Here is some condescension to start your day

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Using people on the spectrum as a feel good status step stool.

While I think that making a news story out of the event is a little over the top, I agree with what the man did.

I have a personal connection to make with regard to this story. When I was in second grade, during lunch I often liked helping the janitor clean up a certain table group, I got to push the massive 6 foot wide dust mop and use the wet mop and wringer bucket. I just loved it, it was fun to me - disregarding my classmates laughing at me 20 feet away.

Sadly, this did not last long, the school principle shut it down and told the janitor not to let me help and told me that I should be interacting with my class mates instead, disregarding the fact that they didn't like me anyway.

I don't have a problem with what the worker did, I have a problem with the contextual response.

The boy enjoys stocking the shelves. Great. But if you understood why people are reacting in the way they are you would see that they both hold a low opinion of the boy's capabilities and see him as a tool to display their own status.

People like to use the differently abled to make themselves look good...I am not saying that was the intention of the worker...I think he was just being kind, but those lauding him would not be making such a fuss about it if they were like minded.

I think the terms for this is "disability porn" much like poverty porn where people from affluent countries go volunteer in some impoverished village somewhere and document it to show what a great saviour they are as if the villagers are helpless.

Why not help poor Americans? Because they won't look at good.

Are you saying poor Americans should be helped in preference to poor people elsewhere in the world? How about letting everyone help or not help whomever they damn want to?

Makes me think of the spoiled rich white girls that get volunteer hours in the special ed classrooms to make themselves look like saints and angels to the teachers and administration. These girls are really condescending, giggly little airheads that think they are better than everyone else and they don't really contribute anything to those classes.

You make it sound like it'd be less bad if spoiled rich non-white girls did it.

The news story (not the people involved) was a bit condescending but it probably fell short of being "inspiration porn"
Please Stop Spreading 'Inspiration Porn' About Disability

Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 01 Aug 2018, 11:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

This reminds me of that episode of Speechless were JayJay got upset at his classmates for using him as inspiration porn.

For all we know, Elaine might not even be white....and even if she is, she knows rich white girls have privilege at least where I live.

I'm saying a lot of people who help the poor and disabled only do so to make themselves look better. The more contrast between them and the group they are helping, the better they look. It's a form of exploitation.

I didn't get the white context either.

I don't have a problem with the shop assistant, the following comment is in relation to other comments on this thread.


I am always uncomfortable whenever anyone displays their charity or dogoodyness, it's vulgar. It's more about telling everyone else they're a nice person that in genuinely trying to help others. Sometimes someone will even say at a meal 'I'll pay for you (to a friend), I know things are tough at the moment' in front of other and things like that. I think wanting the public credit takes all the positive out of helping someone. So much kinder to help someone discretely.

I agree, Fluffysaurus. People shouldn't brag everytime they help someone or donate money. I also can't stand it when people feel the need to have their names plastered everywhere when they make a monetary donation. I like it better when people make anonymous donations.

It's great that people want to help. I don't like it when they ramble on about it.

Apparently, it's okay to be racist against white people.

I felt sorry for the worker, he looked confused and overwhelmed by all the attention.

I guess he took a risk though, he would be responsible for any damages to the stock; he could have a boss that would see actions like this as, inappropriate interaction with customers, dossing or wasting time.

It must of been a slow news day.