This is a wonderful series, produced in consultation with the New Zealand Down Syndrome Association. It's about adults with DS---handled with sensitivity, humour and respect---and the challenges and joys they face (like the rest of us) in pursuit of romantic love. It showcases the fundamental importance of love, reminding us that we're a pair-bonded species, and that regardless of our circumstances or the hand we've been dealt by life, we should remain resilient and never lose hope in matters of the heart.
Anyone who claims this is exploitative is not only ignorant but patronising towards people with DS. We must stop infantilising those with disabilities by not treating them with condescendence. Every individual who participated in this series is an adult who's already had some public exposure, is confident and enjoys the limelight, evidenced by their interest in activities like acting, modelling, being on social media etc. It's no different to any other adult without a disability who decides to partake in dating shows like these, except the daters on this show have a great deal of supervision and familial engagement and support.
My 20-year old niece with DS loved this series so much that it made me emotional just watching her face as she laughed, cried and cheered for the couples. Condescension is hurtful and isolating so please before you make judgments based on your ignorance and prejudices that are thinly disguised as sympathy, reflect for a moment on why you'd ever view this show as "exploitative" or "sad".
Sympathy of this kind is demeaning, presumptuous and a tad bit arrogant. It disempowers, and DS adults do not want to be treated as eternal children or labelled and segregated based on their diagnosis. Don't assume that they can't defend or speak up for themselves. Don't dehumanise but equally don't idolise and give them special treatment by putting them on pedestals. Recognise that they are regular people with special needs and unique abilities who have the right to be represented and who are capable of making decisions and giving consent. Most of them are a great deal smarter and wiser than some of us without developmental disabilities.
They are not helpless children and don't wish to be treated as such. Let's include people with all disabilities fully into our society by allowing them the same platforms as the rest of us, including one such as Netflix. I'm not denying that exploitation does occur but in cases like this, the self-righteous forget that their sometimes misplaced defence of people with disabilities can be more detrimental than helpful.
Apologies for my rant but common sense is becoming so uncommon these days that one has to treat an IMDB review as an opportunity to express and point out the obvious.
Anyone who claims this is exploitative is not only ignorant but patronising towards people with DS. We must stop infantilising those with disabilities by not treating them with condescendence. Every individual who participated in this series is an adult who's already had some public exposure, is confident and enjoys the limelight, evidenced by their interest in activities like acting, modelling, being on social media etc. It's no different to any other adult without a disability who decides to partake in dating shows like these, except the daters on this show have a great deal of supervision and familial engagement and support.
My 20-year old niece with DS loved this series so much that it made me emotional just watching her face as she laughed, cried and cheered for the couples. Condescension is hurtful and isolating so please before you make judgments based on your ignorance and prejudices that are thinly disguised as sympathy, reflect for a moment on why you'd ever view this show as "exploitative" or "sad".
Sympathy of this kind is demeaning, presumptuous and a tad bit arrogant. It disempowers, and DS adults do not want to be treated as eternal children or labelled and segregated based on their diagnosis. Don't assume that they can't defend or speak up for themselves. Don't dehumanise but equally don't idolise and give them special treatment by putting them on pedestals. Recognise that they are regular people with special needs and unique abilities who have the right to be represented and who are capable of making decisions and giving consent. Most of them are a great deal smarter and wiser than some of us without developmental disabilities.
They are not helpless children and don't wish to be treated as such. Let's include people with all disabilities fully into our society by allowing them the same platforms as the rest of us, including one such as Netflix. I'm not denying that exploitation does occur but in cases like this, the self-righteous forget that their sometimes misplaced defence of people with disabilities can be more detrimental than helpful.
Apologies for my rant but common sense is becoming so uncommon these days that one has to treat an IMDB review as an opportunity to express and point out the obvious.