Representation of Disability in the Inbetweeners

Why is the clip funny?


The clip is funny as Will encourages the boys to play Frisbee and defends his idea that girls will love it, only to be shown up in front of a group of girls when he hits the disabled girl with the Frisbee. This shows another one of the groups unfortunate events and also shows comedy at the end when the group that were playing football that Jay wanted to join in with chase after them, thinking they are trying to steal the disabled girls Frisbee.

How is the disabled girl being represented?

The disabled girl is seen as very vulnerable and weak as she is seen to be crying and shouting and almost inconsolable at the start. She is then shown to be quite rude and ignorant by refusing to give back the Frisbee and making it look like the boys were trying to steal it from her.

Are we meant to laugh at the disabled person?

I believe that both are represented in quite a comical way. We are meant to laugh at Will because of his misfortune and how he has proved everything he has said seconds before to be wrong. However the disabled girl is also represented in an unfair way that could present comedy, for example from the way she is screaming and shouting at Will and his reaction to this. Although the main comedy is based on Will and the other boys and their reactions, the whole scene is meant to be comical which is brought on by the fact that he has accidently hit the disabled girl.

Are they the 'butt' of the joke?

 I do not believe that the disabled girl is meant to be the 'butt' of the joke in this scene as we're mainly focusing on Will and his reactions. We are mainly laughing at the humiliation of Will in this scene.

How do you think disabled people respond to this?

I think people with a disability would find this quite offensive and unfair as they are being used to create something that is meant to be comical and funny. It may make them feel quite vulnerable to being picked on and make them feel quite demoralised as they are being represented in a negative light.

Are we as a society cultivated to think we should pity the disabled?

As a society we are made to feel like we should treat the disabled with kindness and should be very respectful towards them. We are also taught to treat the disabled equally and like everybody else and to not discriminate against people with a disability by making them feel like an outcast. However this clip goes against what society generally thinks by putting a disabled person into quite a comical situation. In a way we are cultivated to think we should pity the disabled but at the same time we are also taught to appreciate the differences amongst people and see it in a positive light. Therefore this clip is quite awkward as it does make people laugh, however morally it Is seen as wrong to laugh in society at a joke that involves someone with a disability.