Online war has broken out between singer-songwriter Sia and the autism community over her upcoming film Music.
The controversy was sparked by the release of the trailer for the film, which features a young woman with autism, played by dancer / actress Maddie Ziegler. The representation was classified as “offensive” and “inaccurate” by the Twitter mob, which worsened into an insulting game and encouraged various organizations not to watch the video or film.
Sia eventually tweeted that she was “so confused” by the negativity about the movie she wrote and directed. Previously, she had a different attitude when announcing the trailer release.
“The news you’ve been waiting for!” Sia tweeted Thursday morning. She promoted the work of Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr., and their longtime associate Ziegler on the film. Ziegler’s engagement sparked when the audience got upset that Ziegler was portraying a child with special needs.
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“May I ask why you didn’t cast a disabled actor for this part?” Irish actress Bronagh Waugh asked. “The way you portrayed this character is pretty insulting. People with disabilities are not broken and do not need to be fixed. “
Sia replied that she was trying to “lovingly represent the community”. That triggered Twitter, and many asked why a disabled actor couldn’t have filled the role. Sia struggled and said once: “Duh. I’ve been doing research for three damn years, I think that’s why I’m so crazy. “
Sia claimed she hired many “children with special skills” to work on the film, including a girl from the Spectrum, before casting Ziegler.
“She found it uncomfortable and stressful,” Sia said of the young girl on the spectrum.
When a tweeter said that she and a number of other autistic actors were ready for a role, Sia replied, “Maybe you’re just a bad actor.”
Ultimately, the film seems to have caused anger in the community, which it was trying to satisfy. The UK’s National Autistic Society said: “Sia got it wrong.”
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) also responded by saying, “Don’t watch the Sia video.”
Ultimately, Sia defended her actions and requested a review of the finished product.
“F *** ity f *** why don’t you watch my film before you judge it?” She wrote on Twitter. “ANGER.”
That brought a prominent response from celebrities
Dear @Sia, with respect as a fellow artist, is this the kind of response you want people to see when discussing a topic as important as people with autism? Please don’t be deaf to what they have to say. Marlee Matlin
– Marlee Matlin (@MarleeMatlin) November 21, 2020
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