Comment about Pete

[justamom]

I am busy watching BBLB with my family and my moms friend that is staying for a while. She did not see Pete on friday night and was watching his eviction and she just made the most unbelievable comment that i am still gobsmacked about:-

 

"If I was his mother I would pretend that he was not my child" - I gave it too her with both barrels so to speak. You can imagine what i said it was not nice. She thought that his behaviour was all an act and that he should stop the act and calm down.

 

I just cant believe that someone can be so hirrible, naive and down right ###### mean!!!

[Bullet]

Stupid woman (her, not you)

[baddad]

Hi Justamom -

Absolutely agree with how you feel, but there is a horrible horrible 'truth' about her attitude that i find very distressing... i avoided the other 'Pete' thread because of it (well, that and the fact that I hate big brother generally!), but i do think it's something that we all need to consider...

 

This whole Pete thing is just tokenism, and it was pretty much a forgone conclusion that he'd win, because it is tokenism. The very same people who whooped and cheered because pete won are the ones who mutter outside the school gates about kids like ours or with ADHD or emotional problems or... etc etc, and you can bet your life that had they seen him in different circumstances they would have treated him like ****

I really, really wish that I could see a more positive side to this BB 'success' - something that promoted difference positively and realistically rather than just allowing the general public a conscience salving 'Ahhhhhhhhhh' (you know, the same sort of noise they'd make over a picture of a Kitten peeping over the top of a wellington boot), but i don't. I wish also I could see it as move by the programme makers as an effort in raising awareness - but again, I can't: The people who get into programmes like these are as typecast as in any soap, and the editing from day one is geared to emphasise those stereotypes.

 

These types of programmes - and especially the 'American Idol' type ones - aren't they to promote or celebrate difference, they are there to point a finger and Jeer at it: For every talented performer you'll see on (ie) AI you'll see 2 who are there purely as figures of fun, and personally I find the implications of that scary in a world where social 'norms' of acceptability seem to be shrinking rather than expanding. BB didn't do that of course - but they did swing very much the other way - promoting all those 'tragi-heroic' stereotypes to make him the winner through adversity etc etc. I didn't watch much of it, biut i suspect their treatment of other 'characters' was far less understanding/sympathetic..

 

All the very VERY best to Pete, and i'm sure he deserved to win regardless of any consideration for his condition... Thumbs up to you too for 'tackling' your mums friend and pointing out some of her misconceptions. Sadly though, I think those misconceptions would still hold true for the majority who weren't caught up in the Hype, and will do again very quickly for many of those who WERE caught up in it.

 

Final thought: How about a disabled Big Brother? Specially adapt the BB house for wheelchair access (has it GOT wheelchair access?? It's against the law for a building that new not to have, surely, but those stairs look a bit steep, don't they?!), and have the WHOLE housemate ensemble made up of disabled people? We could see them doing all the stuff that so many NT people find so 'challenging' - caring for themselves, conversing intelligently, getting drunk and - heaven forbid - Getting it ON!!! Then, when it came to voting, we'd have a vote based on personality/kindness/consideration for others etc on an equal playing field, and it really might do something to raise awareness about the fact that people are people first, and that the whole is the sum of the parts, even for those who might have some missing bits or even a few extras!

 

Sorry for hi-jacking your thread to get up on my high horse! Thanks, though, for giving me the opportunity to do that without having to post in the other thread where people are celebrating Petes (well deserved I'm sure) success...

 

L&P

 

BD <'>

[justamom]

Hi Justamom -

Final thought: How about a disabled Big Brother? Specially adapt the BB house for wheelchair access (has it GOT wheelchair access?? It's against the law for a building that new not to have, surely, but those stairs look a bit steep, don't they?!), and have the WHOLE housemate ensemble made up of disabled people? We could see them doing all the stuff that so many NT people find so 'challenging' - caring for themselves, conversing intelligently, getting drunk and - heaven forbid - Getting it ON!!! Then, when it came to voting, we'd have a vote based on personality/kindness/consideration for others etc on an equal playing field, and it really might do something to raise awareness about the fact that people are people first, and that the whole is the sum of the parts, even for those who might have some missing bits or even a few extras!

