Marlee Matlin Can Take a Joke, But That Doesn't Make It Funny

"Marlee Matlin #1 on Google Trends!" That was a blog headline from Jamie Berke, the About.com guide to Deafness, this morning. Though seeing a deaf actress atop the Google heap might be a "historic" moment, it's too bad that it came not because of her acting ability or her advocacy, but because she participated in a little good-natured self-spoofing on Fox's live Family Guy special last night. You can view a video of her appearance on Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch blog, but the gist of it is that, in the middle of a live sketch mocking her way of speaking, Matlin came onstage in a pretend rage to yell at the actress imitating her voice, sling some ridicule in return, and show a little not-safe-for-prime-time "sign language."

It's probably a good thing for Matlin to show she can take a joke and play along, but I found the whole thing pretty uncomfortable. Mocking her speaking voice was the focus of two little skits, with the performers joking in between about how naughty it was to make fun of people with disabilities, and the audience laughing merrily throughout. There appears to be a perception that having the person you're making fun of come onstage and smack you makes the making fun of okay, and I'd disagree. There was a whole lot of laughing at before that laughing with.

I have a little more hope for another Fox show this week. Wednesday's episode of Glee, with the title "Wheels," features an exercise in which the glee-club classmates of a high-schooler who uses a wheelchair all have to use wheelchairs for a few hours a day and perform in them, and a subplot involving a student with Down syndrome trying out for the cheerleading squad. Here's hoping that the laughing at/with balance will be significantly less uncomfortable.

Did you see the Family Guy special? Will you be watching Glee on Wednesday (if you miss it, you can catch it on Hulu)? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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