NO GOOD FOR THE BLIND IN "GOOD AND EVIL" by Barbara Pierce It was a battle about "Good and Evil," and between good and evil--and the good prevailed. But the battle would not have been won--and, for that matter, would not ever have commenced--had it not been for the coordinated, nationwide effort of the National Federation of the Blind. In the end the victory was complete, and the show of strength was such that neither friend nor foe will forget it. In fact, the threatened disaster was converted into a vehicle for unprecedented opportunity. On September 25, 1991, people in an estimated nine point three million homes sat in their living rooms watching a blind character on an eagerly-awaited new prime-time situation comedy called "Good and Evil." The writer was Susan Harris, creator of the hugely successful programs "Soap," "Golden Girls," and "Empty Nest." The blind character George was played by Mark Blankfield, and the portrayal made fun of blind people and our alternative techniques. He shared billing on the program with the stars Teri Garr and Margaret Whitton. George made his entrance the first week halfway through the show by sweeping laboratory glassware off every surface he could reach with his wildly flailing cane. In the following four and a half minutes he staggered up a staircase and around the lab looking for his lady love (mostly in the wrong direction), made a pass at a hanging coat and struck himself with the coat rack, groped across the body of another male character until even he was irrefutably persuaded of his masculinity, and choked himself on his cane as he stumbled out the door. In subsequent weekly appearances George continued to break any glass in his vicinity and fall up or down every available set of stairs. In addition he created a number of embarrassing situations by failing to recognize that silent people were present or notice when other characters left the room. In short, every tired old saw about the oblivious, socially inept, clumsy blind person was hauled out and played for all it was worth. From the first preview of the "Good and Evil" pilot, which Federationists saw last summer, we protested in the strongest terms to ABC's Entertainment and Broadcast Standards departments. Our complaints were met with the statement that all the characters on "Good and Evil" were drawn broadly and intended to be parodies of real people. In effect we were asked where our sense of humor was. In letters to those who complained about George to ABC and in press releases and interviews, network officials repeatedly said that, if George had been meant to be a true-to-life character, such a portrayal would have been in poor taste. But no one could possibly miss the parody element, so there was no reason to modify the character or remove him from the script. Here are the exact words of the argument as they appeared in letters written by Chris Hikawa, Vice President for Broadcast Standards, and received by thousands of Federationists: "George is (and was, prior to his blindness) a klutz, despite his numerous and significant academic and professional achievements. If this series were in any way realistic, we would agree with you that a comedic portrayal of a clumsy blind person might be in questionable taste. However, the series, `Good and Evil' is an exaggerated parody of life with the most outrageous caricatures imaginable. Not one character in this program is realistic or believable. Each is a parody of the most extreme qualities of the values represented by the title `Good and Evil.'" That was the position ABC maintained from the beginning, and one is struck by its shallowness and naivety. Although the National Federation of the Blind has succeeded in educating many members of the public enough for them to admit that blind people (in theory at least) can be capable citizens if given the chance, there is still a large residue of unconscious prejudice in most people that would cause them to identify a character like George as a more or less accurate extension of a normal blind person trying to cope ineffectually with the sighted world. ABC's concept of George as parody would never even enter the equation. The presence of an incompetent blind person slashing and smashing his way through the program would necessarily give people emotional permission to abandon their newly-learned and difficult-to-accept notion of the blind as equal partners. Moreover, the most devastatingly cruel form of humor at someone else's expense is surely that in which the object of the joke is also its unwitting perpetrator. In every episode George invited laughter at himself by his antics, his stupidity, and his comments. Absurd as every blind person knows his behavior to have been, his actions assumed a semblance of reality just because they were being performed by the blind character. There is a degree less cruelty in wisecracks made by other characters about or to the one being laughed at. Archie Bunker made fun of all kinds of people in the program "All in the Family." Even those who shared Archie's world view understood that part of the joke was his lack of tact and taste, and Archie was usually shown to be wrong in his opinions. The result was that, although everyone was invited to laugh at the jokes, no one was being asked to accept Archie's point of view. When "Good and Evil" burst on the fall schedule, the National Federation of the Blind mobilized an astonishing range of blind people and their friends and family members. They immediately understood the depth of the insult and the seriousness of the danger to blind people if George were allowed to grope and stumble his way through a weekly sitcom. Federationists wrote thousands of letters to various ABC and Touchstone Productions executives and to the program sponsors. Many people turned to the telephone to lodge their protests. In fact, on Monday, September 23, for about a half hour we flooded ABC Television's New York switchboard with calls to urge the network to withdraw the season premiere of the program. Participants in the U.S./Canada Conference on Technology, which took place at the National Center for the Blind September 19 to 21, sent a telegram to ABC registering their disapprobation. Here is the text of the message and the signatures of those who sent it: Baltimore, Maryland September 20, 1991 Mr. Robert Iger, President ABC Entertainment Los Angeles, California The undersigned leaders of organizations of the blind, service providers for the blind, and manufacturers of technology for the blind in the U.S. and Canada today viewed a scene involving the blind character George from the new ABC program "Good and Evil." By this telegram we strongly request ABC not to broadcast this program either as a pilot or as a series. It reinforces negative attitudes about blindness and holds blind persons up to ridicule. It demeans, humiliates, and does great damage to much of the positive work done during the last half century. To air this program violates the good taste and fairness which ABC usually promotes. Kenneth Jernigan, Executive Director National Federation of the Blind Baltimore, Maryland Euclid Herie, President and Chief Executive Officer Canadian National Institute for the Blind Toronto, Ontario Susan Spungin, Associate Executive Director for Program Services American Foundation for the Blind New York, New York William