Why so many people with physical quirks on My Name is Earl?
October 3, 2008 10:25 AM Subscribe
Is there any particular reason why My Name is Earl features the number of disabled/injured/otherwise-non-standard people it does?
Over the course of it's run, My Name is Earl has featured a dis-proportionately large number of people with something physically unusual about them - folks missing limbs, folks with "circus-freak"-type deformities, little people, etc.
In a few cases, these traits are bestowed with TV-magic, but it's obvious that the show uses lots of performers with their own genuine physical idiosyncrasies.
Does anyone know if there's anything up with that? Do the producers make a point of it, for some creative and/or social reason?
Over the course of it's run, My Name is Earl has featured a dis-proportionately large number of people with something physically unusual about them - folks missing limbs, folks with "circus-freak"-type deformities, little people, etc.
In a few cases, these traits are bestowed with TV-magic, but it's obvious that the show uses lots of performers with their own genuine physical idiosyncrasies.
Does anyone know if there's anything up with that? Do the producers make a point of it, for some creative and/or social reason?
The show is Hollywood's parody of what dumb hicks, white trash, and poor people look like. I don't think you can read much more into it than that.
posted by MegoSteve at 10:43 AM on October 3, 2008
posted by MegoSteve at 10:43 AM on October 3, 2008
I agree with MegoSteve, but a secondary reason may be similar to what the Farrelly brothers have done in the past, which is to create something that allows disabled/deformed/etc. people to participate in the production without being exploited (subject to interpretation, natch).
posted by rhizome at 11:05 AM on October 3, 2008
posted by rhizome at 11:05 AM on October 3, 2008
I think they're just trying to be offbeat. The various character afflictions seem to produce some unique (and often strange) storylines that lead to humorous interactions and situations.
posted by karizma at 11:13 AM on October 3, 2008
posted by karizma at 11:13 AM on October 3, 2008
There was an episode (in, I believe, the second season) where Earl had to do something from his list for a troupe of circus freaks. After that episode, the characters that Earl helped keep reappearing here and there.
posted by pdb at 11:27 AM on October 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by pdb at 11:27 AM on October 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
Poor areas do have a lot of people with disabilities. People lose limbs, incur deformities from lack of medical intervention, unmaintained diabetes, etc. And conversely, people with disabilities are often less able to work and become impoverished.
posted by electroboy at 12:01 PM on October 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by electroboy at 12:01 PM on October 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
To add to what DonSlice said about Earl trying to make amends, he and his brother were pretty much cowards when he was bad, taking advantage of people where the risk was lowest. Like the one-legged girl or the circus freaks. The handicapped just made easier targets and so are probably disproportionately represented on his list.
posted by JaredSeth at 1:31 PM on October 3, 2008
posted by JaredSeth at 1:31 PM on October 3, 2008
Contrary to what MegoSteve implies, these disabled/disfigured people aren't portrayed as "dumb hicks". They are generally nice people of average intelligence. The villains in the show have normal bodies.
posted by neuron at 1:51 PM on October 3, 2008
posted by neuron at 1:51 PM on October 3, 2008
Greg Garcia may also find this funny. Earl's hair is deformed, for instance.
I've never seen it as exploitation - but maybe I'm an ass.
It's also visually that much richer than a show where everyone has five finger and toes and the daytime hookers have two good boobs. It's also a way to through you, the innocent view off for a sec, so you have to assess the characters without falling back on cliche. (That is, you have whatever reaction to the eye-patch, then you regroup and try to be "fair" instead of put off or overly sympathetic.)
posted by Lesser Shrew at 6:01 PM on October 3, 2008
I've never seen it as exploitation - but maybe I'm an ass.
It's also visually that much richer than a show where everyone has five finger and toes and the daytime hookers have two good boobs. It's also a way to through you, the innocent view off for a sec, so you have to assess the characters without falling back on cliche. (That is, you have whatever reaction to the eye-patch, then you regroup and try to be "fair" instead of put off or overly sympathetic.)
posted by Lesser Shrew at 6:01 PM on October 3, 2008
Through = throw. Imagine me with no good boobs and two eye patches when I typed that.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 6:03 PM on October 3, 2008
posted by Lesser Shrew at 6:03 PM on October 3, 2008
pdb nailed it. There was an episode where Earl helped a town of circus freaks, and now they're his friends.
posted by christinetheslp at 8:08 PM on October 3, 2008
posted by christinetheslp at 8:08 PM on October 3, 2008
Everyone keeps mentioning the circus freaks, but they are far from the only unusual types in the show.
There's the one-legged girl, her no-legged boyfriend, the one-eyed mailman (in real life, the dad of the actor who plays Randy), the guy with the throat-cancer voice box thing. None of them are from the circus-freak episode, so to me it's just that Earl lives in a goofy community with real people.
posted by GaelFC at 11:25 PM on October 4, 2008
There's the one-legged girl, her no-legged boyfriend, the one-eyed mailman (in real life, the dad of the actor who plays Randy), the guy with the throat-cancer voice box thing. None of them are from the circus-freak episode, so to me it's just that Earl lives in a goofy community with real people.
posted by GaelFC at 11:25 PM on October 4, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by DonSlice at 10:33 AM on October 3, 2008