The Wolf of Wall Street stokes controversy with disability advocates

Disability group advocates have expressed discontent with the liberal use of the terms “cerebral palsy” and “retard” in Martin Scorsese’s film The Wolf of Wall Street.

In a joint statement, disability group The Arc chief executive, Peter Berns and United Cerebral Palsy president and CEO, Stephen Bennett noted the film’s ability to “[offend] audiences on many levels,”, especially on “its use of the R-word and its unacceptable mockery of people with cerebral palsy.”

Berns and Bennett are specifically referring to a scene where actor Leonardo di Caprio describes a drug-induced experience as feeling like a “cerebral palsy phase”. Di Caprio countered their statement by saying that the whole point of the movie was to serve as a “cautionary tale”, mentioning “we’re not condoning this behavior, we’re indicting it”.

If you or someone you know has been exposed to events that led to the development of cerebral palsy, The Driscoll Firm could help you gain financial compensation from the responsible parties. Call us at (800) 900-7704 to learn more about how we can help you.

 


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