Weiner, President Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired Kalamazoo, Michigan David Andrews, Director International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind Baltimore, Maryland Deane Blazie, President Blazie Engineering Street, Maryland James C. Bliss, President TeleSensory Mountain View, California Barbara Bowman, Vice President Association of Instructional Resource Centers for the Visually Impaired Richmond, Virginia Nell Carney, Commissioner Rehabilitation Services Administration Washington, D.C. Curtis Chong, Chairman Minnesota Council for the Blind Minneapolis, Minnesota Tim Cranmer, Director of Public Relations National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB) Louisville, Kentucky Frank Kurt Cylke Great Falls, Virginia Judy Dixon Arlington, Virginia Paul Edwards North Miami, Florida Jim Fruchterman, President Arkenstone, Inc. Sunnyvale, California Don Garner, Director Blind Rehabilitation Services Veterans Administration Washington, D.C. James C. Halliday, President HumanWare, Inc. Loomis, California Ted Henter, President Henter-Joyce St. Petersburg, Florida David Holladay, President Raised Dot Computing Madison, Wisconsin Raymond Kurzweil, Chairman Kurzweil Reading Machine Division Xerox Corporation Waltham, Massachusetts Chris Lowrie Nepean, Ontario William E. McLaughlin, Deputy Director National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Washington, D.C. Charlene Muller Toronto, Ontario Lloyd Rasmussen Washington, D.C. Rachel Rosenbaum, Vice President National Council of Private Agencies for the Blind Newton, Massachusetts Mohymen Saddeek, President Technology for Independence, Inc. Boston, Massachusetts Elliot Schreier, Director National Technology Center American Foundation for the Blind New York, New York R. Creig Slayton, President National Council of State Agencies for the Blind, Inc. Des Moines, Iowa Graham Stoodley, Chairman Technology Subcommittee National Client Service Committee Canadian National Institute for the Blind Toronto, Ontario Suzanne Swaffield, President Association of State Educational Consultants for the Visually Impaired Columbia, South Carolina Tuck Tinsley, President American Printing House for the Blind Louisville, Kentucky Patrick Walsh Toronto, Ontario The greatest fear that blind people and their friends had was that because of the public's inability to recognize the absurdity of George's behavior, the stereotypical clumsiness and obliviousness to actual events around him which George exhibited would compound the problems blind people already have in employment and social interactions. As more than one indignant correspondent inquired of ABC executives, "What do you suppose the chances would have been for a blind job applicant wanting work in a research facility the morning after George smashed his way around the lab in the first episode of `Good and Evil?' If the employer had seen the show, none at all." Almost equally disturbing to thoughtful blind viewers was the response to George of the other characters on the program. No one ever got mad at him for smashing everything in sight. Genn, the good sister and the woman with whom George was enamored, never once told him to go jump in the lake despite his inappropriate behavior. On a show memorable for the rudeness, cruelty, and selfishness of most of the characters, everyone was the soul of tact and patience with George. They were united in nothing but their belief that George was not a responsible adult, capable of hearing hard truths. It is just barely possible that a little of the rough and tumble of real life on a sitcom for George might actually have carried a whiff of humor. But the most demeaning part of this hands-off behavior was the unstated, but graphically portrayed conviction that George was absolutely not an acceptable candidate as a romantic partner. At one point George was wandering around the lab, trying to find Genn as he poured out his love to her. She remained silent, almost cringing from the very thought of physical contact with him. Then Eric, the man whom she loved and her sister was blackmailing into marriage, walked in, and she sheltered in his arms. The message was clear: Genn would not say an unkind word to or about George, but, guilty though she felt over it, she wanted nothing to do with this repellent and pathetic creature. As the outcry against George began to gather, ABC sent out the program's co-stars, Teri Garr and Margaret Whitton, to make the talk-show circuit, defending "Good and Evil" in general and George in particular. If ABC executives believed that these two women could strengthen their hand, they were gravely mistaken. From the beginning they had recognized that their only possible defense of George was that, like all the other characters on the program, George was a parody and that no one could take him seriously. In fact, if George were meant to be true-to-life, the character would be in very bad taste. With this in mind, here is the transcript of the relevant portion of an interview with Teri Garr and Margaret Whitton on the CNN program, "Sonya Live" for October 2. The interview was rebroadcast later the same day on the CNN program "Showbiz Today." Here are Garr and Whitton's remarks: GARR: He is handicapped and yet functioning like a completely normal... WHITTON: Yeah. GARR: ...guy. WHITTON: Yeah. He's a psychiatrist. GARR: He's a brilliant psychiatrist. He has this great sex life. He does all these things. He, he breaks things a couple of times so that's the reality of someone who's blind... WHITTON: I break things. GARR: ...and he's completely... WHITTON: ...independent... GARR: ...compassionate... WHITTON: ...very independent... GARR: And I think that maybe showing somebody that is handicapped but functions very well and goes on with their life is a good thing. There you have the Garr-Whitton interview, and setting aside the vapid silliness of the responses, one is struck by the inconsistency of their defense of George. He is a brilliant psychiatrist (in some interviews he is a psychologist). But the only evidence we have of George's technique is his jumping out at passers-by in an effort to frighten Genn's mute teenage daughter into speaking. If George was ever a talented counselor or physician, becoming blind has stripped him of all semblance of good sense and professional technique. George has a normal sex life, according to Teri Garr. The programmatic evidence we have about this statement is that Genn is repelled by the idea of physical contact with him. His wife and her lover, apparently convinced that George won't be any the wiser, are content to occupy his bed while he is there. Most disturbing of all, George is incapable of recognizing that the hand fumbling around in his front trousers pocket belongs to the laboratory chimpanzee and not to Genn, who is talking to him simultaneously from across the room. Garr and Whitton completed their defense of George by declaring that the reality of blindness is that people break things and that George exhibits independence. They would have done better to characterize George as an animated glass- shattering machine, bearing no similarity to real blind people and demonstrating an absurd degree of dependence. That, after all, was the ABC line, but instead the stars' actual views about blindness and blind people popped out of