 

Sorry for hi-jacking your thread to get up on my high horse! Thanks, though, for giving me the opportunity to do that without having to post in the other thread where people are celebrating Petes (well deserved I'm sure) success...

 

L&P

 

BD <'>

 

So true what you have just said, it would be a wonderful idea to have a disabled BB and be judged on personality!

[spectrumlady]

Well done Baddad for raising the issue, I couldn't have done it better. TOTALLY agree with you, and good luck to Pete too !

[PinkSapphireAngel]

First of all well done for putting your mums friend in her place, I had to do that with my own parents and they have a severely autistic son (my older brother)

 

Baddad that is a great idea but I do not think I could bear all the mickey taking and ignorant comments it would probably cause as we hear enough of those.

 

I hope Pete is able to cope with whatever fame he gets and is supported through it.

[noogsy]

hi justamom i was taken with pete.he is a very likable lad.he was not diagnosed till he was 14 years old and him and his mum had a absolutely dredfull time of it.he wants to be a musician and already has a band called daddy fantastic.he has given his ?100 grand to his mum cos he thinks she deserves the money. he has said in the news papers he doesnt need it cos he will earn his own.he wants to be the first toureyey rock and roller.i for one wish him well and i will buy his records...lol......im sure he has a very proud mum.i would be proud of him...love noogsy

[dooday24]

goodluck to pete and im glad u put yr mums freind in her place

[baddad]

Baddad that is a great idea but I do not think I could bear all the mickey taking and ignorant comments it would probably cause as we hear enough of those.

 

Hi PSA - it was meant more as a 'challenge' than a suggestion.... I think we're a long way from seeing any programming that's that 'brave', and even further away from the day when it would attract the kind of audience that need exposure to it... we can hope, though.

BTW - Ricky Gervaises 'Extras' had a disabled character played by a REAL disabled actress! And so does Tracy Beaker! Long time coming, Sandy Richardson/Chris Tate et al, but

 

L&P

 

BD

[Bagpuss]

I can only speak from my own experience and I've found my eldest two children far more aware of disability than I ever was.

 

Our youngest dd (5) uses a wheelchair for days out etc as she had muscular dystrophy. When we first decided to join an MD support group, we were invited to a weekend away with them. This was shortly after our dd's dx and she didn't use a wheelchair at that point.

 

I was worried how our eldest two children (8 & 12) may react to seeing lots of adults and children in wheelchairs, so I sat them down with a well rehearsed chat about it.

 

After I'd finished I asked if they had any questions or was there anything that they felt worried about and our ds (12) said something along the lines of "why would I be worried about seeing someone in a wheelchair....J (boy in his class) uses one, and so does M (a girl a few years above)".

 

My eldest dd held similar views and they were both completely unfazed for the entire weekend. It was no big deal to them. I hope their generation grow up with this attitude and disability is not viewed as being different in a negative way.

 

Wouldn't it be great if in the future BB included both able bodied people and disabled people and no one batted an eyelid or made reference to it.......with those gaining the most votes doing so on their own merits and nothing more.

 

With regards to Pete, I again can only talk from my own experience and that is it did make me far more aware of tourettes which I knew very little about......but I do feel it was a forgone conclusion that he would win. From the bits I watched...and I switched off after they introduced the house next door, Pete seemed to have a huge personality which outshon those around him.

[LizK]

Absolutely agree with how you feel, but there is a horrible horrible 'truth' about her attitude that i find very distressing... i avoided the other 'Pete' thread because of it (well, that and the fact that I hate big brother generally!), but i do think it's something that we all need to consider...

