Get Closer

[juldea]

90 second video. I really don't want to say too much about this, because the message is strongest if you go into it blank. It doesn't take up a lot of your time. Sound is not necessary for the message, though apparently the song used is powerful for some people.

Click to view

Comments

[kestrell]

On the subject of going into something totally blank, I don't hink that is possible, and i's definitely difficult in our meida-saturated age where people get very used to making judgements about media before they ever experience it. Just knowing you, I was assuming this would have something to do with performance and, because Alexx recommended it to me, I knew it wouldn't involve abuse of women or children, or creepy sexual predators. Can I ask how you found this video? I'm just curious because of course the setting in which you first heard of it would give you some hint of the content.

On the content: pretty cool use of performance to illustrate a message that PWD try to communicate on a daily basis. Recently, I was trying to figure out specifically why I view my undergrad time at UMass Boston as so horrible, and what I realized was that, aside form professors who told me explicitly or implicitly that they didn't want me in their class, other students wouldn't talk to me. I mean, there were about half a dozen other students who would talk to me during the entire two years, bu tin most of my classes, and on the bus, and in the halls, other students ignored me. If they were passing out class handouts, they would just skip me. If I asked if a seat was taken, they would ignore me. If I went to the burser or registration, the workers would pretend they weren't there. That's why I say the social isolation of disability can be a lot worse than the physical stuff that a person just deals with.

Last comment: you are an awesome describer! Not as awesome as Alexx, of course *grin* but I would definitely give you the Kestrell stamp of approval. Also, the video did not activate for me, despite my clicking on the link--this is why I often include the URL when I post links to media.

[juldea]

I found the video on Tumblr, following the site The Daily What. The direct URL to their posting is http://thedailywh.at/2011/10/13/psa-of-the-day-28/.

I totally get what you mean about being unable to go in blank. If I could go back, I'd try to set people up more to expect the right tone of message, since I could do that without spoiling the actual reveal of the video.

Thanks for the compliment on my description!