Autism and rhetoric
2011; National Council of Teachers of English; Volume: 73; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
2161-8178
AutoresPaul Heilker, Melanie Yergeau,
Tópico(s)Narrative Theory and Analysis
ResumoPublic awareness and public discourse about autism are approaching critical mass. April 2, 2008, was the first World Autism Awareness Day, which was voted into existence by the United Nations General Assembly. CNN marked the occasion by launching one of its worldwide investigations, devoting the entire day's programming to discussions of autism. Three recent documentary films, Autism Every Day, Autism: The Musical, and Her Name Is Sabine, all attempt to broaden the public's understanding of the condition. A 2009 feature film, Adam, depicts the awkward love story of an autistic man and his nonautistic neighbor. In 2010, HBO produced a biopic on autistic author Temple Grandin, portrayed by Claire Danes. Parenthood, a new, high-profile drama on the NBC television net work, features a story line about a family with an autistic child. Generation Rescue has purchased significant ad space annually for the past several years in USA Today, imploring lawmakers to green our vaccines, and a multi-year Autism Speaks tele vision campaign compares autism incidence with statistics on lightning strikes, car crashes, and the likelihood of becoming a professional athlete (AutismSpeaksVids; Autism Speaks, Learn the Signs—Ad Council Campaign). In the past two years, corporations such as Barnes & Noble, ToysRUs, Lindt chocolates, and Starbucks have publicly promoted the fight against autism—with $1 paper puzzle pieces sold in the checkout lane, with pithy coffee-cup quotes and book promotions, and with
Referência(s)