DONEGAL members of The Cleft Lip & Palate Association of Ireland are warning parents of children affected by Cleft to be prepared for the release of the Disney film ‘Lone Ranger’.
Disney describes the villain of the movie whose facial scar is recognisable as resulting from Cleft Lip as “a ruthless outlaw whose terribly scarred face is a perfect reflection of the bottomless pit that passes for his soul.”
Lego has brought out a range of toys to accompany the movie and includes the character complete with cleft lip.
According to Georgina Wade, Chair of CLAPAI: “The issue is not that a movie character has a cleft lip or that Lego have duplicated the cleft. The issue is the deliberate negative association of a cleft. The ideology and wording are extremely offensive to people living with cleft and their family and friends.
“There is no doubt that this is what the movie sets out to do. William Fichner the actor who plays the villain says when asked about acting under the make up: ‘You know, I have the prosthetic broken nose, the whole cleft lip …’
“This association of a cleft lip with evil may lead to bullying, mocking and an expectation that children with a cleft should be the bad guys in playground games. These children are already vulnerable due to their facial condition. They encounter enough medical and psychological challenges in everyday life without this” said Georgina Wade.
Cleft is one of the commonest congenital facial conditions worldwide. In Ireland there are 100 to 120 babies born with a cleft annually. Therefore this affects a sizable number of people in Ireland. This unnecessary portrayal implants an incorrect psychological connection between cleft and evil. As this film is rated 12a it will undoubtedly leave a negative impression on young minds.
A statement from CLAPAI said: “We are advising parents to be ready for questions from their children and to prepare their children for potentially difficult situations when at play. We also want to pre-warn teenagers and adults about the content of the movie so that they may choose to avoid it.
“The association of evil with a facial birth defect has already caused great upset abroad among people who have seen the movie as well in Ireland where people have seen the pictures and the merchandise. It is particularly difficult because Disney and Lego are in the heart of children’s childhoods and are trusted ‘friends’ to families.” We do not live in Disney’s fantasy world. This is causing real hurt to real people.”
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