Stuttering is No Joke

Stuttering is one of the only disabilities still outwardly ridiculed in mainstream media. In entertainment, People Who Stutter (PWS) have long been portrayed as buffoons, idiots, and villains. From Porky the Pig in 1935 to 2017’s DJ in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the stuttering is used as a prop to make people look weak or amoral. 

The derision doesn’t end with fiction. In the current election cycle, prominent politicians are vilifying and reinforcing stereotypes of PWS by shamelessly mocking opponents and using their speech pathology to call into question their mental fitness. This inspired the professors to act.

When asked about timing, co-founder Prof. Benedikt noted, “October 22nd is International Stuttering Awareness Day. It is circled my calendar because I too stutter. It has impacted my daily life, from personal to professional, where I often must overcome the assumption that have a neurological or psychological disability.” 

Prof. Bodman, said “This year, we will do our part to educate the public about the negative stereotypes around stuttering while empowering fellow persons who stutter to come forward, overcome fear and ridicule, and find the confidence to follow their dreams.”