CONFINED TO A WEBSITE

There’s an advertisement from many years ago that has the tagline, “When you find something that makes you happy, the first thing you want to do is share it.”

The ad was encouraging people to investigate the Mormon Church, and if you’re so inclined, do check it out. But that “sharing” concept translates to other areas as well. In that spirit, I offer this:

A couple of months ago, a good friend (who’s Mormon… coincidence? I think not) tipped me off to something called the Ouch podcast. It’s probably the funniest thing I’ve heard in years.

The Ouch podcast is a monthly discussion on disability issues, but that’s grossly unfair description of the show. It’s like saying a Richard Pryor routine is a discussion of issues of interest to black Americans. Stick with me on the Richard Pryor thing, there are plenty of parallels.

The first time I heard this podcast, I didn’t know quite what to make of it… at least for a few moments. The first edition starts with hosts Mat Fraser and Liz Carr introducing themselves and declaring, “we never let our disabilities get us down.” Then the theme song starts, sung by a very excited studio musician…

You’re so special, we’ve made a podcast for you!
Disabled people can have fun, too!
They can do anything we can do!
Say “Thank You” to the BBC!

So dry your eyes and listen in!
To people just like you!
Confined to a website, the Ouch podcast!

Within minutes, Mat and Liz are bagging on the Special Olympics, gagging over sugary-sweet hospital radio broadcasts, and saying naughty words. The podcast is littered with words that we’ve all been taught not to say.

They use terms like “crip” and “spazz” like Richard Pryor used the “n” word. They treat with distain the politically correct world that labels disabled people as “heroes,” “brave,” and “special.” They use a man with a severe speech impediment to do their voice over work. A popular feature of the podcast is a contest called “Vegetable, Vegetable, or Vegetable” where the hosts try to guess a caller’s disability by asking a series of “yes” or “no” questions.

This is some of the most in-your-face humor I’ve heard in years… well, as in-your-face as you can get if you’re in a wheelchair. Perhaps it’s more in-your-navel, but the effect is still the same. It is sly, wickedly funny, and deeply subversive.

It’s subversive mostly because of its sponsor, the BBC. It’s hard to imagine “Auntie Beeb” had this in mind when they sponsored a disability podcast. Of course, it is positively unimaginable that any mainstream news organization in America would have let this podcast ever see the light of day. That it has survived three episodes is a testament to BBC’s commitment to quality programming, or perhaps they’re just not paying attention.

The podcast sheds light on a world most non-disabled people don't think much about. But like all great humor, it also teaches us something about ourselves, and not always positive things. (Didn’t I just write a story about a disabled boy that used the term “special”? Rats!)

In the most recent podcast, Mat Fraser (who lost the second “t” in his name due to his mother’s Thalidomide use) said he’s not worried about offending people with his politically incorrect talk. He says the dark humor employed on the show is an example of the conversations disabled people have with each other.

There’s always a chance that the humor will be misunderstood by a wider audience, ala Dave Chappelle. But after listening to three episodes of this podcast, I really am struck by the fact that both Fraser and Carr are both extremely… well… brave.

Note: The Ouch website has a similar edgy feel to it, and is quite fun to read even if you're not disabled. You can burn an entire afternoon reading their Top Ten lists.