The Flemish Autism Society (http://www.autismevlaanderen.be/) has recently launched a new poster campaign and are even running for the renowned "solidarity prize", issued by one of the leading Flemish newspapers to reward the best campaign supporting a better and more tolerant society. The poster is a cartoon, combining the two protagonists in the Belgian political crisis, Bart De Wever of the Flemish Nationalist Party and Elio Di Rupo of the Walloon Socialist Party. The header reads: "stereotype of an autistic person?" and at the bottom left it reads:
1. Doesn't consider somebody else's feelings
2. Doesn't take the initiative to or doesn't participate in the discussions
3. Resists heavily to change
4. Leaves the initiative to contact to someone else
5. Is strongly attached to certain objects
This was published full-page in the newspaper with the enormous header: "Campaign depicts Bart De Wever and Elio Di Rupo as autistic persons".
I'll give you a second or two to make your own interpretations.
Now, bear in mind that I'm autistic. This means that I'm incapable of reading "hidden messages" or "ironic interpretations". The way I see it, is that those two politicians (who after more than a year still haven't come to an agreement for reasons which I shan't explain here) must be autistic because they can't reach a compromise etc. Hilarious! Our politicians are autistic! Or, in other words, this campaign reinforces the known stereotypes about autism in stead of tearing them down, which is what the Flemish Autism Society are trying to make us believe.
Well, I'm terribly hurt by this campaign. Also because I'm a fond supporter of Bart De Wever because he's the first Flemish politician in 180 years who doesn't bow his head for the incessant Walloon demands. But that's personal.
Am I exaggerating? Am I seeing things? Am I growing mad? I'll leave the verdict up to you...
I agree they could have done a better job of their campaign. This is so confusing, it doesn't get their message through, it's like they don't even know what their message is...
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that they want the public to be aware that people get the label of being autistic (or even give themself that label) too soon. If your kid is a daydreamer who is good in math he must be an autistic, if I seem unable to communicate with my colleaques communicate I must be autistic, and so on...
Luckily, thanks to you I have a better notion of what it really means to be autistic.
The following cartoon would have been a good alternative for what they're using now. It wouldn't get as much media attention but it do a better job about getting that message across.
http://evamouton.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/afbeelding-32.png
I know and understand your frustrations about Belgian politics but unlike you I don't support the separtistic ideas of De Wever. I'm for solidarity, everyone equal for the law, same rights and duties but as we all know: that isn't the case in Belgium. Hopefully this crisis (today more than 400 days without a gouvernment) changes something...and I must agree that this would be due to the succes of De Wever.
- The real message is in small print at the bottom. The rest is just a very amusing cartoon to draw the attention of the neurotypicals by using the stupid political situation in Belgium that makes everybody laugh.
ReplyDelete- There is evidence that 'shocking' advertising is far more effective to achieve the goal than 'kind' advertising. (see advertising about wearing a seatbelt in the back of the car with a child flying through the windshield)
- By reacting this way you just (sorry to say this) kind of confirm the stereotype.
- And yes, I'm autistic too so forgive me because I don't consider somebody else's feelings.
Well, obviously I confirm the stereotype because I can't see the message behind the ad the way you do. All I can see is that it ridicules autistic people by making a travesty of the political situation and hinting that this situation is the way it is because "our politicians are autistic". Shocking ads may indeed get more attention, but they should have made a "shocking" ad without making fun of the people they're supposedly representing.
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as Belgium is concerned, Koen, the one and only reason for the political crisis is that the Walloons want to maintain the inequality in our country (i.e. French speakers have more rights than Flemings). Fortunately there's Bart De Wever who doesn't give in to their incessant demands for more privileges, money and territory ("lebensraum"). Solidarity also means respect, gratitude and responsibility; all of which the Walloons are lacking and have done so for the past 180 years.