The Sensitive Type

On Friday night, I went out for a couple hours (a rarity for me) to see a movie with my friend, Jennifer. 

Tower Heist - who can resist a movie with Eddie Murphy as a hoodlum (glad he's back to roles like that) Ferris Bueller, I mean, Matthew Broderick, Ben Stiller, Alan Alda, and a couple other great actors?  Apparently not me.  The movie was really good - and it felt good to laugh.  But what has stayed with me was not the joy of the time out or the laughs that were had but the handful of references the Eddie Murphy character made to the Ben Stiller character as they remembered their youth and time together at a certain daycare. 

Little seizure boy.  That's how the Eddie Murphy character remembers Ben Stiller's character.  And he goes on to say the reason he didn't have any friends was because of his seizures.

I found myself doing some serious deep breathing during that couple minute exchange.  I got caught between thinking "What the hell were they thinking having this conversation in a movie?"  "Didn't ANYONE in the editing process think this was a bad idea?" To "Am I being too sensitive?"

I don't think I was.  I think it's terrible that the movie had that part in there.  Apparently, I'm not alone in my thoughts because if you Google "tower heist seizure boy" you get a BUNCH of references to outrage others have felt as a result of these comments as well as an apology from the director.  An online article by ABC News captured the feelings of others like me very well:
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2011/09/one-actor-not-laughing-at-tower-heist-trailer/

It all comes down to responsibility and respect.  Thinking of others and their feelings before we act or speak...no matter if our actions and words reach one person or millions.

Seizures are no laughing matter...no medical condition is.  We've come a long way as a society, but it's obvious we have further to go. 

I hope that everyone reading this helps us get there.