Ableism Food Network (Ableism in Cooking/Baking Shows)

Trigger Warning: brief talk of the term “special needs”

I watch a lot of cooking/baking shows. Whether it’s for entertainment, distraction, or comfort, I have a list of cooking/baking shows for many situations.

The problem is, though, the ABSOLUTE ableism in them.

The first thing for me is representation.

As I mentioned in my recent article about Is It Cake?, wheelchair users can be bakers and cooks. Someone being a wheelchair user doesn’t automatically mean someone can’t cook or bake. We can make whatever just as well as able-bodied and nondisabled people.

There is no good reason to exclude wheelchair users.

I am also incredibly bothered by ableist language.

I feel an obvious phrase is “special needs” (unless someone self-identifies that way). I’m honestly always scared when someone mentions family member(s) (especially their kid(s)) because they can be incredibly ableist. Many nondisabled adults describe disabled people - children or not - as “special needs”. Just say disabled. Better yet, ask each person how they identify. If someone can’t answer how they identify, call them disabled and/or a person with a disability for the time being. “Disabled” isn’t a dirty or bad word so don’t step around it.

It doesn’t happen every time, but, if a contestant mentions a family member of theirs is disabled it’s - almost if not completely - always supposed to be a pity story to prove why they should win the money and never related to what they’re talking about or what’s going on in the show.

Related to the “pity stories” there is something I’ve noticed more recently:

When someone on a show talks about their disabled family member, the background music changes DRASTICALLY. For example, the music can go from a bass and drum-heavy beat to a soft piano melody.

Being disabled and/or having a disabled family member is not this awful thing. Disabled people are human beings just like nondisabled people. Our existence isn’t sad.

There’s nothing wrong with getting personal in these shows, but it’s possible to get personal without being ableist.

It’s possible to hear about a disabled person and not feel bad - in any way, shape, or form.