Through Buddy, the Elf Movie Disabled makes fun of adults with disabilities. Elf Movie Disabled makes fun of disabled adults through Buddy
After its 2003 premiere, “Elf” quickly established itself as a contemporary holiday favorite. But nearly two decades later, I’m still perplexed by how disrespectful it is to persons with cognitive disabilities.
Elf Movie Disabled
Will Ferrell plays Buddy, a character who was reared as an elf at the North Pole and has little knowledge of human culture. He goes to New York City in search of his birth father, Walter Hobbes (James Caan), a gruff publisher in need of some lessons in love and generosity after unintentionally learning that he is human.
It makes sense that the holiday cheer of the film permeates the screen and into viewers’ hearts because Buddy’s love of Christmas is excessive, even when compared to his elf “peers.” According to Box Office Mojo, the movie has really made over $223 million worldwide.
However, I was unable to watch “Elf” for longer than ten minutes without becoming offended. After making myself watch the entire movie, I’m even more certain that Buddy, whether on deliberately or not, makes fun of adults with cognitive disabilities in “Elf.”
In the film “Elf,” a man who was raised by elves battles to survive in a world that wasn’t intended for him.
Early on in “Elf,” it is revealed that Buddy differs from other elves in some way other than the fact that he is human.
Buddy’s physical appearance doesn’t fit on elf furniture, but that isn’t the problem. It is well recognized that Buddy and other elves think differently from one another.
‘Elf’ Makes Fun of Disabled Adults Through Buddy
While at the North Pole, he receives frequent references to being “special.” Because of his subpar toy-making abilities, he must accept a position intended for “exceptional” elves.
The word “special” is frequently used to dehumanize those who have cognitive and physical impairments. It frequently serves as euphemism for being “different and less than” everyone else.
Additionally, he is the only “elf” in the North Pole who is unaware that he is human. Buddy isn’t as intelligent as a “regular” elf, or else he wouldn’t be as taken aback by the information.
From there, it only gets worse.
When Buddy finally makes it to Manhattan, Buddy’s own father Walter never stops calling him names. Walter informs the physician that Buddy is “certifiably insane” at the doctor’s office where he coerces Buddy into taking a paternity test.
Later in the movie, Walter describes his son as a “deranged elf man” while speaking to his wife. Even when Walter declares his love for Buddy at the end of the movie, he makes reference to Buddy’s “chemical imbalance.”
If one of the most significant persons in Buddy’s life never completely accepts him for who he is, “Elf” cannot be a heartwarming tale of acceptance.
The movie never specifically states whether Buddy has a disability, and it would have been more compelling if it had elf
“Elf.” New Line Pictures
As a physically challenged woman who spent a portion of her youth with children and adults with cognitive disabilities, I’m not trying to trash a modern Christmas classic, but “Elf” offends me.
The existence of Buddy’s impairment is heavily hinted but never mentioned openly. “Elf” would have had to take responsibility for its inappropriate words if it had made a statement about a cognitive difference. That would require removing a lot of verbal and physical humor that is intended to make us laugh, but none of it amuses me.
I’m not amused by Buddy eating cotton balls, racing toward moving taxi cabs, or even exposing a department store Santa as a phony. Instead, these instances made me wish he had a true support network.
Contrary to popular assumption, jokes regarding disabilities are OK. Simply inform persons with disabilities that they are part of the joke. Casting impaired actors in disabled roles is the simplest method to accomplish this.
Or at least one of the characters in the movie could have confronted Walter about the insults he frequently directs at Buddy. However, that time never comes.
‘Elf’ Makes Fun of Disabled Adults Through Buddy – Insider
If Buddy had been able to defend himself by the movie’s finale, the message would have been clearer. If author David Berenbaum had been genuinely committed to Buddy’s empowerment, it would have been a unique and significant act of support for the disabled community. Instead, “Elf” relies on stale clichés to make people chuckle.
Differences between people shouldn’t ever be the punchline of a joke.
Will Ferrell’s elf on Netflix with a friend
In “Elf,” Bob Newhart also had a role.
Netflix
Some adults with cognitive disabilities, like Buddy, think that Christmas magic and Santa Claus exist. The individuals that care about them are happy because of them. People who recognize the value they add to the world would probably never openly disparage them.
There is no doubting that Buddy is a hero and the Christmas savior in “Elf,” but he also had the opportunity to be his own advocate. Instead, his suggested impairment is portrayed as an afterthought in the movie, which may be a tragic metaphor for how society frequently treats disabled people as afterthoughts.
In the future, even when creating a supposedly amusing Christmas movie, producers should carefully evaluate how disabled characters are portrayed in film and on television.
Additionally, people should keep in mind that making light of someone’s disability shouldn’t ever be funny. The sooner we as a society come to terms with it, the sooner someone will be able to create a contemporary holiday classic that is genuinely deserving of the adoration that “Elf” enjoys.