their mouths--George's behavior is all you can expect of a blind person; and all things considered, he does pretty well, for a blind man. That assessment is what the National Federation of the Blind has fought for fifty years to eradicate. It is no wonder, therefore, that the organized blind movement rose up in dismayed fury to protest George and all he stood for. Beginning in August, thousands of letters poured into the offices of everyone who might carry enough influence to remove George from the program or the program from the air. The tidal wave was not an attempt at censorship as some have claimed; we had no power to impose our views except the strength of our outrage at this attempt to undo the progress we have made in educating the public about the abilities of blind people. It was rather a sustained, coordinated effort to mobilize public opinion in opposition to what we perceived as a dangerous attack on blind people. Here are three of the thousands of letters we sent: Baltimore, Maryland August 12, 1991 Robert Iger, President ABC Entertainment Los Angeles, California Dear Mr. Iger: I have just seen a clip from a show which you have in the works called "Good and Evil." Its portrayal of a blind scientist, in addition to being humorless, does more damage than its creators comprehend. Do you know that the unemployment rate for the blind is more than seventy percent? Are you aware that blind men and women have had their children taken from them for no other reason than that they are blind parents? How would you feel if, while ordering in a restaurant with your 8-year-old daughter, the waitress asked her, "What will he have?" I doubt that you find these things funny. If you are like most people, you have no true idea of what it is like to be a blind person in today's world. You close your eyes and imagine what it would be like to be blind, and you are completely wrong about it. It is both better and worse than you can imagine. How can it be better than you imagine? In spite of the astronomical unemployment rate, there are competent blind men and women in almost any field you can name. They live independently and travel to and from work without assistance. They go out to dinner and entertain guests in their homes. In short, the blind are capable of doing almost anything that the sighted can do. The character in this show is an affront to those successful blind men and women. And he is a weight around the necks of blind men and women who aspire to more than disability insurance and days without purpose. How can it be worse than you imagine? If you want to be a literate blind person in today's world, you will have to fight for your literacy. Schools do not want to teach Braille because their instructors often are not competent themselves. And you will have to fight for training and employment because employers cannot imagine how you could even get to work, much less do a job for them. Most of all, you will have to fight to keep yourself from believing that you are subhuman and incompetent because that is the image that society paints of the blind. This is the image of the blind presented in "Good and Evil." Through the National Federation of the Blind, I have met thousands of blind people. I have never met one who goes about feeling people's faces or mistaking a coat-rack for a woman. I have, however, met many sighted people who believe that the blind do exactly that. And where do these mistaken people get their notions? Why, from those well-meaning folks who make television shows and movies. It has to stop, and you are in a position to stop it. Beyond that, I believe you may be in a position to do something positive for blind people in America. Dana Elcar, Pete Thornton on the "MacGyver" series, has become blind due to glaucoma. He is learning to deal with his blindness in the real world. He was afraid, as anyone would be, that an important part of his life was over. But he is learning that with proper training his life can go on as it did before. His character could be doing the same. A television show that follows Mr. Elcar, as Pete Thornton, through the training necessary to function in a sighted world would make for riveting television. Personally, I'd like to see a story in which Pete Thornton, using the techniques of blindness, gets out of a jam that has MacGyver baffled. It would also go a long way toward changing the prevalent hopeless image of the blind in society. So it seems that the title of your show, "Good and Evil," is also the theme of this letter. Please let me know which side wins. Sincerely yours, Joseph J. Miller, Jr. cc: Garth Ancier, President Touchstone Television Ed Cintron, Manager Audience Information American Broadcasting Company Marcellus Alexander, General Manager WJZ Television, Channel 13 One of the first people to learn about "Good and Evil" was Bonnie Peterson, President of the NFB of Wisconsin. She saw a videotape of the show in July and raised the alarm immediately. She also wrote forthrightly to ABC executives. Here is what she said: Milwaukee, Wisconsin July 28, 1991 Mr. Ed Cintron, Manager American Broadcasting Corp. New York, New York Dear Mr. Cintron: I have received a copy of the program entitled "Good & Evil," that ABC is planning to air Wednesday evenings this fall. I have viewed the pilot in its entirety and would like to offer my comments and suggestions regarding the demeaning way blind people are portrayed in it. "Good & Evil" has a character named George who happens to be blind. George walks into a laboratory smashing glass bottles and equipment. He tries unsuccessfully to find Genn, saying, "I had to see you," which makes voices on a laugh track laugh. George speaks to a coat rack, mistaking it for Genn and saying, "We blind develop such keenness with our other senses to compensate." Eric enters. George places his hands on Eric, who stands submissively. George exclaims that his senses tell him Eric is a "woman with classic features" and a flat chest. Then he apparently touches Eric's genitals (the camera does not follow his hands), at which point he discovers Eric is a man. George departs, again smashing glass and equipment with his cane. This is a synopsis of the four-minute segment depicting blindness through the character of George. I am a blind woman and member of the National Federation of the Blind. The National Federation of the Blind is the largest organization of the blind in the nation, with a membership of over 50,000. I find the exhibition of blindness on "Good & Evil" insulting and demeaning and a complete misrepresentation of the blind and blindness. Blind people do use the words "I had to see you," "See you later," or other phrases utilizing words of a visual nature without being met with gales of laughter. We "watch" TV, and now I will "see" if I can explain to you my distress with ABC's depiction of blind people as ignorant, inept buffoons. I do not walk into rooms smashing and breaking things with my cane. I do not caress, kiss, or talk to coat racks thinking they are people. I do not violate the personal space of others or touch people in the manner demonstrated on "Good & Evil" to find out who or what they are. None of it is accurate. None of it is funny. None of it is fair to the blind of this country. The real problem of blindness is not the lack of eyesight. The real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of