I wanted to share a recent e-mail I sent to NBC/SNL:
On Saturday, February 24th I was watching Saturday Night Live with my wife awhile after we put our kids to bed. We were relaxing and hoping to be refreshed by some humor. The skit came on with the four guys at the table in the bar/restaurant. One of the characters out of the blue commented about how his father has Down Syndrome (there was a sigh of pity).
I felt a wretch in my stomach when I heard this. The audience on cue laughed though it seemed to die off quickly.
My oldest son upstairs sleeping has Down Syndrome. I'm so glad he wasn't older and awake with me watching SNL. I'm sure he would ask "Why are they laughing?" I would have to explain to him that the producers and actors on SNL thought it would be funny to have people picture the character's father as the stereotypical retarded, slow and limited person.
Congratulations on your new level of LOW.
I hope you are able to restrain yourself and not begin having a weekly character with autism run circles around the room. I hope you don't have a skit laughing about a girl that has one breast because of cancer.
There are certain things you don't tread on. Your show is already limited in its ability to attract a steady audience. You are on a downward spiral.
--John Jenkins--
2 comments:
Just saw this episode repeated. They kept the skit in there but bleeped out "Down Syndrome". Assholes.
I am sick to my stomach. I just saw this on a re-run and was speechless. The funny things is............they knew it was wrong because it was "bleeped" out. They letter they sent to National Down Syndrome Society was less than an apology, claiming they have a panel of people that decide what is okay or not and that this was in no way to be taken as anything but funny. I would agree with the "ASSHOLES" comment, however I would encourage NBC to have someone come and educate them on the beautiful lives of people with Down syndrome and see what we "normal" people could actually learn from them, like love, compassion, happiness and much more.
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