Spoiler alert: this post provides details and description from the premiere episode of "Growing Up Fisher."
Last night, I watched the premiere of the new network situational comedy television show, "Growing Up Fisher." I was pretty excited to watch this show for a few reasons:
- To see the portrayal of a father who is blind as a main character
- To check out how they depict the dog guide and its work
- The show has some really funny and talented people associated with it
My Reaction
I really enjoyed the show; it provided a background to the father, his career, blindness, and the family dynamic. The show has him using a chainsaw to cut down a tree, and the show alludes to him cutting down other trees after the initial. There is nothing impossible or implausible about the father cutting down the trees, as I know many persons who are blind or visually impaired who use a chainsaw with ease. In fact, I have written on this blog about a blind student who used a chainsaw well. I know numerous persons without sight who are amazing with wood working, farming, and electrical work.
The show has the father with a career as a lawyer, and there are many lawyers who are blind or visually impaired around the United States. You can search the AFB CareerConnect mentor database and see many mentors in that field. The show describes a dog guide well. The show mentions a Seeing Eye dog, which is a dog guide brand, like Nike for sneakers. The father explains that the dog simply guides a person.
The show does have the father showing his daughter how to parallel park, as an example to the daughter that she can do anything. This is a common theme in the show. The father will say, "I am blind and did this." He used, "I went to law school blind," for example, when telling his son he was going to cut down a tree.
The father relied on his son for description purposes at times; he also chose not to openly tell people he was blind, without lying. He just chose to not tell people. This changes once he starts using his dog guide. The show kind of ignores the fact that most dog guide organizations require a two-week to month of training at the dog guide school specific to using and bonding with the dog guide. (You can read some firsthand accounts of getting a new dog guide on the AFB Blog and VisionAware blog. )
Yes, some of us people who are blind bump our shins into coffee tables on occasion. I don't use my cane in my own house, and it does happen. I will look for some feedback from others about his use of the cane. I didn't notice any mention of a white cane. The show referenced the father using the son as his human guide most often. I will be curious to find out if he used a cane during the episode prior to getting a dog guide. I have known parents who are blind who have used their children or significant others as guides.
Overall, I really enjoyed the television show and the portrayal. I, as a married man who his blind or visually impaired, found the show entertaining, as my wife and I hope to have children in the future like many couples. I also look forward to my wife's thoughts on the show, as a spouse of a man who is blind. The comical, but realistic portrayal really hit home for me. The events may be exaggerated at times, as most persons who are blind have a variety of strengths and weakness, just like all people. We all have things that we can do well. I didn't see much that the father couldn't do, but I am sure that will come in time, as this was just the premiere of a thirty-minute show. I look forward to seeing what the next episode highlights.
Did any of you catch it? What did you think?
