The “woke” left always has something to be mad about and this time they’ve directed their anger at singer Sia who has decided to cast actress Maddie Ziegler in an upcoming film “Music” that she directed and co-wrote. The role is described as “a teenager with special needs,” but the criticism surrounding Sia is about why she didn’t cast an autistic actor with an autistic role.
The film’s trailer starring Kate Hudson and Leslie Odom Jr was released last week about a young woman on the autism spectrum. Sia notes that there are thirteen people on the spectrum in the movie and that the film’s message is about understanding those with developmental disorders. She spent three years researching and studying autism for the film.
Writer and researcher on autism Dawn-Joy Leong lashed out at Sia over the film’s trailer announcement on Twitter. “Yet another one without autistic input. Disappointed in @Sia thought you’d be more progressive & edgy than this. I’m #Autistic but an artist too. Creating work on disability without disabled input is ableist & dismissive, no matter abt “good intentions,” she wrote.
Others also criticized the film’s representation of autism without even watching the movie. They said the singer was excluding disabled and neurodiverse actors from their own narratives. Sia wrote back that she was extremely sad and confused that people think she didn’t do her research or utilize her friends on the spectrum.
“I actually tried working with a beautiful young girl nonverbal on the spectrum and she found it unpleasant and stressful. So that’s why I cast Maddie,” Sia wrote in another tweet defending her choice in casting Maddie Ziegler. The singer noted that casting someone at her level of functioning was cruel and did not best lovingly represent the community. She also corrected many people who used the term “disabled input.” She adds that she has never used that term and has always referred to it as “special abilities.”
The American Association of People with Disabilities even tweeted out “Don’t watch the Sia video” after many accused Sia of “cripping up.” This is defined as a non-disabled actor taking on the role of a disabled character and mimicking the specific impairments or medical condition.
The cancel culture has quite a lot of fake outrage to throw at people who are just acting, but it’s not a surprise. Whenever something doesn’t align with what the left believes, it’s canceled.
It’s always the most inclusive communities that are actually the least inclusive.
