If you can''t stand up, stand out!

"If you can't stand up, stand out" is a statement that Angela and Tiphany say in the opening sequence of "Push Girls." There are a number of monumental moments within the show that  I feel really stands out and needs to be discussed. One example is when Auti and Tiphany go to buy their friend, Chelsea, who has only been in a wheelchair for two years, her first pair of high heals since her car crash.  This simple act of kindness and friendship demonstrates to the American audience that just because a girl has to roll through life in a chair doesn't mean she shouldn't feel and be attractive, feminine, beautiful, and sexy.  Another empowering part of the same episode is when Angela decides to host a celebration of  life party to remember the ten year anniversary since her accident.   I believe that the fact that she looks at herself making it out of the accident alive as a positive, instead of feeling sorry for herself, is wonderful; Angela sharing this viewpoint on national television is, in my opinion, a gift. Yet another awesome aspect of "Push Girls" is watching these young women discovering abilities they never knew they had, such as Angela painting, Auti both winning an all abled bodied ballroom dance competition and trying to have a baby, and Mia swimming.  As evidence of the results of the dance competition, for people with disabilities, it's way more meaningful to focus on what we can do rather than what we can't.  In still a different way, I'm inspired by Auti's and Eric's marriage and how Eric helps his wife in the bathroom, into bed, or do whatever else she needs help with in daily life.  Although some people may think that having a spouse who needs help with personal care is a burden, I believe that it shows the level of commitment and compassion that Eric feels towards Auti. Conversely, I felt equally empowered watching Mia break up with her then boyfriend, Dave, over the fact that she wants children and he doesn't.  This reaffirms my belief that just because a man loves you in spite of the wheels attached to your body doesn't mean that you need to settle for someone if you're not compatible with him.  However, the very best and most inspirational part of the whole series thus far comes during the episode entitled Fired Up; Chelsea was having a real tough time accepting her fate that she may never walk again, and Mia, trying to cheer up her friend, says something like, "Walking doesn't make for a better life.  We just need to do things differently." I feel that Mia's statement is so true because from experience living with a disability that if we focused on our abilities, we will  lead a more full and happy life.  So, moral of this story, even if you can't stand up, you can stand out, be a role model, and make a difference in the world.

Push Girls Revolution

"Push Girls", a new reality show airing Mondays at 10pm on the   Sundance channel, is trying and succeeding to change the face of the disability community on TV.  For those of you who don't know, "Push Girls" is about four young, sexy, women named Auti, Angela, Mia, and Tiphany, who are  all wheelchair users. Except for Mia, who is paralyzes due to a blood vessel that ruptured in her spinal cord, the women are disabled because of car accidents. The reason I love this show is that unlike "Glee," it demonstrates to the public that these beautiful girls can accept who they are and live normal lives.

From the left: Mia, Auti, Angela & Tiphany

In my opinion, "Push Girls" is the only show  on TV that's about regular daily life.  For example, we see Auti and her husband, Eric, at the grocery store, and Auti can stand on top of her wheelchair to reach whatever items off the shelves she needs. Surprisingly, two of the Push Girls, Mia and Tiphany go to the gym even though they are paralyzed; just like anyone else, these fierce girls want to stay fit and beautiful.  Speaking of beauty,  Angela is not letting her wheelchair get in the way of her being the glamorous model that she has dreamed of becoming. Yes, the girls on wheels keep pushing the boundaries to make sure not to allow their chairs stop them from living a full life.  I strongly believe that "Push Girls" has created a revolution in American television by awakening the country to the fact that people in wheelchairs can do so much more than sit in a corner of a day program and that we are contributing members of society.

Let's Talk Glee

Although Glee is one of the biggest shows on TV, I find a number of major problems with the series...especially within the realm of dealing with people with disabilities.  But before we delve right into the hot topics, I do want to applaud this show for 2 significant reasons: 1. I believe that they do an excellent job presenting some of the challenges of being in an openly gay relationship in high school, as seen in the relationship between Kurt (played by Chris Colfer) and Blane (played by Darren Criss) and 2. how they expose the truth about the severity of bullying in our schools.  However, the negative aspects absolutely outweigh the positives for me.  One thing that bothers me about this  show is that we don't  see any of the challenges that Arty (who is not even played by an actor with a disability, which in my personal opinion, makes the show less authentic)  has to overcome that goes along with being a student with a disability. Instead of demonstrating how Arty's disability effects his life in the same way they show Kurt's struggle with his sexual orientation, they simply put Arty in a corner of a  classroom or in the background of a musical number.    I don't think that this is a smart idea on the director's part because it teaches young viewers that it''s perfectly fine to let students with disabilities live on the corners of life, which clearly it's NOT ok on any level.   In addition, I don't think that Arty's imaginary visions of himself walking and the Christmas miracle of him actually walking is ethical.  This is because instead of having a show that helps people who have been in car crashes embrace their disability and who they are, "Glee" unfortunately promotes the idea that you can't have a full life if you don't have the ability to walk. In the same light, I was disgustingly disappointed in how they portrayed the aftermath of the star Cheerio cheerleader Quinn's car accident (although it did teach a good lesson about texting while driving.)  This is because instead of having Quinn go through each of the stages that a "normal" person would go through after enduring a tragedy like that, including denial, sadness, anger, and finally acceptance, they have her act perfectly fine and desperately eager to walk.  I believe that this was a terrible way for the show to approach the issue because it illustrates to the young fans that they have to walk in order to be happy instead of learning to deal with what life has dealt them.  However, the worst part about "Glee"to  me came during the prom episode of last season, when Quinn uses her wheelchair to try to gain pity votes for prom queen.  Television can either be a vehicle of inspiration and change, or sadly like in  "Glee," it can reinforce stereotypes (like the stereotype  that  people need to feel sorry for people with disabilities.)  That's why I deem "Glee"  the worst show.