Ableism at the Next Level (Language in "NLC")

Spoiler Alert for season three of Next Level Chef (details of episodes 14 and 15)

Trigger Warning: multiple mentions and talks of the phrase “special needs”

Specific comments I have are italicized and underlined

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As I have mentioned before, cooking shows are a comfort for me a lot of the time. Next Level Chef has been no exception.

I love the idea of the show, but I especially admire the safety it brings me. The word “disabled” has been used instead of the phrase “special needs”. Disabled people are not painted as these lesser human beings. That is until this most recent season (season three). (Article on the representation in the show to come.)

Everything was fine until the final five and the final four (episodes entitled “Kombucha Kulture” and “Taste of Success”).

Background Info needed: One of the contestants, Christina, has a daughter who was “born with a malformed chest wall” and “has had to have multiple surgeries” (direct quotes taken from the home cooks auditions).

Christina talks a lot about Isabel [her daughter] throughout the season - as I would expect from a mom.

In “Kombucha Kulture” Christina says she has “a special needs daughter” that she has “been taking care of for ten years”. Aka Christina has a 10 year old daughter who happens to be disabled.

Gordon Ramsay then mentions his mom “was a nurse with special needs for 30 years” when he was growing up and his sister is one now. (I assume he means his mom was and his sister is a nurse for/that works with disabled people.)(I believe Gordon said “special needs” only because Christina did first.)

In “Taste of Success” Christina mentions how her daughter “has special needs” and how she “takes care of her”. Gordon then says that’s amazing.

The thing is: Christina doesn’t mention Isabel’s disability (more than in the auditions episode) until “Kombucha Kulture”.

I believe Christina suddenly refers to Isabel as “special needs” as sort of a pity story to make people root for her more. (I honestly personally believe that’s the show’s fault - or else they wouldn’t have aired that language. But also using that language, unless someone identifies as such, is not okay to begin with.)

Let’s first specifically talk about the use of the phrase “special needs”.

That phrase is incredibly dehumanizing and devaluing. It creates and/or vocalizes pity for disabled people and paints us in a “lesser than nondisabled people” light. Disabled people are human beings. We aren’t inferior just because we are disabled/have disabilities.

Next, let’s talk about Christina saying she’s “taking care of” her daughter and has been for 10 years (because her daughter is 10).

I personally don’t like this language because (1) someone saying they’ve been taking care of their kid for however old they are sounds, to me, like they’re babysitting ; (2) she’s a mom so I sure hope she takes care of her daughter.

No matter when someone becomes disabled (whether it’s before or after coming out of the womb), I am a full believer in not becoming a parent - AT ALL - if you can’t handle being a parent to a disabled human being.

If you feel you would take care of your kid simply because they’re disabled, don’t subject you or them to that.

Speaking from personal experience, my mom isn’t amazing because she has a physically disabled child.

She’s amazing because of who she is and how she treats me. She’s amazing because she’s all about learning and doing better as I learn more about the world and myself and what I need. She’s amazing because listens to me.

My mom doesn’t “take care” of me (unless I’m sick and/or injured). She had me, she became a mom, she raised me. Me being disabled isn’t something that makes her feel she “takes care of” me.

Don’t force a person into an environment of being dehumanized and devalued.

Don’t put yourself in a position of feeling like you’re obligated to take care of someone. It’s not okay.