Movie Elf disabled/ Elf Movie Disabled
Buddy’s love of Christmas is great, even in comparison to his fellow elves, therefore it makes fitting that the holiday spirit of the film seeps through the screen and into the audience’s hearts. According to box office Mojo, the movie has earned over $220 million worldwide. Due to the film’s humor about individuals with disabilities, however, less of the Elf movie was shown on TV in 2021.
Defining: Elf Movie Disabled
Many people have claimed that the movie offends them; some have even claimed that they were unable to watch more than 10 minutes of it. Additionally, a lot of people have complained that the movie’s “Buddy” character looks to be making fun of adults with disabilities.
elf movie inaccessible
You are a Man’s Friend elf.
Because of his poor toy-making skills, he is compelled to accept a job requiring “unique motions.”
The term “special” is frequently used to describe people of other sizes who have physical and mental impairments and is coded as “different and less than” everyone else. The film seems to be simply improper for many people as the plot thickens and gets more horrible. But in the end, we all realize that it’s only a movie.
The movie has entered a potentially perilous territory for the audience, and if they are particularly challenged, it will go terribly wrong for them due to the way they approach the film. Even though we’re not sure if the plot will shift at this point, the film’s makers seem to be visibly experiencing the pain. It seems as though the movie has been criticized online for a time.
After making its premiere in 2003, “Elf” immediately become a well-liked contemporary Christmas movie. We are baffled by the disregard for those with cognitive difficulties that it exhibits even now, more than 20 years later. It was selected as the Christmas film with the highest budget as a result.
Buddy, a character played by Will Ferrell, has little experience with everyday life because he was reared as an elf at the North Pole. After accidentally overhearing that Walter Hobbes (James Caan), a cranky publisher who needs some lessons in love and generosity, is human, he decides to travel to New York City in quest of his birth father. Movie Elf disabled
It’s 2022. The Elf movie cannot be accepted. Inaccessible Jokes
Simply put, if you don’t like it, don’t watch it. True, but when you remain silent, you subtly suggest that something is okay when it isn’t. Not that we support the “cancel culture,” which has taken hold all across the globe and restricts writers’ ability to express themselves freely.
However, a person in the twenty-first century should not behave in this manner. Although the video will be seen for years to come, it’s important that we teach children that such behavior is inappropriate and that people with disabilities deserve greater respect on par with everyone else.
That is perhaps the reason why The Elf Movie wasn’t broadcast on many TV networks in 2021 during the Christmas season.
Buddy in “Elf” makes fun of disabled people, whether on purpose or not. Some persons with cognitive limitations, like Buddy, believe in Santa during the holiday season. People who care about them are happy because of their happiness. People who recognize the value they add to the world are less likely to criticize them out loud.
Buddy’s own father, Walter, continues to call him insulting names once he relocates to Manhattan. At the doctor’s office, Walter coerces Buddy into taking a paternity test and informs the doctor that Buddy is “certifiably crazy.” Later on in the film, Walter calls his son a “deranged elf man” to his wife. Even at the end of the movie, when Walter proclaims his love for Buddy, he refers to him as “chemically unstable.”
Since one of the most important persons in Buddy’s life never truly accepts him for who he is, Elf cannot be a sentimental tale of acceptance. Even though it would have given the story more force, Buddy’s impairment is never mentioned clearly in the film.
Buddy in “Elf” makes fun of disabled people, whether on purpose or not.
Despite being readily apparent, Buddy’s disability is never specifically stated. It would have been necessary for “Elf” to take responsibility for its offensive words if it had made reference to a cognitive difference. That would require getting rid of a lot of verbal and physical humor that, despite being intended to be hilarious, isn’t.
A few people chuckle as Buddy does things like chewing cotton balls, running in front of driving taxis, or even calling out a bogus Santa at a department store.
Due to these occurrences, we wished he had a greater support system in place. Contrary to popular assumption, one can make a joke about a handicap. The only action left is to let those who are disabled know they are also a target of the joke. Casting impaired actors in disability roles is the simplest method to accomplish this.
Another choice would have been for one of the movie’s characters to confront Walter about his continuous insults of Buddy. But that moment never arrives. If Buddy could have stood up for himself by the end of the movie, the lesson would have been more powerful.
It would have been a rare and notable act of solidarity for the disabled community if author David Berenbaum had devoted all of his focus to Buddy’s empowerment. Instead, in pursuit of chuckles, “Elf” turns to worn-out cliches.
Buddy undoubtedly saves Christmas in “Elf,” but he also got the chance to be his own hero. Rather, the movie treats his alleged condition as an afterthought, which may be a terrible allegory for how society frequently sees individuals with disabilities.
Even when making a seemingly entertaining Christmas movie, filmmakers should carefully consider how disabled people are portrayed in movies and on television in the future.
They should remember that it is never funny to make fun of someone’s disability. Only until society as a whole embraces this will we be able to create a new Christmas classic that is genuinely deserving of the praise that “Elf” has gotten.
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