If they had animated Gerald as super cute with big oversized eyes and chubby cheeks à la baby Dory, no one would have laughed at the bullies picking on him. The first is that Gerald is “funny-looking” and different. There are a few things this joke relies on for its humor. That’s the whole joke.Ĭall me a party-pooper, but I’m not laughing. Gerald naively hopes for inclusion, and Fluke and Rudder repeatedly crush that dream by being cruel to him. It’s just a bitter punchline they hammer home over and over again. The story doesn’t address the way they bully Gerald and exploit his disability as a bad thing. There’s no lesson learned, no apology, no moment of realization. ![]() Fluke and Rudder never accept him or change their behavior toward him, but are still generally represented as “good guys” in the movie. The most depressing part of this plot line is that Gerald never really gets his day. With his wide-set eyes, prominent overbite, exaggerated brow, friendly-but-naive disposition, and non-verbal role in an otherwise very talkative ocean, it seems to me that this character was intended to represent someone with a developmental disability. His goal in life is to join Fluke and Rudder, two seemingly neurotypical seals, on the warm sunny rock they bask on throughout the day. In case you missed Finding Dory or blocked the sea lion scenes out of your memory as I wish I could, Gerald is a sea lion who appears pretty clearly to have some sort of developmental disability. Unfortunately, this beautiful message of inclusion and empowerment gets muddied while it stands in stark contrast to the included “Gerald” plot line, which is mean-spirited, heartbreaking, and completely tactless. ![]() A big part of the story centers on how, despite her cognitive disability, Dory is able to successfully manage the world and find love and acceptance. In general, I loved the movie “Finding Dory.” In fact, I thought it mostly delivered a great message about disability inclusion.
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