information which exist. Your program, "Good & Evil," displays a great deal of misunderstanding about the blind and demonstrates that ABC has an immense lack of information about blindness. I am enclosing information about the National Federation of the Blind. I recommend that you contact the President of the National Federation of the Blind, Mr. Marc Maurer, 1800 Johnson St., Baltimore, Maryland, 21230, (301) 659-9314, to learn more about blindness and the blind. Until that time, I will work to have our local ABC affiliate and the sponsors of "Good & Evil" cancel their support of this program. I'm certain that this situation can be easily resolved. I do thank you in advance for your consideration of this matter. Sincerely, Bonnie Peterson President, NFB of Wisconsin cc: Marc Maurer That is what Bonnie Peterson had to say, and it was probably the first letter that ABC executives received, but not the last. Duane Gerstenberger is the Associate Executive Director of the Federation. During the last several months he has written many letters on the subject of "Good and Evil." Here is one of the most penetrating: Baltimore, Maryland September 6, 1991 Ms. Christine Hikawa Vice President Broadcast Standards & Practices Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. New York, New York Dear Ms. Hikawa: I have your letter of August 22, 1991, received in response to my letter of August 14, 1991, to Mr. Robert Iger, President, ABC Entertainment, regarding the pilot program for the new ABC series "Good and Evil" (which apparently will be shown at 10:30 P.M. Eastern Time on Wednesday, September 25). I understand from your letter that ABC Entertainment intends to broadcast this entire program as it now exists despite my suggestion to withhold distribution or at least remove one scene involving a blind character. I write to encourage you to reconsider your decision. In your letter you tell me that it is the responsibility of the Department of Broadcast Standards to review "all program and commercial material prior to broadcast to ensure that ABC standards and policies are satisfied. In addition to the elimination of gratuitous violence and explicit sexuality, our concerns extend to issues of balance and accuracy, moral tone, and the elimination of negative stereotypes." In the succeeding paragraph you defend and condone the portrayal of blindness in "Good and Evil" by telling me to understand the blind character (George) in the context of the form, theme, tone, and action of the entire program. You say: "However, the series, `Good and Evil' is an exaggerated parody of life with the most outrageous caricatures imaginable. Not one character in this program is realistic or believable. Each is a parody of the most extreme qualities of the values represented by the title `Good and Evil.'" Yet you precede this admonition to consider and understand George in context with this utterly preposterous out- of-context description: "George is (and was, prior to his blindness) a klutz, despite his numerous and significant academic achievements." There is absolutely nothing in this program that suggests, let alone confirms, your description of George. (This is television--not live theater where the audience has a playbill introducing the characters and providing background and context for the action.) Nothing in the opening or closing credits, nothing in any scene prior to or following the scene involving George, nothing in the objectionable scene itself, explicitly or even remotely implicitly, conveys such an understanding of George. How can the viewer possibly know that he was "prior to his blindness" a klutz? The exceedingly brief shot of the actor who plays George in the opening credits perhaps suggests that George is a bit immature or goofy or silly but does not provide the knowledge you apparently have about George. Where, Ms. Hikawa, can the viewer learn of George's "numerous and significant academic achievements"? Are we to tell by his dress? Are we to tell by his speech? Are we to tell by his conduct? Are we to tell by his friends and acquaintances? When he enters, George is unknown to the viewer. No other character refers to him or speaks of him prior to his entrance or after his exit; he plays absolutely no part in the narrative of the program beyond the one scene in which he appears. What the viewer knows about George is available only from the very limited context of the opening credits and what we learn about him during his scene. One fact we do have seems to me inconsistent with your description of George. In your letter you note that George "has recently been blinded." Ms. Hikawa, George himself tells us he's been blind for over a year: "Oh Genn, I've loved you for over a year now. Ever since you saved my life. I remember it was the day of the accident. I lay there blind, but I was happy because I knew that you existed in the world." Granted, there is no universal, definite, or specific meaning for the word recently. However, in the context of an individual's life--especially a relatively young person--I believe most of us do not regard something that happened more than a year before as recent. So in George we are not watching a character who is struggling with the initial fears and problems that confront a newly blinded person, but rather watching a man who has had some opportunities to adjust to his situation. Yet we see nothing more than a bungling idiot. However, whether George's blindness will be understood in the context as you describe it or the context as I interpret it is not the critical issue. The real problem about George is the assumption about blindness that you very clearly state in your letter: "Rather, this clown-like performance is that of a klutz whose antics are exacerbated by his unfortunate handicap." Ms. Hikawa, I wish that at least part of what you presume about viewers' reactions to George could be counted on as true; that is "that the broad caricature depicted in this program will [not] be perceived by others as representative of any actual blind persons." If this presumption can be counted on, then one wonders why George was conceived of as blind. Do you believe the creator/writer just happened to pick a blind person to exhibit such behavior? No, I believe that millions of viewers will--as do you and the creators of George and "Good and Evil"--perceive that this performance is that of a person "whose antics are exacerbated by his unfortunate handicap." (Emphasis added) And it is that which troubles me. Blindness itself does not exacerbate klutziness, femininity, deceptiveness, honesty, sexuality, or any of hundreds of other characteristics and personality traits. My experience--my recent experience--my experience of today--refutes your perception. And the daily experience of thousands of blind persons refutes it; but the public perception (misperception) of blindness as an exacerbating handicap will be confirmed by this portrayal. Allow me to share with you one recent personal experience which illustrates my point. On Thursday evening, August 1, 1991, I accompanied Mr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, to Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport to meet someone on an arriving flight. Mr. Maurer and I are both white males in our early forties. We are of similar size and stature. We were