Yet Another Cliche

The episode of Glee that aired last year, Wheels, was yet another attempt by Hollywood to portray a physical disability as a "a condition that is to be pitied, doubted, and overcome at a very heat wrenching moment at the show's conclusion". It was a another token attempt by the producers to actively include minority characters in the show, joining a laundry list of half-baked attempts by Glee to include Gays, Asians, and Blacks. What made this episode in particular stand out however, was the fact that it touched upon all the stereotypical depictions of a physical disability by Hollywood almost on cue. Artie's entire character development on the show was essentially driven by disability stereotypes, the biggest example of which was his crush on Tina. Essentially, Artie fell for her due to the fact that he thought she had a stuttering issue, but the truth was that Tina had faked the whole thing in an attempt to be "unique". Naturally, Artie is terribly hurt by this lie, but more importantly, it is a demonstration by the show's producers that people with disabilities are very "different" and drive people away by their very nature. The episode then tops it all off with a feel good concert at the end. But in the end, the producers look at it as entertainment, and to them, that is all that matters.