Friday, March 05, 2010

Aimee Mullins: Running on high-tech legs

"Pamela Anderson has more prosthetics in her body than I do, and nobody calls her disabled."



It's amazing: this woman is more able than 98% of the people I know, I see no evidence that she's suffering more than anybody "normal", and yet it's just hard to shake that inherited feeling deep inside of "oh that poor soul, see what a brave face she is putting on her disability, how admirable". It's weird. She is not disabled, she can certainly run a hell of a lot longer and faster than I can with my meat feet.








I was hoping to find a video showing those "cheetah legs" demonstrated in use... Ah, found a brief one:


... I think she should try to be more forgiving of people calling her an "inspiration". It's a good thing to inspire after all, even if part of it comes from misconceptions of disability. She might for example inspire "disabled" people to not think of themselves as disabled. And maybe "normal" people get inspired to overcome their own obstacles. That's hardly a bad thing.

Here's a video, unfortunately of horrible quality, showing her showing the legs.

13 comments:

dave nielsen said...

Did't Pamela get her breast implants out? Even if she's had other cosmetic surgery, I doubt she actually has any implants.

Is it just me, or is she trying too hard? I find her a bit irritating.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Not me, and I usually get irritated pretty easily.
But of course it can be different things for different people.

I don't blame her for trying hard. It must be like having a 200 IQ, but because of your face everybody thinks of you as stupid no matter what you do.

dave nielsen said...

I don't blame her for trying hard. It must be like having a 200 IQ, but because of your face everybody thinks of you as stupid no matter what you do.

I suppose so, although personally I'd rather have that problem than the opposite. I just meant trying too hard because of what really is a disability. Sometimes people overcompensate for things like that. Like the way a short guy might go into bodybuilding where someone 6'2" or something would feel no need. Or how Ron Jeremy doesn't need to drive a Ferarri. :)

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

He might want to try a sensible diet though! Even with an eight-inch dong, I fear it barely reaches beyond his belly these days.

dave nielsen said...

He might want to try a sensible diet though! Even with an eight-inch dong, I fear it barely reaches beyond his belly these days.

Yes, I agree! He was much slimmer in his younger days. Getting a back wax might also be a good idea. :)

I was reading something the other day, which I came across when I was looking up male "chastity belts", that big dicks weren't always the idea. That is strange to us today. The Greeks, despite being a very phallic-centered society (to put it mildly), thought that a large penis indicated coarseness. In their art, satyrs were always shown with these (to quote the movie Superbad) huge, veiny, triumphant bastards. Weird!

Joe said...

Aimee Mullins is a attractive woman. She has not let the loss of her legs below the knee. Be an excuse for not achieving what ever goal that she has set for herself.

Don't find her irritating at all.
Joe

Anonymous said...

Except that she mostly just talks about how she hasn't let losing her legs stop from achieving...what? Collegiate-level athletic success? TED has really lowered its standards if they are letting someone on there who, were she able bodied, wouldn't be worth listening to. She should stop making her life all about her disability (and yes, it is a disability!)

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

I can see the viewpoint.

Though she was first on TED over a decade a go, so it does not seem to be a change of standards.

Robin said...

Someone like her makes you realise you are not putting out your full potential when you are no where near the disadvantages she has dealt with and overcome!

Very humbling.

Anonymous said...

And yet, no one considers that she does not see this as a disability because she does not remember losing her legs. This is all she has ever known, and she grew up with different circumstances to overcome. Thankfully, her family did not impress upon her that it was a disability.
But seriously, does she refuse disability chacks?

dave nielsen said...

A bit strong, anon, but you may have a point. There are many disabled people in the world who don't let their disability stop them from achieving. I can't see what's special about this one, except she's easy on the eyes.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Well, that caught my attention.
And also it subverts the deep-seated idea of people missing bits never being attractive.

Miserere said...

And she has real dimples, too ;-)