both dressed in dark suits and ties. He is blind, and I am sighted. As we approached airport security on our way to the gate, we stopped before entering the walk-through metal detector to unload our pockets of various metal objects. While we were doing so, a female security guard noticed Mr. Maurer's long white cane and said to me: "Is his cane metal?" Why do you suppose she addressed the question to me rather than to Mr. Maurer? It was his cane; he carries it several hours every day. I expect she asked me for two reasons. First, because she couldn't achieve eye contact with Mr. Maurer, she felt more comfortable speaking to me. But additionally, I think there was an underlying assumption on her part that I, sighted, would be more apt to know than Mr. Maurer, blind, what his cane is made of. If this woman watches the pilot of "Good and Evil," do you think she will reach the conclusions about George and his blindness that you suggest? Ms. Hikawa, blind persons encounter the kind of misunderstanding shown by this BWI security guard day in and day out. In the experience I observed with Mr. Maurer, of course, no real damage was done. He did not take offense at being ignored. He did not demand that she address him; he simply responded to the question saying that there is some metal on it and that he would walk through without it. Likewise, a visitor to Mr. Maurer's office who--without the slightest hint that he needs assistance--takes Mr. Maurer's arm to guide him around his own office does so not to offend or patronize. The proffered assistance is well-intended and rooted in lack of personal experience and lack of understanding. However, if this person watches "Good and Evil," do you think he or she will reach the conclusions about George and his blindness that you suggest? When a blind person goes to apply for a job and is asked during the interview how he or she will find the bathroom (which does happen), more than a simple, harmless misunderstanding occurs. If the interviewer regards locating the bathroom by a blind person as either a) difficult or b) critical or c) any of his or her business, this is a perception which makes it exceedingly difficult for the blind job applicant to get that job. It is no exaggeration and no misstatement of fact to tell you that the portrayal of blindness in "Good and Evil" will make it more difficult for individual blind people to get jobs, to travel freely on public transportation, and to enjoy many of the other vocational, educational, recreational, and incidental opportunities so many of us who are sighted take for granted. Let me point out again (as I did in my first letter) the subtle and more vicious commentary about blind persons made by the portrayal of George and ask you to consider the inconsistency of your statement "Each [character] is a parody of the most extreme qualities of the values represented by the title `Good and Evil'" with the words and actions of the characters taken as a whole from start to finish. Each of the ten characters in the ensemble cast, except George, does act from unmistakably clear motives of good or evil. George, however, just reacts. Which of the "extreme qualities of the values" good or evil does George represent? The teaser for the second program in this series, which follows the credits for this first program, reflects an unstated but unmistakable amorality on the part of George as does the whole program itself. Through him the viewer learns or has confirmed the belief that blind persons are incapable of behaving with either good or evil intent; their actions are inept and clumsy but are not derived from either high-minded altruism or venomous villainy. No, blind persons are so removed from the mainstream of life--they are so emasculated by their blindness-- their "unfortunate handicap"--that they can only stand by and react emotionally to the actions of those around them. This teaser includes seven exceedingly brief clips with an announcer's interrogatory comments about each major character shown in the clip. Six of the seven deal with characters' actions or motives; the announcer labels these actions or motives good or evil by his comments. However, the clip focusing on George deals, not with his actions or motives, but with his feelings in response to someone else's actions: "And how good will George feel if she [Genn] can't?" Poor, pathetic George. Not good. Not evil. Just responding to life as others live it. Again, Ms. Hikawa, do you believe the passivity is coincidentally assigned to George by the creator/writer? Or is the viewer expected to know that George is (and was, prior to his blindness) a passive, co-dependent personality? You say ABC Television Network "has always been, and remains sensitive to, the concerns of and issues facing ethnic and religious minorities as well as other special interest groups, including the physically challenged." It is one thing to remain sensitive to concerns and issues but another to take actions in response to sensitivities and concerns expressed by representatives of a minority group. And that is precisely what ABC has done in this instance--remained sensitive but done nothing. Sensitivity without action is essentially meaningless to the individual or individuals who are the recipients--no, victims--of such sensitivity. Sensitivity without constructive action is really indifference. Ms. Hikawa, do you and your colleagues actually believe that you eliminate negative stereotypes from your programming by sanctioning an "exaggerated parody of life with the most outrageous caricatures imaginable"? Since 1940 the National Federation of the Blind has been dealing with the real problems and issues confronting blind persons. The hundreds of thousands of men and women--the vast majority of them blind persons--who have been a part of our organization throughout these fifty years know what blindness is and what it isn't; we talk about it, we write about it, we think about it seriously. We know both the real problems of blindness and the imagined problems the public mistakenly associates with blindness. The portrayal of blindness rendered in "Good and Evil" is insensitive to the blind; it reinforces negative stereotypes about the blind. We have no interest in a public confrontation with ABC about "Good and Evil." We have no interest in causing ABC public embarrassment about this matter. As soon as we became aware of this program and had the opportunity to view and evaluate it thoroughly and carefully, we immediately (by my letter of August 14 to Mr. Iger sent by Federal Express) informed ABC television and your Baltimore affiliate of our concerns and suggested what we believed would be appropriate action on your part. We do not regard your letter of August 22 as appropriate action. I repeat what I said in my earlier letter to Mr. Iger: broadcasting this program would be a malicious, informed act. Removing this program from your schedule (or at least deleting the scene involving George) would be in the best interest of blind persons. It would also be fair and right. This letter should be regarded as a formal, official request by the National Federation of the Blind to take one of these two actions. Very truly yours, Duane Gerstenberger Associate Executive Director National Federation of the Blind P.S. You may be interested to know that a reporter from a major