About the Author: My name is Amanda Elias and I am from West Monroe, Louisiana. I am a Speech-Language Pathologist and Instructor at the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM). I received my undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University in 2008, master’s degree from Louisiana Tech University in 2010, and I am starting my second year as a PhD student through ULM’s Marriage and Family Therapy Program with a concentration in Systemic Studies. I am involved with the National Stuttering Association as a Chapter Leader for the Monroe, LA Chapter. I also hold an Ally of Stuttering Seal through Spero Stuttering.

On one hand, we have come so far in decreasing the stigma of stuttering, but on the other hand, we have a long way to go. I am a speech-language pathologist and I teach both undergraduate and graduate stuttering courses. Before I start lecturing the first day of each class, I ask my students three questions: what does stuttering “look like,” what does stuttering “sound like,” and what do you think of when you hear the word “stutter?” While I get a myriad of answers to these questions, the answers to the last question always seem to take on a theme, especially if the student does not personally know someone who stutters. They always name stereotypical characters that are portrayed in a negative light, such as Porky Pig and Bobby Boucher in The Waterboy, among others. They also name characters who stutter in movies that aren’t necessarily portrayed in a negative light, but are not played by actual persons who stutter in real life, such as the main character in the movie It and Colin Firth’s character in The King’s Speech.  

Having stuttering representation in movies and television is great as long as it is being portrayed appropriately. By appropriately, I mean neutrally. Instead of having a character obtain a dream “in spite of their stuttering,” why not let a stuttering character just achieve a dream? Why can’t stuttering be as normalized as having red hair? If a character stutters, you better believe there will be a storyline around the stuttering because “how will the audience know what is going on with their speech if we don’t address it directly?” Typically, a movie or show will devote special time to talking about the character’s stutter with soft, melancholy music overlaying the scene(s). How amazing would it be to have a character stutter and their speech didn’t get the attention of the entire episode, or the movie didn’t revolve around this person’s “struggles” because of the stuttering. Even better, what if the actor was an actual person who stutters in real life?! 

Please do not misinterpret my opinion. I am not downplaying the struggles associated with stuttering, nor am I of the opinion that trials and tribulations associated with stuttering should be ignored. I believe we need to highlight the whole picture of stuttering, successes and failures, highs and lows, but let’s not forget the middle. There is life to be lived and celebrated in the middle of successes and failures. We are not only our true selves when succeeding or failing, we are also ourselves when we are simply living and dealing with the same minutiae as everyone else. If we want consumers of film and television to react to stuttering in a different way, the representation should reflect that. 

You might be reading this thinking, “But what about Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, and James Earl Jones? They are representations of stuttering in the media!” To that I would say, have you ever heard them stutter in a movie? Have you ever heard them stutter in an interview? You do not actually see them stuttering while acting or stuttering while talking about why you should see their latest movie on The Tonight Show. It is great that these particular actors have chosen to talk about their stuttering story, but that doesn’t show a young child or adult who stutters that it is okay to stutter. It just tells them that these actors once stuttered and either do not anymore, or they choose to “hide” their stuttering. Either is unhelpful when you want a child to accept themselves as they are and reach for their goals. The narrative surrounding stuttering needs to change. Not only can our young children who stutter be the President of the United States or a famous actor, but they can also be lawyers, accountants, receptionists, construction workers, therapists, life coaches, reporters, and teachers. Even more importantly, they can be all of these things and stutter.