Question
Hello! Our names are Caroline, Molly, and Jamie. We are speech students and recently read Courtney Margulis’s article “It’s Time to Normalize Stuttering Instead of Praising the Stigma.” How do you think we could normalize stuttering in media/pop culture? As a person who stutters, what would this mean to you?
Hi Caroline, Molly, and Jamie! Thank you for your question.
It seems to me that in many films and novels, stuttering is used as a narrative tool to express the character’s strength: the shy child who stutters and then grows up, becoming stronger by overcoming his stutter.
I would like to see new narratives, which do not have to be centred on “cure” or “overcoming”. For example, the story of a child who stutters and grows up fighting stereotypes and prejudices, proud of his diversity and his way of speaking.
I hope I answered your question!
Andrea
There are many VIPs raising awareness of stuttering, but most of them no longer stutter (hearably). It’s easy to say that it’s ok to stutter, when you no longer do. We need more people who stutter and do it anyway. People like Marc Winski, Drew Lynch, Nina G, etc. We also need to make PWS more visible, not as being sad or “brave”, but just as we are, appearing in a movie or series, that would normalize stuttering. And as Andrea wrote, we need to change the narrative. Cure, overcome, bad stutter-good fluency. It just is.
Keep them talking
Anita