weekly news magazine called Mr. Maurer on Monday, August 16, inquiring about our reaction to the blind character in "Good and Evil." I believe no one within our organization initiated contact with this magazine. Do you believe this reporter called from idle curiosity, or because he thought we might have a reason to react to the portrayal of blindness in this program? If the latter is the case, does it not suggest that at least one other person questioned the appropriateness of this characterization of blindness? cc: John Sias, President ABC Television Network Mr. Robert Iger, President ABC Entertainment Mr. Ed Cintron, Manager Audience Information American Broadcasting Company Mr. Garth Ancier, President Touchstone Television Mr. Marcellus Alexander, General Manager WJZ Television/Channel 13 Ms. Phyllis Shelton-Reese WJZ TV/Channel 13 Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, Executive Director National Federation of the Blind Mr. Marc Maurer, President National Federation of the Blind There you have a sample of the letters that poured into ABC from every corner of the country, and in case network executives failed to get the message, Federationists deluged the New York switchboard for about a half hour on September 23 with calls urging and demanding that "Good and Evil" not air on the twenty- fifth. It was clear to everyone, however, that the show would go on, so NFB members began gearing up for the next level of protest. The NFB of Minnesota mobilized itself in time to conduct a demonstration outside the local ABC affiliate in St. Paul on Wednesday afternoon, September 25, the day of the show's premiere. Harold Crump, the station's General Manager and President, came out to the picket line with coffee and doughnuts in an effort to defuse the demonstration, but Federationists told him politely that they had work to do and kept on marching. This is the story that appeared in the St.Paul Dispatch & Pioneer Press on Thursday, September 26: Blind Group Complains About TV Show Character by Lydia Villalva Lijo George is meant to be a funny character on the new television show "Good & Evil." But some blind people, including a group in the Twin Cities, believe the clumsy blind character is getting all the wrong kinds of laughs. "No, we don't have a sense of humor when it comes to putting us down," said Joyce Scanlan, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota. Scanlan and about 25 others demonstrated Wednesday evening in front of KSTP-TV on University Avenue in St. Paul. Scanlan said blind people and those sympathetic to them don't like George because he reinforces old notions about the blind--that they cannot tell when someone else is in a room and that they are bumbling and incompetent. Those stereotypes lead sighted people to make fun of the blind, to discriminate against them in the work place and to ignore their need for training in reading, employment and everyday life skills, said Scanlan, of Minneapolis. The Minnesota chapter of the National Federation of the Blind has about 500 members statewide. "Good and Evil," a comedy, had its debut Wednesday night on the ABC network. KSTP-TV is the ABC affiliate in the Twin Cities. The demonstrators, and the president of the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore, want ABC to get rid of the character of George. If ABC doesn't heed their demand, the show's sponsors will be pressured to drop their support for the program, said Marc Maurer of the 50,000-member national organization. Protests against the series are being planned in New York and New Jersey, Maurer said. Maurer said ABC received thousands of telephone calls earlier this week complaining about the show. Harold Crump, KSTP president and general manager, said Wednesday he had not watched the show. If he found it offensive, Crump said he would "be on the phone (with network officials) first thing in the morning with a very strong complaint." Crump said the station wants "no part in causing problems for the blind in this area, or causing embarrassment to the blind." Crump said he telephoned the network on Tuesday to let them know that the show had drawn complaints. He noted that the behavior blind people find offensive in George may not be part of the series' future episodes. The demonstrators in front of the KSTP on Wednesday carried signs with slogans such as "Good and Evil Lies About the Blind," and "Don't Bring Back Mr. McGoo," a reference to an old cartoon character. ____________________ That was what the Dispatch and Pioneer Press had to say, and the story was picked up by a number of other papers across the country. By October 2 the battle was well and truly joined. Federationists everywhere had circulated the names and addresses of program advertisers to add to their lists of ABC executives, and the mail was pouring into corporate headquarters around the nation. We announced that we would begin picketing the New York offices of ABC Television every Wednesday afternoon until "Good and Evil" vanished from the ABC prime-time line-up. In addition, Federationists in other cities began taking to the streets to go on record personally in opposition to George and all he stood for. Demonstrations were organized outside ABC affiliates in Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Denver; Colorado Springs; and Los Angeles in addition to the one in New York. One-time-only pickets took place in other cities as Federationists urged station managers to press harder on network executives to remove George and his friends from the air. Brochures were prepared and picket signs constructed. Federationists cancelled personal plans and took to the streets. Newspapers across the country made note of the events. The following is a sample drawn from the hundreds of articles that were printed throughout October. It is an Associated Press story that appeared in The Seattle Times, Friday, October 4, 1991: Blind Group Intensifies Protest of ABC Sitcom by John Roll A group opposed to the portrayal of a blind man on the ABC sitcom "Good & Evil" is stepping up its campaign to have the character rewritten or the show canceled. "The writers of this show simply don't understand what life is like for blind people. The lives and futures of the blind are on the line here," said James Gashel, Director of Governmental Affairs for the National Federation of the Blind. Gashel complained that in a recent episode, the character George entered a laboratory wildly wielding a cane. He virtually demolished the lab, fondled a man he thought was a woman, and made a sexual pass at a coat rack. "We don't see George as a joke," Gashel said yesterday. "The program showed an image of blindness that is admittedly extreme but is very much in tune with what a lot of people think we really are. And it's not funny." The Baltimore-based advocacy group started writing and phoning ABC, its affiliates, and the program's sponsors this summer; but George's character wasn't changed, said Marc Maurer, its president. "There is nothing left but to take to the streets," he said. The group began picketing Wednesday in front of ABC's New York City headquarters and affiliates in Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. Gashel said about 75 people participated in the New York protest. "Good & Evil" is an exaggerated parody of life with the most outrageous caricatures