Editorials

Sia Faces Major Backlash for New Movie, “Music”

Australian artist Sia recently found herself in the hot seat after revealing the trailer for her movie, “Music.” She tweeted, “The news you’ve been waiting for!” The movie is set to release in February 2021.

https://twitter.com/Sia/status/1329411673350942723
Sia both wrote and directed the movie, and it stars Maddie Ziegler, a frequent dancer in her music videos.

The Backlash

Courtesy of Merrick Morton/Hanway Films. Maddie Ziegler & Kate Hudson.

Maddie Ziegler, mostly known for her run on Dance Moms, is a non-disabled actor who portrays a teen with autism. The young teen conveys her feelings through a tablet.

According to Sia, the character is based on her neuro-atypical friend who found it stressful to be nonverbal. The controversy comes in from several activists and fans in the autistic community that found the casting to be misrepresentative since Ziegler is not an autistic actor. They thought it was offensive and questionable that Sia did not just hire disabled actors to tell their stories.

Sia’s Response

Despite the valid criticism, Sia stuck to her guns and defended both her movie and the casting of Ziegler. Sia claimed and believes that hiring Ziegler to play this role carries more compassion because she had already tried to work with “a beautiful young girl nonverbal on the spectrum and she found it unpleasant and stressful. So that’s why I cast Maddie.”

Sia was notably upset on Twitter and was lashing out on people criticizing her movie. A person tweeted her, “Several autistic actors, myself included, responded to these tweets. We all said we could have acted in it on short notice. These excuses are just that- excuses. The fact of the matter is zero effort was made to include anyone who is actually autistic. #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs” and Sia’s response was to tell them that maybe they’re just a bad actor.

https://twitter.com/Sia/status/1329737397190451201

She ended the tirade by asking people to watch it before making any further judgments because her heart was in the right place. She feels she put forth the proper research, claimed that the movie is a love letter to the autism community and their caregivers, and says she hired thirteen people on the spectrum.

https://twitter.com/Sia/status/1329736604819316737

The controversy sparked two hashtags, #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs and #ActuallyAutistic, where several fans and activists continued to speak on the misrepresentation in media and their lack of voices.

Darlene

An avid reader and music enthusiast. I can be found at your local coffee shop or at the nearest hiking spot.

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