'Blindness' Boycotted by the Blind? This is Insanity!

What's next, Sarah Palin for Vice President?

By: Brad Brevet
Published: Wednesday, October 1st 2008 at 4:49 AM

Has the whole world gone to hell in a handbasket? Blind people boycotting Blindness saying the film could undermine efforts to integrate blind people into the mainstream is complete and utter insanity. This is so crazy I have no real argument against it. There isn't anything to compare this to, not even the recent Tropic Thunder Retardgate compares. There is just no basis or logic behind the argument. On top of that, no one is going to see Blindness, it is like a punch to the face when it comes to all out tragedy. I also have to wonder, why are they boycotting the movie and not the José Saramago book it is based on? I would venture a guess that more people have read the book than will see the movie.

"The movie portrays blind people as monsters, and I believe it to be a lie," said Maurer, president of the Baltimore-based National Federation of the Blind. "Blindness doesn't turn decent people into monsters."

No, in this movie damn near EVERYONE (except Julianne Moore) goes blind. It literally is the blind leading the blind. Guess what happens in that case. Total chaos. The movie is about the human spirit and how some people are ugly on the inside and others are not. I personally thought the movie was awful, but not for what is at its core. Get a clue you morons!

The NFB goes on to say the movie reinforces inaccurate stereotypes, including that the blind cannot care for themselves and are perpetually disoriented.

Imagine this Mr. Blind Boycotter. You are 40-years-old. You have been able to see your whole life. You are driving down the freeway. You suddenly go blind. Now what? Now imagine the same thing happens to everyone except Julianne Moore. Unless you are Julianne's husband, Bart Freundlich, or one of her two children you are pretty much screwed. Now imagine those that can still see (for now) take you and throw you in quarantine with a bunch of other people that just became blind. The blindness is considered a sickness and highly contagious and no one wants to touch you. Food is just dropped off and you are left to fend for yourself with no guidance. Now what? You go freaking crazy is what.

Apparently the NFB began planning the protests after seven staffers, including Christopher Danielsen, a spokesman for the organization, attended a screening of the movie in Baltimore last week. The group included three sighted employees, which is to say only four of the people saw what was going on.

"Everybody was offended," Danielsen said.

Unfortunately it appears people can't think for themselves and even when things are explained to them they choose to look the other way. Blindness is not a good movie, but it is not offensive either. It's too bad people such as those at the NFB live such empty lives they have to resort to this kind of lunacy to fill their day.

I wonder what the logical thinkers at the NFB would say if they actually saw the film. I know that sounds mean because blind people are, well, blind, but they could maybe pick up the book and give it a go. Amazon.com has it available in Audiobook format ready to give you all the gory details.

Blindness hits a whopping 75 theaters this weekend. Watch out for the blind people boycotting it.