imaginable," ABC said in a statement. "Not one character in this series is intended to be realistic or believable.... "If this series were in any way realistic, we would agree that a comedic portrayal of a clumsy blind person would be in questionable taste," the statement said. But Gashel said the portrayal of a blind person as a physically unattractive, incompetent person only adds to misconceptions that blind people are unable to participate in society on an equal basis. The series stars Teri Garr and Margaret Whitton. ____________________ That's what the newspapers were saying. Sometimes it was clear that reporters did not understand our point, but most of those who covered the story grasped the issue and made it clear that they were sympathetic to our efforts. Los Angeles, home of ABC Entertainment, was a particularly important place in which to argue our case clearly before the public. We were helped considerably by Chuck Ashman, the host of a weekday afternoon radio program called California Drive. Ashman boradcasts over Station KBLA, the ABC radio network affiliate in Los Angeles. He read one of our early press releases and arranged interviews with President Maurer and Sharon Gold, President of the NFB of California, on his 4-to-7-p.m. program Tuesday, October 1. He later suggested to his listeners that they call ABC Entertainment President Robert Iger to tell him that they didn't appreciate having blind people ridiculed on prime-time television. Ashman told Sharon Gold what he had done later in the week and commented that lots of people must have taken his suggestion since Iger's office called to tell him he had gone too far. Despite the fact that NBC and CBS television network affiliates consistently refused to cover this story (they maintained that they didn't want to give free publicity to a rival, but the blind remain convinced that out of self-interest they preferred to protect their colleagues), our protest against "Good and Evil" and the demonstrations across the country garnered a good bit of media attention. Newspapers and the wire services carried stories every time we circulated a press release. The Fox and CNN television networks filmed our demonstrations and aired interviews with Federation spokesmen. Even "Entertainment Tonight," a syndicated program produced by ABC Television, covered the story twice. The first time Dr. Jernigan was interviewed for a show aired September 20. Footage from the first episode of "Good and Evil" showing George crashing around the laboratory illustrated our objections, and a statement from ABC executives was read saying that George wasn't meant to be an insult, so he wasn't, and, therefore, that the show would go on. The second clip appeared on "Entertainment Tonight" on Thursday, October 17, and included film of the New York and Washington, D.C. demonstrations of October 16. The voiceover for this footage consisted of interviews with Peggy Pinder, Second Vice President of the NFB, and James Gashel, its Director of Governmental Affairs. The ABC position was set forth in Teri Garr and Margaret Whitton's statement about how normal and competent George is. The consensus among most people who saw the segment seemed to be that, all in all, the Federation appeared determined, disciplined, and articulate while ABC looked absurd. With media pressure on network officials building in Los Angeles on October 2, about fifty Federationists gathered outside of ABC Entertainment at 3 p.m. for two hours of picketing and leafleting passers-by. When four representatives from the Federation, including the Presidents of the California and New Mexico affiliates, walked into the corporate offices to ask in person for the meeting with ABC officials that they had been requesting for days by phone and letter, the heat was on. It took almost an hour of negotiation, but the upshot was agreement by ABC to meet with Federation representatives at 11:00 Thursday morning. President Maurer asked Sharon Gold to represent the NFB at that meeting, which she understood was to take place with Bret White, Vice President of Broadcast Standards. She returned to Sacramento with some of the picketers Wednesday evening and was back in Los Angeles the next morning for her appointment. She and Sheryl Pickering, her Administrative Assistant, were ushered into the meeting only to discover that, in addition to Bret White and Roland McFarland, Manager of Program Standards in Los Angeles, Chris Hikawa, Senior Vice President of Broadcast Standards for ABC and White's boss, had flown from New York to take part in the discussion. During the meeting Miss Gold was forced to explain repeatedly with various examples why George was unacceptable to blind people, even in the name of humor. She described how completely Americans misunderstand the capacities of blind people and what the impact of George would necessarily be on the lives and jobs of the blind. The executives asked if there was any way that George could be made acceptable, and they were told no. The country is not ready to understand the limits of satire and parody when the object is a blind person. The meeting concluded with the announcement that the ABC executives would meet with the program's producers to see what could be done. In the meantime the Federation was increasing its pressure on advertisers. Blind people all over the country were inviting friends and family members to join them in writing letters. Several companies told us that they would not purchase further advertising on the show. On Thursday, October 17, The Wall Street Journal printed a story that demonstrated just how hot things were becoming for sponsors and ABC executives alike. Here it is: ABC Series Loses Ads At least one advertiser has pulled its spots from the new ABC series "Good & Evil," the new situation comedy that has been the subject of a threatened boycott from the National Federation of the Blind because of its depiction of a blind character. Unilever United States, Inc., which produces Lipton Tea and Soups, Wisk and Mrs. Butterworth syrup, said it "determined that purchasing time on this series was not within established guidelines." The company had purchased advertising on each episode of the show on ABC, a unit of Capital Cities/ABC Inc. And Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind, the Baltimore organization with 50,000 members nationwide, said Playtex Family Products Corporation also pulled its spots. Joel E. Smilow, chairman of Playtex Apparel Inc. and Playtex Family Productions, said in an interview he couldn't "confirm nor deny" the assertion. "I do know that I had received some mail in conjunction with that program," he said. ABC declined to comment. The character who offended the National Federation of the Blind is often seen crashing into objects with his cane. In September, ABC said the show is an "exaggerated parody" and "if this series were in any way realistic, we would agree that a comedic portrayal of a clumsy blind person would be in questionable taste." ____________________ That is what the Wall Street Journal had to say the day after the fourth broadcast of "Good and Evil," and it focused public attention on the pressure the NFB was bringing to bear on advertisers. Following the third episode, only one sponsor had actually purchased advertising on all three. This was Unilever United States, Inc., and