 

This whole Pete thing is just tokenism, and it was pretty much a forgone conclusion that he'd win, because it is tokenism. The very same people who whooped and cheered because pete won are the ones who mutter outside the school gates about kids like ours or with ADHD or emotional problems or... etc etc, and you can bet your life that had they seen him in different circumstances they would have treated him like ****

 

Agree about tokenism. It was the same with Nadia last year too. How many of her supporters would actually be as tolerant to a TS in real life? I'm sure it's the trendy socially acceptable thing to do to support the underdog or the person who is different but I don't think that pseudo tolerant attitude is played out in real life. I don't know how Pete himself will fare either with all the fame and limelight thrust upon him and just hope he can cope.

 

Lx

[Bullet]

I'd say he'll cope the same as anybody who's in a band and wants to be famous through it. BB will have given him a bit of a boost but he wanted fame anyway from the sound of things.

[~Jonathan~]

I was diagnosed with TS in 1999 and it manifests mainly as winks, blinks and tics. Also, I mutter to myself and know only too well the stigma that comes from having TS. Good on Pete and good on you justamom.

[elaine1]

im gobsmaked to say the least! good job you didnt have AS isnt it!

[kirstie]

Hi Justamom -

Absolutely agree with how you feel, but there is a horrible horrible 'truth' about her attitude that i find very distressing... i avoided the other 'Pete' thread because of it (well, that and the fact that I hate big brother generally!), but i do think it's something that we all need to consider...

 

This whole Pete thing is just tokenism, and it was pretty much a forgone conclusion that he'd win, because it is tokenism. The very same people who whooped and cheered because pete won are the ones who mutter outside the school gates about kids like ours or with ADHD or emotional problems or... etc etc, and you can bet your life that had they seen him in different circumstances they would have treated him like ****

I really, really wish that I could see a more positive side to this BB 'success' - something that promoted difference positively and realistically rather than just allowing the general public a conscience salving 'Ahhhhhhhhhh' (you know, the same sort of noise they'd make over a picture of a Kitten peeping over the top of a wellington boot), but i don't. I wish also I could see it as move by the programme makers as an effort in raising awareness - but again, I can't: The people who get into programmes like these are as typecast as in any soap, and the editing from day one is geared to emphasise those stereotypes.

 

These types of programmes - and especially the 'American Idol' type ones - aren't they to promote or celebrate difference, they are there to point a finger and Jeer at it: For every talented performer you'll see on (ie) AI you'll see 2 who are there purely as figures of fun, and personally I find the implications of that scary in a world where social 'norms' of acceptability seem to be shrinking rather than expanding. BB didn't do that of course - but they did swing very much the other way - promoting all those 'tragi-heroic' stereotypes to make him the winner through adversity etc etc. I didn't watch much of it, biut i suspect their treatment of other 'characters' was far less understanding/sympathetic..

 

All the very VERY best to Pete, and i'm sure he deserved to win regardless of any consideration for his condition... Thumbs up to you too for 'tackling' your mums friend and pointing out some of her misconceptions. Sadly though, I think those misconceptions would still hold true for the majority who weren't caught up in the Hype, and will do again very quickly for many of those who WERE caught up in it.

 

Final thought: How about a disabled Big Brother? Specially adapt the BB house for wheelchair access (has it GOT wheelchair access?? It's against the law for a building that new not to have, surely, but those stairs look a bit steep, don't they?!), and have the WHOLE housemate ensemble made up of disabled people? We could see them doing all the stuff that so many NT people find so 'challenging' - caring for themselves, conversing intelligently, getting drunk and - heaven forbid - Getting it ON!!! Then, when it came to voting, we'd have a vote based on personality/kindness/consideration for others etc on an equal playing field, and it really might do something to raise awareness about the fact that people are people first, and that the whole is the sum of the parts, even for those who might have some missing bits or even a few extras!

 

Sorry for hi-jacking your thread to get up on my high horse! Thanks, though, for giving me the opportunity to do that without having to post in the other thread where people are celebrating Petes (well deserved I'm sure) success...

 

L&P

 

BD <'>

well said Bads.