Sia is under fire for how her film portrays autism
AUSTRALIAN pop singersongwriter Sia (pic) is known for hits such as Chandelier but also for protecting her privacy, often concealing her identity with largerthan-life wigs.
It might come as a surprise, then, that the nine-time Grammy nominee engaged directly with critics of the new trailer for her upcoming film, Music.
The project, which she’s calling a “cinematic experience”, will feature dancer and frequent collaborator Maddie Ziegler as Music, a teen with autism as well as actors Kate Hudson and Leslie Odom Jr.
Sia, who has dabbled in directing since 2014, released the trailer on Nov 19. Since then, a backlash has been brewing on Twitter around the portrayal of Ziegler’s character, who communicates her emotions through a tablet in the trailer, leaning into a disability the actress does not have.
Sia, however, seems annoyed by the pushback, tweeting: “Why don’t you watch my film before you judge it? FURY.”
“Hi Sia, can I ask why you didn’t cast a disabled actor for this part?” Irish actress Bronagh Waugh ( Unforgotten) wrote on Twitter. “It’s pretty offensive the way you’ve chosen to portray this character. People with disabilities are not broken and don’t need fixing.”
Waugh continued: “Many of my friends have different disabilities and they are some of the ... coolest, most talented d, funny, kind, intelligent peo ople I know.
“They are also a the most underrepresented anda inaccurately represented group g in our society. This kind of in naccurate, offensive representatio n causes so much pain.”
“I agree,” Si ia responded in a tweet. “I’ve ne ever referred to (the character Mu usic) as disabled. Special abiliti ies is what I’ve always said, and cast ting someone at her level of functi ioning was cruel, not kind, so I mad de the executive decision that we wouldw do our best to loving gly represent the communi ity.”
The social media m platform amp plified the outcry as a Twitter Mome ent Friday as the controversy begaan to trend in the United U States, with ac ctors, activists, organisattions and fans chiming in.
Some were offended by Sia’s choice to cast Ziegler, a nondisabled actor, as an autistic character.
(Sia has worked with the 1818-yearyear-old dancer for a number of years, featuring her as a muse of sorts in videos for Chandelier and Elastic Heart.)
Detractors have funnelled their frustration into the #Actuallyautistic and #Nothingaboutuswithouutus hashtags.
Others, such as Twitterr user @oceansofnovels, condemmned the singer’s use of the organiisation Autism Speaks to consultt on the project.
Autism Speaks bills itseelf as an “autism advocacy organiisation” but has come under fire f for not being founded or led by p people with autism, among otheer failures.
Although Sia did respoond directly to a number of twweets, her response to the backlash too has been criticised.
Twitter user Helenn Zbihlyj, a prominent membeer of the gaming communnity, wrote: “Severall autistic actors, myself included, responded to these tweetts. We all said we couuld have acted in it onn short notice. These exxcuses are just that – excuuses.
“The fact of the matter is zero effort was made to include anyone who is actually autistic. #Nothingaboutuswithoutus”
To that, Sia responded with a curt: “Maybe you’re just a bad actor.”
In her only general, public response as of the afternoon of Nov 20, Sia tweeted: “Grrrrrrrrrr. F — f — why don’t you watch my film before you judge it? FURY.”
The movie is expected to be released early next year.
“The purpose of a movie trailer is to spark interest in a film,” responded actress Franchesca Ramsey ( Superstore.)
“Thus *asking* people to judge aka decide if they want to see the full film. It’s obvious you put a lot of work into this project & are incredibly talented but you missed the mark here.”
Ramsey continued: “People are allowed to feel however they want about the work.
“But especially when you take it upon yourself to tell the story of an under represented and often misrepresented community the LEAST you could do is include/consult them. Otherwise are you really advocating for them?” – Los Angeles Times/ Tribune News Service