter?

 

[gambitt]

However for functional roles such as a news presenter, or a shop keeper or whatever you want to choose - if they are able to do the job without any issues, then why does it matter?

Because it's bad for business. Give everyone the choice and the majority will pick the shop or news programme that doesn't have the disfigured presenter (assuming all else is equal).

For those who are saying well done to Five for making people aware, just know that TV channels care about two things - money and how to get more money. They aren't doing this out of the goodness of their hearts, it's to temporarily boost ratings achived by good old human curiosity.

 

[Things change I've changed]

Because it's bad for business. Give everyone the choice and the majority will pick the shop or news programme that doesn't have the disfigured presenter (assuming all else is equal).

For those who are saying well done to Five for making people aware, just know that TV channels care about two things - money and how to get more money. They aren't doing this out of the goodness of their hearts, it's to temporarily boost ratings achived by good old human curiosity.

It used to be bad for business years ago to employ a black person as a shop keeper in a predominately white area as people found it disgusting, it's just something that we need to get accustomed to that's all.

 

[Freefaller]

Oh I'm under no illusion people are out to make money - aren't we all? However, one can still make money and be ethical and mindful at the same time.

Why is it bad for business though? I'm not disputing that you're not correct, but it does highlight my point that we've been duped into this culture and this "different = bad" attitude which I think is sad and slightly disgraceful.

I can honestly say, and I don't mean it just because we're having a debate about it on a forum, it would make no odds to me at all if a shopkeeper/assistant, police officer, newscaster or some customer service person were disabled or had some form of impairment that was noticeable. I really do mean that sincerely. Though I will concede that I'm probably in the minority... which is my point, I think it's important to change this idea that a disfigured or a disabled person is "bad for business" - this shouldn't be the case at all.

I know we're visual creates, and ultimately fickle, but that's my point we're re-enforcing these values by keeping them out of sight and mind.

I'm not saying we should tolerate all "different" things... but in this case, I think we should, and as a race (human) we are capable of such compassion and tolerance, but at the same time duped into thinking we can't accept certain things.

 

[dirtydog]

Oh I'm under no illusion people are out to make money - aren't we all? However, one can still make money and be ethical and mindful at the same time.

Why is it bad for business though? I'm not disputing that you're not correct, but it does highlight my point that we've been duped into this culture and this "different = bad" attitude which I think is sad and slightly disgraceful.

I can honestly say, and I don't mean it just because we're having a debate about it on a forum, it would make no odds to me at all if a shopkeeper/assistant, police officer, newscaster or some customer service person were disabled or had some form of impairment that was noticeable. I really do mean that sincerely. Though I will concede that I'm probably in the minority... which is my point, I think it's important to change this idea that a disfigured or a disabled person is "bad for business" - this shouldn't be the case at all.

I know we're visual creates, and ultimately fickle, but that's my point we're re-enforcing these values by keeping them out of sight and mind.

I'm not saying we should tolerate all "different" things... but in this case, I think we should, and as a race (human) we are capable of such compassion and tolerance, but at the same time duped into thinking we can't accept certain things.

We haven't been duped into anything, it's human nature.

Would you rather fly on an airline for example, where all the stewardesses were pretty females or where they were all horribly disfigured? Which would make your flight a more pleasant experience?

 

[Freefaller]

We haven't been duped into anything, it's human nature.

Would you rather fly on an airline for example, where all the stewardesses were pretty females or where they were all horribly disfigured? Which would make your flight a more pleasant experience?

Honestly, a shallow part of me would love to perve on the pretty girls. However, I've been on flights where it was all men, so obviously I'm not going to be taking any attention, but my flight was no more/less pleasant as a result.

The thing is, this is 1 guy, doing the news, not every presenter. If there was one steward(ess), that had the same unfortunately affliction I honestly wouldn't care in the slightest.

Maybe I don't shock easily, or maybe I just don't really care what people look like - but it REALLY doesn't bother me at all.

 

[gambitt]

To be fair, that guy doesn't look that bad and probably wouldn't lose many viewers at all. The woman in the photo below would be a different story however...

 

[dirtydog]

Honestly, a shallow part of me would love to perve on the pretty girls. However, I've been on flights where it was all men, so obviously I'm not going to be taking any attention, but my flight was no more/less pleasant as a result.

The thing is, this is 1 guy, doing the news, not every presenter. If there was one steward(ess), that had the same unfortunately affliction I honestly wouldn't care in the slightest.

Maybe I don't shock easily, or maybe I just don't really care what people look like - but it REALLY doesn't bother me at all.

If that is true, and I bet even you have your limits, I bet you are in a small minority though. Because it goes against human nature.

 

[Freefaller]

To be fair, that guy doesn't look that bad and probably wouldn't lose many viewers at all. The woman in the photo below would be a different story however...

Yeah the poor girl

But hey, at least she's not shying away and getting on with her life - good on her I say.