the Federation decided, in the absence of any indication that company officials were contemplating removal of their support from the show, to organize a boycott of three Unilever product lines: Lipton soup and tea products, Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup, and Wisk detergent. We then discovered that Unilever headquarters were not far from those of ABC in New York, so we announced that on Wednesday, October 23, we would demonstrate outside Unilever instead of ABC and conduct an up- dated version of the historic Boston Tea Party using Lipton Tea and dumping it into the New York Harbor. That was the last straw for Unilever. After negotiations with the National Federation of the Blind corporate officials faxed a press release around the country Tuesday afternoon, October 22, announcing that they were pulling out of sponsorship of "Good and Evil." Federationists were delighted to revert to the original plans for the Wednesday afternoon picket of ABC. This time we passed out red balloons saying in white print, "National Federation of the Blind says: ABC must STOP `Good and Evil!'" The word "STOP" was pictured as a stop sign. By this time, the fourth week of demonstrations, the people in the vicinity of ABC headquarters began to recognize Federationists and welcome us back. Cab drivers waved leafleteers over in order to get flyers for themselves and their passengers. Even ABC employees took balloons and brochures. A number commented that the network did not show much respect for other minority group members either. By now ABC officials were talking about conducting a meeting between senior network executives and President Maurer. They were evidently feeling the pressure. The Nielsen ratings, which reflect the number of households watching prime-time television programs and the audience share that each show has achieved, indicated that "Good and Evil" was doing badly. Advertisers were leaving at an increasing rate, and the publicly visible pressure that blind people were exerting on the network was not going away. If anything, it was growing. Then, on Thursday, October 24, 1991, ABC announced that it had ordered production of "Good and Evil" stopped. With eleven episodes already completed, it was not immediately clear just how many more would actually air. In unofficial discussions, Federation leaders told ABC executives that we understood the time it takes to make arrangements to replace a canceled program, but we would be mightily displeased if more than one more episode were to appear. In the end, only one more, that of October 30, was broadcast. With that, the curtain came down on one of the sorriest experiments in television humor ever conducted. The time may come--one hopes that it will--when the American people are ready and able to laugh together about the funny things that happen to blind people. Nothing would be a healthier indication of our final emergence into first-class status and full equality. But that time is not in the foreseeable future. As long as the general public presumes our incompetence, our clumsiness, and our inability to understand or appreciate what is going on around us, blind characters on television who exhibit these traits cannot be funny. Until every blind person has an opportunity to receive effective training and a chance to compete for good jobs, we will all suffer from caricatures like George. Unfortunately, we cannot go back to business as usual now that George and company are off the airways. George has done damage to us all. We must be particularly vigilant because the danger we face is subtle. George and his behavior were a real and obvious threat. His memory will subside into a vague impression, the confirmation of a general belief. Such impressions are insidious enemies because they are only half-formed and semiconscious. But the impact they have is profound. Let us close this recital of the stunning victory we have won, this call-to-arms against an ongoing menace, by printing a letter that President Maurer received from a blind chemist, who has until now had very little contact with the organized blind movement. His life has been affected by George and his antics, and all of us must fight to undo the damage. Here is the letter: November 1, 1991 Mr. Marc Maurer National Federation of the Blind Baltimore, Maryland Dear Mr. Maurer: I wish to thank you for providing the videotapes of the TV program "Good and Evil." I am disappointed that the American Chemical Society Committee on the Handicapped did not believe it proper to view the tape at their meeting or prepare a letter expressing their objections. As a past member of that committee I believed such action would be appropriate since it has always been a concern of the committee that disabled persons are discouraged from pursuing careers in science or technology because of false stereotypical images maintained by the public. The committee has attempted to present positive images of disabled scientists in publications and meetings. It was my opinion that the ludicrous image portrayed on the TV program could only damage public perception of blind persons in the laboratory, even though the character was not portrayed as working in that environment. I am particularly sensitive to this issue since I am a chemist currently working in the Chemistry Department at a technical university and carried out an experimental rather than theoretical project for my doctoral research at another distinguished university. Though I utilized student assistants and technicians in the lab work, I performed a considerable amount of the laboratory work myself and was always working alongside the assistants. Additionally, I have been working at my institution in the Mechanical Engineering Department to develop devices and strategies to allow blind persons to work more independently in a laboratory and gain more benefit from this work. I usually present a lecture each semester here, including the summer, to an introductory psychology class concerning the barriers faced by disabled persons and the strategies used to solve some of the problems encountered. A major part of my presentation is concerned with the attitude problem and the false images that we have to face. I plan to use the tape you sent me at the start of the lecture to demonstrate graphically the problem. I am also attempting to have the university's Committee on Disabled Persons consider sending a letter, which I prepared, to ABC. Again, I wish to thank you for the tape and would like to express my thanks to my NFB state president for bringing this to my attention. Sincerely, There you have a summary of the thoughts and actions of one blind chemist in the wake of the "Good and Evil" program. None of us can afford to sit back and assume that the battle is won. Never before has the organized blind movement achieved such a clear-cut and decisive victory, and in very real ways things will never be the same again. But George and all he stands for still lurk around every corner. Until blind people, all blind people, have won the right to dignity and independence, the National Federation of the Blind must stand ready to defend our good name and counteract the evil efforts of those who would push us down and out of our rightful place. Yes, it was a battle about "Good and Evil," and between good and evil--and the good prevailed.